Monday, February 2, 2009

Crazy Love

By Steve Conley

(Person 1 comes rushing into the room)

Person 1: Person 2 I just did the craziest thing you have ever seen!

Person 2: Really? What is it?

Person 1: Guess.

Person 2: Okay, you ran outside without your coat on?

Person 1: No, although that’s pretty insane though. Think more in line of a radical God thing.

Person 2: Alright, you said the Pledge of Allegiance and kept the words “under God” in it?

Person 1: No, but that’s awesome! Okay, I can’t wait, I’ve got to tell you. …I’m so excited!!

Person 2: What? You’re killing me!!

Person 1: I left a Bible tract in the bathroom stall at Wal-Mart!

Person 2: No way!

Person 1: Yes, way!

Person 2: You’re so brave!

Person 1: I know. But when you are crazy in love with Jesus you will do anything!!

Person 2: I’m with you sister! Just yesterday when I was eating lunch at Mickey D’s, I prayed before I dug in to my quarter pounder!

Person 1: Whoa! You prayed in a restaurant?

Person 2: Yes! I bowed my head and everything. I just thought to myself… I’m going for it!

Person 1: Did anyone see you?

Person 2: Oh yea! This little kid playing in the kid’s area. Looked right to the window at me! He even made a face at me!

Person 1: Ahhh, you’re kidding?

Person 2: Yeah, ya know. Sometimes you just gotta suffer for Jesus. Pick up your cross even if someone makes fun of you.

Person 1: That’s crazy!

Person 2: You better believe that’s crazy!

Person 1: I remember the time when I fell in love with God. How everything in my life seemed to change. That’s exactly how lives should change, if we truly fall in love with God.

Person 2: The problem with some Christians is they need to realize who God is, how "crazy" his love for us is. Because when you're crazy in love with someone, it changes everything in your life.

Person 1: My life changed! I would have never left a tract in the bathroom if I had not been changed like that.

Person 2: You know it!

Person 1: A lot of people live caught up in themselves. It's crazy that they think today is just a normal day to do whatever we want with. Do they live with the idea that perhaps today they might die? Life is all about God and not about us at all.

Person 2: That’s exactly what I was talking about to my small group. God is numero uno!

Person 1: What would that group do without you?

Person 2: Go on.

Person 1: You are so the man!

Person 2: It’s all about me baby! All about me!

Person 1: They’re so lucky.

Person 2: Ya know. The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. I try and tell them do you believe that God is the greatest thing you can experience in the whole world?

Person 1: Hopefully they’ll get it one day!

Person 2: Like-you-and-I!

Person 1: Remember the parable of the soils. People shouldn’t assume they are good soil! Most American churchgoers have thorns that choke any seed that is in them.

Person 2: Listen, a relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sin, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.

Person 1: Money! We give, we tithe!

Person 2: When we can!

Person 1: And Sin?

Person 2: Under the rug!

Person 1: Activities? We have no activities!

Person 2: We’re too busy doing everything else to have activities!

Person 1: And sports teams?

Person 2: We’ll, everyone knows you can make an exception every once in awhile.

Person 1: Addictions?

Person 2: Just say no!

Person 1: Commitments?

Person 2: You, my dear, are my only commitment!

Person 1: Jesus clearly states over and over he wants all or nothing.

Person 2: We can not give him leftovers, we can’t give him only what doesn't hurt us or only what doesn't put us at risk. Leftovers are for lunch not for Jesus!

Person 1: You were so brave praying at lunch the other day.

Person 2: (looking humbled) I know.

Person 1: We need to tell the world that when you're crazy in love with someone, it changes everything.

Person 2: God wants us to trust Him. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in crazy situations. Just like you Person 1. What if someone had seen you leave that tract? They might have attacked you right there in the bathroom stall!

Person 1: Listen, if that glass had not been there separating you and that little boy… well, I’d hate to think what might have happened.

Person 2: Ya know, Christians should be obsessed with Jesus. They should care more about the Kingdom more than our own lives being shielded from pain or distress. They should live their lives connected with the poor…

Person 1: …we’ve watched the TV commercials!

Person 2: We do things that don't make sense in terms of success or wealth…

Person 1: …we bought the big house because we like to entertain our Christian friends and needed the extra room.

Person 2: We seek humility…

Person 1: …we are so humble.

Person 2: We take joy in loving people. We are known as givers…

Person 1: …I give my time! I go to church on Sunday! And you didn’t even make change in the offering plate last Sunday!

Person 2: I know. Something inside me said, “Person 2, let that quarter go.”

Person 1: We should be committed to live each day as if it is our last before we meet Jesus. Everyone should view a bathroom stall as a battleground!

Person 2: I wish everyone had that kind of crazy love like we have.

Person 1: I wish that to Person 2. I wish that to.

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