Never Had to Wait There

I’ve Never Had to Wait There

The rumors were true, and it is coming. Ruston will be home to the first Buc-ee’s in Louisiana! There is a buzz in the air for most; beaver nuggets, BBQ, Jerky, 100    toilets. Others aren’t exactly sure what the hype is all about, but they’ve probably never stopped at the supermarket/truck stop love-child.

Somebody asked me “what’s different than any other truck stop?” The honest answer- everything. Its clean and seemingly no wait for anything, which becomes quite important for a restroom in the middle of a long road trip down the interstate. They seem to have captured and franchised accessibility, courtesy, and convenience to make a fortune. I’m curious if we could capitalize on some of their success:

Accessibility- Especially as a preacher, I wonder how often my messages have been overly complex as to cloud the message of Christ. Paul interacted with the Corinthian church knowing nothing “except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1Cor. 2:2). Buc-ee’s secures large properties to build giant facilities with numerous gas stations, restrooms, and checkout lines so that people can get to what they are seeking. I don’t think we need giant facilities, but we need to keep our lives open so that others in this world feel invited to come to us should they have a need we might supply.

Courtesy- I’m not sure why some Christians stop behaving like it. But it seems that for many, a duty of pious life is pursed lips and scowled eyes. If the employees at a truck stop can have smiling faces and helpful tones, surely the redeemed of God can find something within them to do the same.

Convenience- This is one I am conflicted on. On one hand I believe there are many carry overs from generations past that were convenient for them but might not be so convenient today. We might do well to examine everything we are doing and see if every action is still serving its intended purposes. I am conflicted because we should strive to ensure things aren’t unnecessarily inconvenient, but to seek      convenience as a prevailing theme would be a mistake. Christ has called us to a life of sacrifice with him (Luke 9:23). In reality I think this is what most people are     missing from their “church experience”; a real sense of belonging because they are actively engaged in the mission of the Church.

Sometimes we get caught up looking forward to heaven so much that we forget that we have been called to kingdom living now! When God’s church lives out his purposes purely, then lost, seeking souls will be drawn to it. We might not find ourselves getting the same traffic as Buc-ee’s, but maybe we will see more than    we have.

I love you

 Jonathan