Sixty Years in One Day

Click Picture above for audio (Music: Leanna Crawford "How Can You Not")

By Stacey Pinz

Sometimes it feels like life is so hectic; I get to the end of the day, and it feels like I have lived sixty years in one day. Each separate phase of my day feels like another year as I move through the day, check off boxes, and push through the never-ending task list in my mind. 

But what if I stopped checking off boxes and started to look around?   …to appreciate what is going on around me more often? …to notice the amazing things that God is showing me and is doing in my life and the lives of those around me? How might that change the way I see my days? 

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of young adults named Sophie and Max to talk about Jesus. Specifically, we talked about sharing Jesus and what Jesus has done in our lives. I was planning to talk with them about sharing goodness-of-God stories. Honestly, I did more listening than talking, and that was exactly what needed to happen; I learned so much from mostly listening. 

I learned about how Max had been inviting friends and acquaintances from the gym where he works and works out to a Wednesday night young adult worship service, and he has seen the group continue to grow as more and more people invite their friends. 

I learned about how Sophie had felt a need among several of her friends for connection, Bible study, and prayer, so she started a young adult women’s group, and she has been planning events and activities throughout the summer for building relationships and connections. In fact, later that afternoon, the group had plans to volunteer together at Feed My Starving Children. 

The two told stories about how they met and how they had seen God’s goodness surrounding them in so many ways as they continue to seek Him and to learn more about what He has for them in their lives as they continue to do worship –  life –worship –life (the lines between life and worship were blurred as they were talking, and that is how it’s supposed to be). 

Max shared a story about a connection with a stranger he had made as a result of a post he had made on social media. The connection was asking for prayer for healing, and after talking through some issues with the connection, Max prayed for both deliverance and healing for that social media connection. Some time later, Max received word from the connection that prayers had been answered, and both deliverance and healing had occurred. Wow! Thank you, Jesus!

I had set up this meeting to learn about the ministry at their church and to learn about how to share goodness-of-God stories, but I learned about so much more. I learned that at least for these two, there is no difference between being at church and being in the workplace or in the community: everyplace is an opportunity for worship, for connection with others, and for seeing Jesus. Of course—the church isn’t meant to stay in the church building.

I don’t know about you, but for me, sometimes life tends to become fragmented. Sometimes I put Jesus in certain contexts and places when, like Sophie and Max, I should be carrying Him with me everywhere. I should be seeing each situation  as an opportunity to see Him and His goodness as a new realization of worship.  As  Psalm 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; His  praise will always be on my lips.”

Sophie reflected upon a question that someone had recently asked her, “What do you do for fun?” and she was glowing when she said, “As cheesy as this answer is, we talk about Jesus.” She then looked around, reflecting while she said, “His goodness is so vast and so big, and it's everywhere; every day it is like living sixty years in one day!” What a great perspective!

Sophie and Max

Worshiping and Ministering: You Called My Name!