Flashlights vs. Hockey Masks

Funny isn’t it, how life hands you stories, memories, trials, and lessons that you never fully understand the impact of until years later on in life? It’s kind of like getting handed a puzzle piece, and not having any surrounding pieces that match it, so you toss it aside and deem it as “insignificant” or “unnecessary” until – one day, it all makes sense.

One such life story came to me when I was in the 8^th grade.

It was the summer of 1998, and my church’s youth group decided to take a mission trip to Oklahoma to help with disaster relief from a recent tornado that had taken the entire city literally by storm. Everywhere you looked, there was darkness, destruction, devastation, and teenage kids from all over the nation. You see, this trip was huge, actually. Much larger than just my youth group, it extended its reach out to kids from all around the U.S. of A. 

Even though we were from various parts of the country and had next to nothing in common, many youth groups bonded that week. Why? Well, for one, we were all on a similar mission. There’s something about coming together to help others who can never repay you that creates a bond in people. And for two, we were all staying in the same place.

When the tornados hit Homestead, OK in 1998, they hit the city straight-on, demolished everything in sight, and then decided to take a turn right before hitting into a large church building. So, that’s where all of the youth groups decided to stay when we got there to help the relief efforts. The building was still standing, yes. But several parts of it would be deemed sub-par – especially for occupants. Ceiling tiles were missing all throughout, the rafters were exposed, not to mention a rumor circulated that the choir room was doubling as a morgue. (I realize now that one may or may not have been true... but, for the record, it did scare the sleep out of me on several nights while we were there.)

With all things considered, things were going well. We were working long, hot hours during the day; “bonding” with other youth groups at night; and all-the-while getting a kick out of the fact that people really do grow up saying “yous guys” – even as I type that, my autocorrect has a problem with it. hah.

Anyway, one night, towards the middle of the night, a girl got up to go use the bathroom. A light flickered on. Ceiling tiles fell. A hockey-masked man scurried away through the rafters above the women’s restroom. A fire alarm went off. And a shriek literally awoke a hodge-podge of teenagers from all around the nation.

In the dead middle of the night, everyone evacuated the building. The masked man escaped with his buddy in a rickety-old pick-up truck. And my youth pastor went RUNNING after the car, in attempts to track the license plate number, but only returned with the endearing nickname “Flash.”

I don’t remember much else from that night.

I remember that I was cold.

I was tired.

I was scared-to-death.

Perhaps what I remember most of all was not understanding why it all happened.

Several questions circulated in my mind:

"How did that man get into the ceiling? Why was he there? What did he want? What was he going to do? What would have happened if he didn’t get caught the way he did?"

I’m assuming I’ll never have the answers to those questions, and that’s okay. It was a super long time ago when it all happened. I’m just thankful God protected everyone from what could-have-been.

FAST FORWARD: To this day, I think that event in my life had some significance. Doesn’t everything in our lives have significance? God is a God of detail, order, and purpose. Is He not? He is.

So, follow me here for a moment… many people in the world are living in and surrounded by darkness. Some are pleasantly sleeping in their darkness-sleeping-bags, unaware. Others have grown cold and are just plain tired of where they’re living. Some still are scared-to-death of where their lives have carried them at this point in history.

>CONTRAST<

Christians are called to be the lights in a dark world.  The flashlights in the bathroom in a storm-beaten church in Homestead, OK in 1998, if you will. Sadly, a lot of “Christians” get caught up in pretending, rafter climbing, and hockey-mask-wearing.

People living in darkness get scared by people who show up wearing masks – just as you would if you were that girl in the bathroom on that summer night in 1998 in Homestead, OK. They don’t want to see someone who pretentiously “has it all together;” they’re longing to experience something real with the One Who holds it all together.

Tonight, take off your hockey mask. Get out of the rafters. Stop scaring people who live in darkness. 

Turn on your flashlight instead. 

People want to see who you really are. 

More importantly, people need to see what a love relationship with Him is really like.

White Out, Construction Paper, and Other Things That Don't Jive

Today, whilst my kiddos were busy learning math lessons about adding, subtracting, and planning out a Thanksgiving meal (on a budget!) from weekly Publix ads / Winn Dixie ads, I was busy learning a little life lesson myself.

It all started earlier in the morning when the students were given an assignment to make an acrostic poem about another person in the classroom. Included with the acrostic poem was an illustration of the chosen person's talents, hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. Oh, and did I mention? It was all to be done on colored construction paper. Why? More professional. Less room for error. Right?

Wrong.

Shortly after the students started on their acrostic-buddy poems, a student came to my desk and asked to borrow my white out. It happens all the time in fourth-grade classes worldwide. (Ok, maybe not. Maybe it's just my students that have a growing fascination with white out. My current class, and all the girls who shared the same 6th grade classroom with me at TCA in 1996. For some reason, we all used white out as nail polish. (?) ) Nevertheless, I handed the white out over to my student. With no questions asked.

Then, around math time (much later in the day), it hit me. I finally figured out why my student needed the white out. Girlfriend used the white out to "fix" something on her acrostic poem, which was written on COLORED construction paper.

Do you see where I'm going with this? The white out that (by its very invention and purpose) was designed to cover up a mistake actually ended up making no sense at all. Why? Because construction paper and white out simply don't "jive." They simply don't make sense together. I don't think the makers of white out and the inventors of construction paper ever gathered together in a board room to discuss how to combat their "irreconcilable differences." (Perhaps, they should?) It just is what it is. No questions asked.

With the white out scenario in my classroom, questions should have been asked.
A new sheet of construction paper could have been given.
A fresh start would have been welcomed (and cherished?).
But questions weren't asked. New opportunities weren't given. It just is what it is.

"So, what life lesson did you learn exactly in all this?"
I'm glad you asked.

First of all, I learned that a child's perspective on "art" and my perfectionistic tendencies produce very different outcomes for presentations.

Second of all, I was reminded today about those things in our lives that just don't make sense.


And the fact that when things don't exactly "jive," questions should be raised.
Perhaps, a new approach should be tried, and/or second chances should be given out.

When things don't make sense on the surface, there's always an underlying reason.

Every question doesn't always come with a pre-packaged answer.
Pray anyway.

New approaches don't always yield successful results.
Be hopeful anyway.

Second chances aren't magic erasers to the past or guarantees for a different future.
Be gracious anyway.

When things simply don't make sense in your life, remember that white out isn't packaged and sold with construction paper.

There's a reason for both.

A Note to Myself

So, you want to change the world?

What are you waiting for?

I know you used to believe you could.

So, what are you waiting for?

I know life always turns out differently than you planned,

but remind me, what are you waiting for?

Waiting on…. enough time to save “enough” money?

Time is more valuable than money.

Once money is spent, you can always get more.

Such is not so with time.

Spend your time wisely.

Rather, don’t spend.

Invest it. (in others).

Waiting on… enough “friends” to have a platform to speak?

Platforms come and go, so do friends.

Don’t cultivate your audience. Cultivate your character.

Quality is better than quantity any day.

Waiting on… more schooling?

You’re already over-educated and over-qualified for a majority of jobs you would enjoy and feel successful at doing.

Schooling isn’t a bad thing, but it could very well be a deterrent from the “best” thing for you for now.

Waiting on… finding “the one” and running off into a “happily ever after”?

If there is such a thing as “the one,” he’ll be far more proud to call you his if you’re developing who you are in Christ, using your God-given talents, and sharing them to brighten up your corner of the world than sitting around all damsel-in-distress-like and waiting for him to “complete” you.

By the way, you need a man who specializes in leading, not rescuing. Leading, on its own, is a big enough responsibility. Don’t put more on him than necessary. Purpose to do him good for all the days of his life, which includes you doing your part to change the world.

So, you want to change the world?

Remind me, what are you waiting for?

Find a need. Fill it.

And by doing so, you are changing the world.

It may not look like what you ever imagined.

But that’s okay.

Nothing ever does.

Though one drop in the ocean doesn’t seem like it makes much difference at all,

remember, all it takes is one current to change the tides.

Go. Change the World. Today.

One need.

One person.

One day at a time.

What are you waiting for?