I Love the Word Impossible. Ann Kiemel

to us. You and me, God.

      and lovingly and gently,

      You will care for me.

      i stepped up

      by God.

      it was as if

      He really crawled

      inside my soul.

      for the first time,

      Someone shared my secret heart.

      i am not afraid

      of my cross.

      i would not choose

      a polished, small one.

      how i carry

      my cross

      will depend upon

      the quality of my relationship

      with Christ.

      an extraordinary one

      is my desire.

      why compromise for mediocrity

      when all of heaven and earth

      were brought together

      to make God personal to us?

      i cannot achieve this

      in a day or ten years.

      or a lifetime.

      but it is a pursuit that must

      be continually active.

      no matter how many times

      i fail in my humanity.

       evangelism

      loving one another—

      that’s where evangelism begins.

      how

      can we change our world…

      if we cannot even care about each other in our

      own circle?

      pick a growing church in the New

      Testament.

      how about thessalonica? everyone poured in,

      not because the sunday school teacher was

      so fantastic,

      or the curricula… or even the program.

      they didn’t even bring in a special musical

      group.

      but… wow, how they loved one another!

      there was john.

      would our kids love him too?

      shy. inhibited.

      not too lovable. but they did love him!

      not just on sunday, but every day.

      because kids are everyday people.

      they loved john every day until he smiled.

      and then until one day he laughed.

      his mother had called some time ago.

      john in a flood of tears had said,

      “oh, I’m such a failure… but ann and the kids

      love me.

      that’s my only hope.”

      the non-Christian mother was impressed.

      she started coming to church.

      it’s kids having the courage to tell each

      other…

      “i love you”; “i need you”;

      “i believe in you”;

      or, “i’ve failed you. i’m sorry.”

      and proving it by day-to-day caring.

      this is evangelism.

      listen to our football players…

      big, tough…

      telling one of the simple, shy, ordinary girls:

      “mary, i love you… i really do.”

      no laughter, no silly stuff.

      deadly serious… really caring about each

      other.

      “this is how to measure your love: that you lay

      down your life for your friends.”

      to pray for one another. to feel.

      i came to a church with ninety teens.

      ordinary setting. youth room.

      all the regular stuff.

      on-the-beat kids.

      announcements.

      little circle of weak singing.

      regular lessons.

      the works.

      but i had a BIG GOD

      who wanted to do BIG THINGS.

      through committed teens!

      so… forget the ordinary hymn singing.

      forget it…

      the little circle of teens week after week after

      week.

      the same old routine of drab commitment and

      blah faith.

      expecting nothing.

      and not much happening.

      i refused to buy it.

      not because i am some great expert.

      i was totally inadequate.

      but i did have a very special God.

      if He could do anything,

      why couldn’t we start to change our world in

      exciting ways?

      why couldn’t we reach hundreds more?

      i mean, if God is God…

      why little drab stuff?