AMAZON = Happiness?

Amazon Prime = Happiness? 

Is it true? 

I remember the day I first saw an Amazon Prime van in the Comox Valley. How did you feel when you first noticed them here? Most people welcome the idea of orders arriving to our doorstep faster than before. 

Just a couple weeks ago I ordered a few items I need as I prepare for my late-Summer/early-Fall fishing priorities. They arrived at home so quickly. I was surprised by the surge of happy feelings that rushed my being when I opened my packages to examine these most basic (honestly, most dull & uninspiring) fishing items. 

My next thought? 

"I want to buy something else!" 

Ha! 

I am generally a fairly intentional and calculated buyer. It was surprising to me that I 'felt' an impulse like this. Gratefully, I resisted the urge and just mused over my experience of the feelings. 

Us humans often like to 'get' don't we? 

The words of Jesus pose an interesting counter-intuitive reality for us to evaluate: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20.35)

What do you think? 

Is this actually true? 

At the heart of Christianity is this idea that even when what we feel asserts the opposite, we will trust the ways and words of Jesus. 

This past Sunday we launched our 2023 "Sell a Thing" campaign. As a church family we are hoping to see each person or each household participate in selling something and donating the proceeds toward a common mission goal. 

Our goal? To see if we can raise $5,000 through August & September to give toward the building of a second level on a home at Shadow of His Wings homes for vulnerable children and women in Guatemala. 

If you missed the service on Sunday you can catch up here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tziGn1_jvGI or to see a brief video about Shadow of His Wings and learn more about this Sell a Thing campaign, click the link and scroll ahead to the 1.39.48 mark. 

While it can be fun to 'get' things, imagine how selling and giving together can make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children and women in Guatemala.

Have a look around the room you're in (or home, or yard, garage, office...). What could you part with so that we could help others in Jesus' name? 

Let's take inspiration from the first followers of Jesus:

"No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but shared everything they had" Acts 4.32 

"The disciples, each according to their ability, decided to provide help" Acts 11.29 

Yes, at times Amazon Prime may = happiness, but giving = blessing. For others! For Jesus' glory! 

Let's do this! 

Have fun! 

Pastor Mike