Most of my time at the Sunset Workshop was spent in the Ladies’ Program with speaker, Neva Cooper. I consider her a dear friend and it was a pleasure to hear her speak on Living Out Loud. Of all people I know, she can say that she has lived out loud for God.
I want to tell a story on Neva that could have had a direct impact on me. A few years ago, she was headed to Oklahoma to speak at our ladies’ day. As she was traveling through the not usually dangerous plains of Kansas, her driver’s side window suddenly shattered. At the time, she had no idea why. She sought help and continued on her way to see us. The person who fixed the window said it was consistent with a gunshot. Believe it or not, they found the bullet on the floor of the passenger’s side. It came through her window, somehow missing her, and could not exit through the shatterproof glass of the front window. My friends, there is a reason Neva’s angel protected her that day. I am sure Neva would love to go to heaven where her first husband is waiting, but she knows God has plans for her to be a messenger for Him. He has plans for her to continue living out loud for Him.
With that said, she spoke at least three hours. How can that be summarized in a short entry? Here is my top three list of points from Neva’s talk:
1. The text was the book of Matthew. Her first topic was “Above the Din of the World”, and was based on chapter five. We must be set apart, a people with “surpassing righteousness”. As Christians, we should think differently. Satan tries to get us to lower our standard. If he can get us to lust (after anything), then he can get us to sin. There is a “dumbing down” in America; defined as “refusing to live by or acknowledge a system of standards”. Christians have to live by higher standards in their marriages, their thoughts, their words, everything. We are the sanctified, the called apart. You can’t be a Christian that is living out loud if you are “in camouflage”.
2. The next session was entitled: “Cacophony of Chaos” and focused on Matthew 6. Neva loves fun words to say and “cacophony” is one of those. It means a mixture of sounds that do not go well together. This section was about calming the chaos in our lives. We must first live in harmony with God; he wants us to calm down our lives to be able to worship Him. We also must simplify our lives, tame our addiction to stuff and too many activities. Sometimes, people are too busy doing God’s work to let God even be a part of it. Here is a list to help calm the chaos:
a. pray – not like you are going through a fast food drive through.
b. eliminate something before you add something to your life (activity or stuff)
c. clarify why you do things, don’t just do it
d. assess eternal significance and prioritize activities
e. find a sanctuary – escape to a place of solitude
f. live beneath your means, buy only what you can afford, cut out maintenance by simplifying your life
g. be still and know God
3. “Resonating Redemption”, Matthew 28:18-20, was her final topic. Neva addressed the issues (excuses) of why we do not evangelize and gave some ways that anyone could be God’s messenger. A few of them included: the internet bloggs, lunch time devotionals, and community service projects. She really had great ideas that she mentioned. Her point was that redemption resonates like a new love – Jesus’ followers should be fanatics! She said, “Apple trees grow apples because that is what they are, not to prove they are apple trees.” We know something that we just can’t keep to ourselves! We have to share because it is our inner being, our inner excitement. Living out loud is sharing this explosion of redemption with everyone.
So, to live out loud, it must be by God’s high standards, not the worlds; we have to calm our chaos to make our time count for Him; and we have to share His good news however we can. You can find Neva’s daily devotionals on her blog address at: “ dancing-in-the-light-neva.blogspot.com ”. It is a wonderful devotional site.
Thanks Neva, you did an inspiring job! Love you!
Kathy
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2 comments:
I love you, too. Thank you for your kind words. It is always good to know that listeners gleaned heard what I really tried to say. I am grateful God could use me that way and now is using you this way. His message is powerful!!!
Thank you
Nev
Kathy,
Thanks for stopping in on MG. Thanks for the kind words.
I know this is a bit off the focus of your post, but it is an amazing coincidence that I am compelled to relate. A few years ago, when my Kathy and I were at ACU, we were traveling up to Amarillo for a holiday visit with her folks over the toolies through Childress. Out in the middle of nowhere about 30 miles south of Guthrie (or really I dont know anymore) we passed an old cowboy relieving himself beside his pick up truck on the side of the road. I looked right at him and he looked right at me in that awkward moment as we flew by at 70 mph. His truck was pointed in the same direction we were going, and as Kathy blushed (thought fortunately he was hidden behind his truck) she mused on it for a moment and then quickly forgot about it. However, I did not.
We were driving a compact car. And I began entertaining fearful fantasies that the guy would race to catch us and intimidate us, and with a big truck like his he could do it easy. So I eased the speed up to about 95-100 mph. Kathy read her book unaware. I thought if I saw him in the rearview at those speeds, it meant he was trying to catch us.
Sure enough, a few minuts later a dot on the horizon in the mirror the color of his truck appeared. And it began growing. I was then racing at well over 100 mph on the flat straights, of which there are plenty. Kathy began to take note. She was nervous, but I did not wish to alarm her about the guy behind us. I was hoping Guthrie or some town would appear SOON.
The truck kept gaining. We were flying as fast as a 4 banger can. This guy was going to catch us. I was feeling that my fears had to be confirmed at those speeds. I finally said something to Kathy about it and she became very scared.
Finally, it was inevitable. The guy was on our tale. I decided to slow down. It would be better to engage him at lower speeds than high ones. I slowed to 70 mph and he moved into the passing lane. It was at just the point that his pickup bed was even with my door that suddenly my driver window shattered as if shot out! I looked into the truck, the guy appeared oblivious.
I slammed on the brakes and prepared to flip a U turn and race the other way, but he quickly disappeared over the next rise in the road. So I stopped. We got out. Kathy was screaming. Glass had rained in all over me. I shook it off and dusted it out of the seat.
I had hoped for a cop to stop us as we raced along that toolie stretch, and there had not been one. I looked at the evening sky of December approaching and I decided that I would lead foot it to Childress. I wanted to make my time before Childress because I have seen how they patrol the highway on the other side of it between Childress and Amarillo. So I flew down the road at 100mph with the window smashed out and the cold blowing in until Childress.
Once there, I slowed it down. I pushed the limits, but not nearly so carelessly. It was not sunset yet, but I wanted to get to Amarillo befor the sun went down and the cold really got bad.
It was in Armstrong County where I finally got popped. Two sherrif deputies and eventually a DPS officer. They pulled us over for speeding (if only they had known how I was driving while still south of Childress...)
At first they did not notice the smashed window, but when they did, they asked me to step out of the car. Now you have to realize, that I had a long pony tail and a Metallica t-shirt on. And my window was busted, as if a thief had stolen this car.
Pretty quick they decided they wanted to know if I had any "contraband" in the car. You know, drugs, guns, alcohol... I told them NO. They asked if they could look. I looked at the sun sinking on the horizon and thought, it will take them an hour to decide I am clean and then I have to drive the rest of the way in the cold with a smashed out window. I hoped they would give in and let me go. I knew my rights, and I could refuse them. But then they threatened that my uncooperative attitude would delay me even longer. So I changed my mind and said YES to the search.
At that point they made Kathy get out of the car and stand 25 yards away from me. They went through our belongings and set them all out along the highway, including wrapped Xmas gifts. They opened up my luggage and found my Bibles, my Greek texts, my lexicons and so many mysterious things... My story was adding up, despite my appearance!
But then Kathy had brought along some strange, and at that time, new silly puddy substance of a white color that ironically she kept in a ziplock bagging AND had stashed under her seat! Even I did not know what it was or was for. Apparently it was some new fangled thing the education dept was promoting. They asked me about it, and I did not know. They were suspicious, but ultimately decided it was nothing.
They let us go. And we rolled into Amarillo icey cold after dark.
We never found a bullet in that car. We cannot imagine what ultimately smashed out that window, but a bullet is the only thing that makes sense to me. That guy had confirmed my suspicion of him and then through a chain of events, had made a suspect of me!
Anyway, your little tale opens up a lot of ISSUES for me. I should have just posted it instead of eating up all this space on your blog.
Anyway, thanks for visiting and for indulging my strange tales...
many blessings...
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