God and the Golden Girls

While backing up the photos on my phone, I came across a screen shot I had taken in June 2019.  My good friend Melinda and I had decided to follow a plan that would have us read the New Testament over the course of the summer.  It reminded me of something interesting that happened last year.

My 2019 focus was to “Start with Worship." For those of you who need definitive labels, consider my focus a New Year's Resolution.  With that in mind I had started doing a few different things to focus on scripture. I already mentioned my daily Bible readings. That's also about the time that I started to attend a monthly (now weekly) women’s Bible study with my church. On one particular day, I found myself doing both of these activities: I read several chapters from the book of Mark for my daily readings, and I focused on a chapter from the book of John for my study group. But surprisingly, and this is what I love most about God, He he spoke loudest to me that day through an episode of Golden Girls.

Now, I don’t know why this surprises me because God seems to speak to me through the strangest and most unexpected things. So unexpected that they shouldn’t be unexpected anymore. This particular episode was a Christmas special where the Girls serve Christmas dinner at a local church.  The pastor makes a comment that it’s hard for him to satisfy the spiritual needs of those coming for dinner when they have so many physical needs as well.

I can’t argue with his statement since he was essentially quoting scripture. In James 2 we read a debate between the importance of faith versus deeds:

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

(James 2:15-17, NIV)

James does not tell his readers to go and have more faith. He does not tell them to commit to long prayer sessions every evening. Nor does he tell his readers to spend more time focusing on the scripture. While we should be doing all of these things, we are told that our faith should be expressed through our actions. Not should, must.

Since I've been struggling with what it means to use my passions to serve God (read more HERE), it seems right that I not ignore these words.  I trust that God will help me figure this all out long before I am a golden girl.  If you are still reading this, thank you for being a friend.