Purpose and Intention – 2019 Heartbeat Stories in Review

Do you find yourself wondering where this year went? Weren’t we just getting ready for oyster supper and VBS? Scientists say time passes faster as we get older because we get caught up in routine, repetitive days that all seem to run together. We don’t experience as many new events, so our brains don’t have to work as hard writing memories. Every heartbeat story from this past year had an important lesson to teach, and each person had something unique to share. I considered all of them together and realized they can show us how to live with purpose and intention.

Lance Orta started the year by telling us about purpose. He explained how it feels to be a part of this community and how music brought him here. Samantha Boutte taught us to be the best we can because we represent more than just ourselves. Henry Joyner showed us the value of slowing down and examining the details. Carving wood is a process, just like becoming more like Jesus is a process. Robin Snoek reminded us to tend the fruits of the spirit so that others could realize and achieve their potential. Remember memorizing the fruits this past year? Shelby Boutte advised us to build our story by being kind, lending a hand, and being generous with our time. She reminds us to play.

Liza Nelson’s story teaches us to practice our faith by showing love and acceptance to others. It takes action to follow Jesus and do what he taught us. Billie Crockett told us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, you must stop thinking about yourself and focus on others. Glen Moon is our example of how to love the city, even after seeing it at its worst. We can rely on Jesus, surround ourselves with a faith community, and do a lot of praying.

Phyllis Mann is a role model for giving things our best effort. She said, don’t give up, keep trying, and take advantage of opportunities that may never come around again. Gene Soper suggested we think, question, and examine everything about life. You can’t watch from the sidelines, or you will miss out on what helping others is all about. You should strive to be better and never stop learning.

Science tells us we can slow time by making our days less repetitive, so let’s make that happen with our service to others. We can get outside of our comfort zone, do something unique and unfamiliar, and give our brains something different to process. Let’s do things that challenge us, perform random acts of kindness, and find creative ways to serve others. We can learn from each other and make the most of the time we have together. A new year is coming, full of opportunities to serve Jesus, build community, and live with intention. Time may still fly, but just think of all the great things we can do together, as a community, serving others for Jesus.

Story and headshot by Michelle Holland

Think, Learn, Do

He has an excellent voice for reading scripture, shows up every month for Kairos and SHP bed builds, wearing fighter pilot sunglasses, a great smile, and wielding a quick wit, but how well do you know Gene Soper? I knew enough to expect lively conversation and of course, a good dose of laughter. I always start with a person’s childhood, learning what they liked to do, and the early experiences that helped them become the person they are today. I learned about a boy who changed schools often, attending 16 different schools in 12 years, a boy who loved to read and learn, a boy who wanted to fly airplanes. I asked about a life lesson that changed him in some way, and he told me about a professor from his college days and a discussion about how many Jews were killed in WWII. He let them argue about the numbers before making the simple statement that they were missing the point because one was too many. Gene realized that learning to think, to question, to examine everything was what a college education was all about. You shouldn’t accept an answer because it is easy or because someone gives it to you, you need to think and learn for yourself. We talked about life as a series of lessons and how sometimes terrible things happen to us that we don’t understand at the time, but when we look back, we can see God was always at work, patiently teaching us to trust him, and bringing us better days and blessings we never expected.

I heard fantastic tales of Gene’s mother, a nurse, stationed at Pearl Harbor during WWII, and I could tell by his stories, she was a significant influence in his life. She was a tough lady with a soft side, a military nurse, but also a faithful member of the Methodist church, and she made sure Gene was there every Sunday. She forced him to wear a suit and tie, much to his dismay, since no one else had to. He told me about hiding from her on Sunday mornings, but she always managed to find him. When Gene was 10, his mom did something that he never forgot. She reached out to a homeless man, asked if he was hungry, and bought him lunch at the restaurant where they were eating after church. She would be happy to see Gene at the grill every month for Kairos, serving up one of John’s Wright’s exclusive recipes. 

We talked about action and how working with the homeless has changed him. If you only watch from the sidelines and never participate, you miss so much of what helping others is all about. He told me how Kairos has enabled him to really see people, and the feeling you get from giving of yourself can’t be compared to anything else. It’s not about Sunday service or the act of going to church, but what we do with the things we learn and the actions we take. It’s how we live out our principles and do what we can in the time and space we find ourselves. I asked him for words of wisdom, something life has taught him, and this is what I learned, “You may think you’re doing good, but are you just doing enough to get by? Strive to be better, try harder, and never stop learning.”  I couldn’t agree more.