You know, I’m not usually the dim bulb. I do have my moments, but for the most part, I catch on pretty quickly. I’m not bragging – it’s just how I’ve always been. School was fairly easy for me. I never learned good study skills, mainly because I never had to study. I’m not even kidding – I barely cracked a book, with the exception of math, which has been and still is my nemesis.

Over the last year, on a few occasions, I’ve heard the following quote from St. Francis of Assisi:
“Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” (There are differing opinions on the exact wording of that quote, but roughly – that’s it.)

Now, I’ve heard it a lot. And I’ll be honest – I didn’t give it a great amount of thought – it sounded somewhat intuitive.

But I’m here to tell you, I COMPLETELY MISSED THE BOAT.

Yesterday was “Step Out” Sunday at our church. It was a day our church joined together with many other churches around the city to go and serve in various organizations and in our own church community. There were cleaning projects and painting projects and…well…you name it. They had tons of things you could do. On top of that, our church joined with 27 other churches to preach the same message across this city. The message was “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Now, I’m sure that was interpreted mostly the same way across all the churches who preached it. For our church, we had the honor of having a pastor from a church we are affiliated with in Texas come and preach. In the hour or so that he was up there, I realized, I am not the smart cookie I’d like to think myself.

Preach the gospel at all times. Ok, well I can handle that. I’ve read pretty much all of the New Testament. I’ve read a good portion of the Old Testament. I know the Gospels best of all – so really, no big deal, right? I can talk to anybody about those ’til I’m blue in the face. But…what…if necessary use words??? Well DUH….how else would I tell everybody about the good news???

OH.

SO.

St. Francis actually meant TELL people about the gospel with something other than words? Like by LIVING it? Like by SERVING OTHER PEOPLE? Like by reading what Christ said in the GOSPELS, and actually putting it to practice? Not just paying attention to it on Sunday, and trying to remember it through the week, as I curse at people for cutting me off in traffic or get annoyed with my kids and husband for exasperating me??

LIVE it? Let my light so shine before men? You know, by my ACTIONS? Not my big mouth???

Huh.

I’m so smart, why didn’t *I* think of that?