One of my favorite TV shows to watch is “I Love Lucy.” No matter the time or day, as soon as I stumble across an episode in syndication, I must stop and watch the whole thing. I think one of the reasons I enjoy watching “I Love Lucy” is because Desi Arnaz reminds me so much of my own dad. Like Desi, my dad is Cuban, has a funny accent and was a band leader and singer for many years. My dad even looked like Desi when he was younger. One of my all-time favorite episodes was “Lucy Goes To The Hospital.” In this episode, Lucy is pregnant, and she is due to go into labor at any time. Ricky, Fred, and Ethel decide to rehearse what each of them will do when the time actually arrives to take Lucy to the hospital. Ethel will call the doctor; Fred will get Lucy’s suitcase and Ricky will get Lucy’s coat and escort her out of their apartment. After two dress rehearsals, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel are content with their efficient and calm performances and sit down to wait for the moment to come. A few seconds go by, and Lucy enters the living room and says, “Ricky, this is it!” What ensues is all out chaos and probably the funniest 2-3 minutes you’ll watch on TV! It’s pure comedy gold! At one point, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel all run out of the apartment leaving Lucy behind all alone. Lucy then says, “Hey, wait for me!” It’s so hilarious and ironic that Desi, Fred, and Ethel all leave the most important person behind in this scenario, Lucy! Just like Ricky, Fred and Ethel forget Lucy, in ministry, we too can do the very same thing; forget the most important person, and that is Jesus himself.
Our ministry is so fun but can also be hard work. As Black Sheep, we plan and go on rides, host, and attend chapter breakfasts, sit in on numerous meetings, cook burgers at our local dealership, do hospital visits, feed the homeless, set up a booth or boot shine chair at an event, etc. Ministry keeps us busy and that’s a good thing, but in the busyness of ministry, if we’re not careful, we can forget Jesus himself; “The Christ” in HDFC. I believe the key to our effectiveness and fruitfulness as a ministry is ensuring that Jesus is first in all that we do. We serve and love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Of course, our goal in ministry is to share the Gospel and see lives transformed by Jesus, but the primary reason we serve is for Jesus Himself. Let’s not lose sight of why we do what we do! In the second chapter of the Book of Revelation, Jesus is basically saying that very same thing to the Ephesian church. The Ephesians were doing many good things, but they lost sight of the reason why. It’s okay to plan, but don’t forget that Jesus establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9). Let’s not neglect to seek the Lord in prayer and ask Him to establish our steps for our ministry. Let’s make certain that Jesus is always the One leading us in all we do in our chapters and regions! Halfway through our program or event, we don’t want to hear Him saying, “Hey, wait for me!” I love you all! Laz.
Laz Alba/ International President
Black Sheep HDFC