EVERYBODY ALWAYS

QUOTES

“It’s given me a lot of comfort knowing we’re all rough drafts of the people we’re becoming” (ix).

“It’s hard to believe Jesus loves the van thieves and all the difficult people we’ve met just the same as you and me. Yet, the incredible message Love came to earth to give was that we’re all tied for first in God’s mind. While we’re still trying to get our arms around this idea, God doesn’t want us to just study Him like He’s an academic project. He wants us to become love” (ix).

“Very few people on this side of heaven have actually met God. Adam and Eve did. Joseph and Mary did too. Moses did on the top of a mountain. …// God could have made it otherwise, of course, and everyone could have appeared in person throughout history in all maternity wards and huts and fields where children are born. He could have shown up at Super Bowl games and Taylor Swift concerts and at elementary school plays and the Rose parade. By not doing this, I don’t think He’s avoiding us. I think His plan all along has been for us to meet the people He made and feel like we just met Him. // In this sense, I’ve met God almost every day. Certainly, God wants us to learn about Him by reading the letters and stories collected in the Bible, but He also wants us to meet Him by loving the people who are difficult to get along with. If I’m only willing to love the people who are nice to me, the ones who see things the way I do, and avoid the rest, it’s like reading every other page of the Bible and thinking I know what it says” (4-5).

“Loving your enemies doesn’t just mean learning about them or being nice or tolerating them. It means helping them” (215).

“Every time I wonder who I should love and for how long I should love them, God continues to whisper to me: Everybody, always” (223).

SKYDIVING

Love can push us out of our comfort zone.

After months of watching his fearless son (Adam) skydive, Bob wanted to join him. So Bob secretly took lessons and surprised Adam one day by going up on the plane with him. When the pilot turned on a light to give the cue that they were over the field, Adam confidently jumped out. Even though Bob was scared, he too jumped out soon after Adam. The desire to be with his son gave him the push he needed.

Likewise, God’s desire to be fully with us could be one reason he left the comfort of heaven.

“I know a little bit more now what it feels like to be a father who wants to be with his kids. Jesus did something a lot like what I did with Adam. He jumped out of heaven to be with us. // I have been watching Adam for his whole life. I know all about Adam, and he knows quite a bit about me. Still, there’s a big difference between knowing what someone’s doing and being with them while they do it. God knew we’d know the difference too. This has been the easiest way for me to understand one reason that God sent Jesus to us. He wasn’t sent because God was mad at us. He jumped out of heaven and came as Immanuel because He wanted to be God with us” (53).

WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION

We can sometimes be afraid to take a leap of faith if we don’t have complete confirmation.

One night, Bob was trying to land a small plane by himself. He got worried when he only saw two out of his three green lights appear on the dashboard. This meant that his two rear landing wheels were confirmed to be launched and ready, but his front wheel was not. He called the control tower for help, but they couldn’t visually confirm if the front wheel was out or not since it was too dark outside.

Bob’s two options were:

Try to land by first putting the plane’s weight on his two back wheels and then slowly lowering the tip of the plane until the plane screeches to a stop.
Keep circling around the field until the plane runs out of gas and he crashes.

Bob went with the first option. He put the plane’s weight on what he knew for sure was correct, and when he lowered the tip of the plane, he felt a bounce. The front wheel was there after all! The first LED was just burnt out.

“Don’t ignore the green lights you already have. What delights you? What fires your imagination? What fills you with a deep sense of meaning and purpose? What draws you closer to God? What is going to last in your life and in the lives of others? Do those things. They’re your green lights” (91).

“No one is remembered for what they only planned to do” (91).

“I only got two green lights in the airplane when I wanted three. You may want ten green lights before you do the risky thing God has for you to do, but you only have eight. I once heard a friend say all opportunities come with expiration dates. If you don’t grasp the opportunity in front of you, it’s likely to go away at some point. Here’s the deal: All those deep urgings you feel to step toward the beautiful, courageous thing you’re afraid to do — you probably won’t always have the chance. Now is the time. Your life, your experiences, and your faith are your green lights. Make your move” (91-92).

“I spent far too much time circling the field that night because I didn’t get all the green lights I wanted. I think a lot of us do the same thing with much of our lives too. Don’t let a nickel light bulb keep you from fulfilling your purpose. God isn’t surprised we want more confirmation. He just hopes we won’t get stuck waiting for it” (93-94).

“The difference between the number of lights we want and the number we get from God is a pretty good description of what faith is. Faith isn’t knowing what we can’t see; it’s landing the plane anyways, rather than just circling the field” (94).

However, don’t make rash decisions. It can be good to pause to evaluate as long as we don’t get stuck evaluating forever.

“One of the writers in the Bible said to his friends that just because the door was open didn’t mean it was for him to walk through. The difference between a prudent pause and persistent paralysis is a distinction worth knowing” (94).

ID CHECK

Bob is a frequent flier. After noticing how much patience and respect one airport employee (Adrian) showed to every single person in line to get their ID checked (even if they’re cranky), Bob decided to thank him for his service. Bob even told Adrian that he treats people like how Jesus would treat people. This gesture touched Adrian that he hugged Bob, and from then on out, they started a friendship. Every time Bob came to the airport, Adrian and Bob would briefly share life updates, and later, they hung out outside of the airport and met each other’s families.

“I don’t know what color the gates of heaven are or who takes over when Saint Peter takes a day off. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be a long line of people waiting to get in. It will wind out the door like a long snake. Somewhere near the entry at the front of the line, I’m betting there will be a guy who looks a lot like Adrian. He won’t be checking for titles or degrees or accomplishments or how rich or poor someone was. He’ll be asking everyone whether they found their identity in Jesus and if they really were who they said they were during their lives” (115).

SETBACKS

Setbacks can make us rethink what’s important and what meaningful actions we should do.

Karl was known for being a reckless and mischievous prankster. But one day, a head-first dive into three-foot shallow waters (in hopes of impressing girls) ended up leaving him paralyzed to the point where he could only control his tongue, eyes, and mind.

He got a wheelchair made for him that he could steer with his tongue. Determined to chase a meaningful purpose, he went to law school (and was in Bob’s class). Thanks to his intelligence and determination, he is now a successful lawyer.

“People like Karl have found something many of us are still looking for. He knows he’s neither defined nor limited by his circumstances. He sees power in his brokenness and opportunities in the opposition he faces. Karl’s not stuck trying to figure out why this thing happened to him; he’s too busy celebrating other peoples’ lives and making things happen for them. People like Karl don’t think about what they’ve lost. They think about what they’ll do with what they still have. And the answer is much” (125).

SILENCE

A teacher is always silent during a test. Similarly, we shouldn’t feel like we need to rely on constant feedback.

Bob taught his son Adam how to fly a plane. Once Adam had plenty of experience landing planes, Bob challenged him to land a plane in a lake (which was a tight clearing, surrounded by trees on one end and rock walls on the other). First Bob landed the plane to show that it could be done, and he asked Adam to fly them out of the clearing. Then Bob asked Adam to try landing the plane again there himself.

While Adam was landing the plane like a boss, Bob kept silent. He didn’t overwhelm Adam with instructions about what knobs to press or what he needed to do to steer. But Bob knew that his son was capable of achieving the task, even though Adam hadn’t landed in that particular clearing before.

Similarly, God has confidence in us, so remains silent.

“What a shame it would be if we were waiting for God to say something while He’s been waiting on us to do something” (136).

“God doesn’t just value the big endeavors that work and He isn’t afraid we’ll fail; instead, He delights in our attempts. // God knows we won’t do everything picture-perfect either. If we’re being honest, our mess-ups outnumber our successes, probably by a wide margin. …// But God hasn’t been shouting instructions to me as I’ve made mistakes because He doesn’t need to. … He’s so confident we already know what to do next that He’s willing to be silent even when we ask for His voice. He doesn’t care as much as we do whether we perform perfectly or not. He just wants us to be His while we do it. // Most of us don’t need more instructions; we simply need someone who believes in us” (137).

“He doesn’t carpet-bomb us with instructions about what to do next. Instead, He continues to be with us. He’s not entirely silent when He is either. He’s sent us books about Him and has included a lot of letters, and He’s sent us friends too” (138).

“When we dream up something where the outcome seems uncertain and we don’t hear God’s voice, what if God isn’t saying anything to us because He’s already said it? Like my time with Adam flying into the lake, I can picture God sitting beside each of us, not confused or afraid but confident we have all the information we need. We may not have had experience with the circumstances we’re presently facing, but He’s allowed us to experience a lifetime of other things to prepare us for what is coming next. // He knows that without risk we can’t grow. God didn’t promise a safe life. Instead, He said He would give us a dangerous, courageous, and purposeful one if we’ll take Him at His word and stay engaged” (138).

A WARM WELCOME

A warm welcome goes a long way.

When refugees come to America with no luggage/ extra clothes, they tend to be anxious. However, a man named Walter warmly greets them and instantly makes them feel calmer. Similarly, when we go to Heaven one day, we won’t have material items with us, but God and angels will warmly welcome us.

“Walter let me come along with him to the airport to greet some arriving refugees. I didn’t know what to bring with me, so I brought a dozen helium balloons. Balloons are my go-to for everything when I don’t know what to bring. I take them to birthday parties, job interviews, dentist appointments, bar exams, to the gym — everywhere except scuba diving. Balloons are an internationally understood code for celebration, joy, welcome, acceptance, and love. // I think heaven might be a little like the greeting Walter gives to the refugees he meets at the airport. A celebration, a homecoming. None of us will need any luggage either. (I’m expecting plenty of balloons when I get there; I can’t lie.)“ (142).

HYPOCRISY

Are we who we claim to be, 24/7?

After Bob gave a sermon at a Church that had invited him to speak, he went to return his rental car. Despite being annoyed at the super slow employee there, he refrained from showing his impatience. He treated the slow employee with kindness anyways. It turns out that the slow employee had attended Bob’s sermon! Had Bob been rude to the guy, he would have seemed like a hypocrite, and the guy might have lost hope that solid Christian role models were out there.

“The guy who is up front at church needs to be the same guy in the back of the rental-car line” (166).

THE CHURCH AS GOD’S BRIDE

Similar to how a groom loves and accepts his bride despite all her flaws, God loves and accepts us all despite our flaws.

“God calls the church His bride. It’s a beautiful metaphor, full of love and anticipation and commitment. Have you ever gone to a wedding where the bride walked in and a guy in row four held up a card with a ‘7’ on it like they do in the Olympics, whispering to the person next to him, ‘I’ve seen better’? // Of course not! The bride steals the show. Every time. // Do you know what makes the bride look terrific? It’s not the fancy dress or the flowers or the music. Those things are great, but what makes the bride look terrific is everyone in the room knows the groom chose her to be his and she’s chosen him to be hers. The two of them can’t wait to spend forever together. I think this is the reason why God calls us His bride” (175-176).