imperfect

Meet John Doe

"Met John Doe" is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It was one of Frank Capra's brilliant movies from 1941 with Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper. What starts as a marketing ploy becomes a full-on grassroots movement. It starts with this speech from John Doe:

"Well, people like the Governor -- people like the Governor -- and that fella there can -- can stop worrying. I'm not gonna talk about them. I'm gonna talk about us, the average guys, the John Does.

If anybody should ask you what the average John Doe is like, you couldn't tell him because he's a million and one things. He's Mr. Big and Mr. Small. He's simple and he's wise. He's inherently honest, but he's got a streak of larceny in his heart. He seldom walks up to a public telephone without shoving his finger into the slot to see if somebody left a nickel there.
He's the man the ads are written for. He's the fella everybody sells things to. He's Joe Doakes, the world's greatest stooge and the world's greatest strength.

Yes, sir -- Yes, sir, we're a great family, the John Does. We are the meek who are -- who are supposed to inherit the earth. You'll find us everywhere. We raise the crops; we dig the mines, work the factories, keep the books, fly the planes and drive the busses. And when a cop yells: "Stand back there, you!" He means us, the John Does!

We have existed since time began. We built the pyramids. We saw Christ crucified, pulled the oars for Roman emperors, sailed the boats for Columbus, retreated from Moscow with Napoleon and froze with Washington at Valley Forge.
Yes, sir. We've been in there dodging left hooks since before history began to walk. In our struggle for freedom we've hit the canvas many a time, but we always bounced back! Because we're the people -- and we're tough.

They've started a lot of talk about free people going soft -- that we can't take it. That's a lot of hooey! A free people can beat the world at anything, from war to tiddle-de-winks, if we all pull in the same direction. I know a lot of you are saying "What can I do? I'm just a little punk. I don't count." Well, you're dead wrong! The little punks have always counted because in the long run the character of a country is the sum total of the character of its little punks. But, we've all got to get in there and pitch. We can't win the old ballgame unless we have teamwork. And that's where every John Doe comes in. It's up to him to get together with his teammates. And your teammate, my friend, is the guy next door to you. Your neighbor -- he's a terribly important guy that guy next door. You're gonna need him and he's gonna need you, so look him up. If he's sick, call on him. If he's hungry, feed him. If he's out of a job, find him one.

To most of you, your neighbor is a stranger, a guy with a barkin' dog and high fence around him. Now, you can't be a stranger to any guy that's on your own team. So tear down the fence that separates you. Tear down the fence and you'll tear down a lot of hates and prejudices. Tear down all the fences in the country and you'll really have teamwork.

I know a lot of you are saying to yourselves, "He's askin' for a miracle to happen. He's expectin' people to change all of a sudden. Well, you're wrong. It's no miracle. It's no miracle because I see it happen once every year. And and so do you -- at Christmas time. There's somethin' swell about the spirit of Christmas, to see what it does to people, all kinds of people. 

Now, why can't that spirit, that same, warm Christmas spirit last the whole year around? Gosh, if it ever did, if each and every John Doe would make that spirit last 365 days out of the year, we'd develop such strength, we'd create such a tidal wave of good will that no human force could stand against it. Yes sir, my friends, the meek can only inherit the earth when the John Doe's start lovin' their neighbors. 

You better start right now. Don't wait till the game is called on account of darkness.

Wake up, John Doe. You're the hope of the world."

-- wow. did you catch that last part? "don't wait till the game is called on account of darkness. Wake up, John Doe. You're the hope of the world."

My Pa and my whole family really used to tell me that I could do and be anything. That I had something important to do on this earth and a responsibility to do something meaningful and important.

But you know what? I'm not rich and famous. I'm a wife, mother of 3, and a speech therapist. 

Some people discount you because you don't have a certain label and a certain amount of money in your bank account. 

but... "...John [or Jane] Doe... You're the hope of the world."...

2015 - what's that you have in your hand?

I am 10 hours from the first performance of Joseph's Journey 2015. I am praying through my own inadequecies and my insecurities and just hoping that people hear and see Jesus when it's my turn to sing - that the side effects my allergies have on my singing is held at bay - and that I get motivated to lose some weight - like asap.

I've also been thinking how this is the first Sunday without our campus pastors at Christ Community- Phenix City and praying for the new pastor and family. I didn't understand why our founding pastors were called away until our "family meeting" style church service last week. It was then that I saw this was a case of God asking for radical obiediance- and they, once again, answered the call.

2015 was about a call for us to step out and do radical things... seems to be "what we do" but it's not easy and it's scary... Big Heater Media produced "Well, Well, Well" video series. I took the Lead SLP position for the central zone.

The end of 2015 doesn't mark the end of anything- we'll keep doing what we are doing until we feel otherwise. I trust I will continue to see the hand of the Lord in the land of the living. And I will keep doin' it scared.