The cup of cold water that Jesus talked about was certainly a common thing in His day — common that is, in the sense of being familiar. Availability was, no doubt, another thing altogether. Isn’t it just so with attention in our day? If you could bottle it, water would go out of style! The desire to be recognized is a craving as common as thirst. We’re not necessarily asking for a parade, just someone to notice we’re living.

The desire to be noticed is not just yours. The point is that we can offer a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name simply by offering free attention giveaways.

This week ask someone: “How are you?” Actually listen. It’s another ordinary attempt!

Extraordinary! A dozen roses grace our table and there are pennies in the pot. Twenty minutes of ordinary attempt testimonies “interrupt our regularly scheduled services!”

Where are you going with this, Lord? Give us favor wherever we go! Lead us waist deep into the harvest! But if not . . . if not into accomplishment, at least let us revel in every single ordinary attempt.

Henderson convinced me that walking in the world with Jesus, I could still be me. Less-than-bold ambassadors take heart with phrases like:

• Be yourself. It will intrigue people.
• Do what is doable and count what really counts.
• Count conversations, not conversions.
• Be aware and be available.
• It’s an attempt, not an accomplishment.
• No extra credit for succeeding and no demerits for failing.

Nothing could be more ordinary than my recent attempts. Philip and I owned up to breaking the head off our neighbor’s St. Francis with our basketball. I struck up a conversation with a postal worker over his prominent display of family portraits.

But my oh-so-ordinary attempts are changing me. I’m looking for opportunities to engage people. I’m inquiring, exploring, and seeking evidence that God is at work in people’s lives.

This week I encouraged you to try it. I also said we’re going to start marking the attempts. Each Sunday a penny goes in the jar for ordinary attempts. I know of no other church where you’re taxed for sharing your faith! Should God bless us with the privilege of leading someone to Christ, we’ll note that with a rose.

Hype? No. No way. There are two reasons for our public display. First, it serves as a discipline to faithfully acknowledge God’s going before us. Second, by our testimony we will encourage and spur each other on in joy.

Lord, teach us the true size of small talk.

Our goal at Eagle Heights is not to whip up a short-term evangelistic fervor. There’ll be no heroic shout of “freedom!” to drown our fears followed by a headlong rush down the Romans road. No, and guilt won’t do for a motivator either. We’re proceeding under the assumption that as we prize the message, and become active observers of God at work around us, we’ll be drawn into our role as ambassadors in a very natural, sustainable way.

Every wayward person I meet would live a vastly better life if God’s love, grace, and redemption were operating in their lives. Do you believe it? I do, and yet I recognize that there’s still room for that conviction to grow. Lord, may our wonder at the Good News outpace our familiarity.

And while we’re praying Lord, please take us beyond God sightings to God promptings. Glimpsing a resplendent rainbow, I’m a tad selfish not to point it out to my companion. We’ve certainly missed the heart of God if we linger too long at private worship and ignore His passion to spread the glory.

A little breathless but still determined: “Jesus take us with you.”