R&R

NOT Rest and Relaxation BUT:

REFLECTIONS & RADICAL

Reflections:

I know, I know I do a lot of reflecting and I did a lot of reflecting in each of my Africa post but there are just a few more things I have reflected on and want to record. If you are bored with my reflections then skip this post. I like to record these thoughts for me to reflect back on and hopefully to touch someone else’s life along the way.

Many have asked if I would go back to Africa. The answer is YES, YES, and YES! Not sure when, but I am ready! A and Elleigh will both be going next June and part of the team is going for a shorter period of time and part for a longer period of time so not sure how that is all going to pan out. There is a possibility A might go on another trip there next yr too but not sure about that yet. I would never have any hesitations again. In fact, looking back at all the excuses I tried to make before I went and the anxiety over going I keep thinking wow, ye of little faith!

God’s timing really is perfect. I know we say that all the time, but REALLY it is! Full time ministry is hard work. Rewarding, but hard. As much as Seminary prepared us for so many things in ministry, it just couldn’t prepare us for everything. Do not misunderstand me, we are in a wonderful church and I thank God for putting us here but adjusting to this life is not easy and it affects every one of us. It sheds a little more light on those that run far far away from this. I think back to all the negativity I have heard from others concerning pastors and their families and although we are far from perfect and sometimes there is reason for ridicule it is often just not necessary and a life you can’t simply understand until you have been there. Bottom line we have to remember to do what God has called us to do no matter how difficult or what we encounter along the way. All of that to get to my point. A and I needed the trip to Africa together (both for us as a couple and individually) and we needed it just at that time. I have dreamed of MANY places I would like for us to go together and Africa was not one of them BUT I would not have rather been ANYWHERE else together. ANYWHERE! I can’t imagine us going any of those places together and the Lord drawing us as close as he did through that trip. I urged our church members when I shared with them, go on a mission trip with your spouse. There really is nothing like it. Our God knew we needed that time to be more effective in our ministry, to be more effective as husband and wife, and to be more effective as parents in times only He knew we were about to face. We serve a God whose timing is perfect! Doesn’t mean we have been or will be perfect in handling any of these situations but he equipped us to handle them through Him. I am SO ready for us to take a mission trip as a family (both national and international).

Radical:

The book. When we were on our way to Africa I was reading on fb a post by Josh Hunt in which he had asked what was your favorite book right now. “Radical” was #1 for sure. I pointed this out to A and told him I wanted to get it when we got back. A had the opportunity to spend a little time with David Platt (the author). When he worked at the Seminary part of his job was handling transportation to and from the airport so if he could work it in his schedule and there were people coming through that he really wanted insight from he would try and do the airport run. David Platt was one of those he wanted to talk to, so he did and he was very impressed. Sometimes, all the people we thing are impressive aren’t so impressive sadly but he truly felt he was the man he claims to be. So, of course A wanted to read the book as well and through their conversation he knew a good bit about what the things he had led his church to do and that he had done personally. A had shared those things with me back when he met him and I remember thinking, wow, that’s neat but unfortunately never thought that much past that. A got the book as soon as we got back and read it quickly and passed it to me. I sat down to begin reading it and the cover of the book says, “Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream” Remember, that from my previous Africa posts I talked about how I was not so sure we as Americans have it all together and I how I felt we had too many things in our lives to truly have a right relationship with the Lord, and how I felt our kids in America are so unappreciative because of all we give them. So, I sat down and in 2 short settings I had read through that book and I was more convicted than EVER and I( cried A LOT! Everything that had run through my mind while I was in Africa and the time following was highlighted throughout this book and once again HIS timing is perfect!!! There were MANY things that spoke to me through this book but one of the greatest sections for me is entitled “I am not called” I hear so many people say (and I have said it!) “well, not everyone is called to foreign missions” or “well, that is for some people, and not everyone” REALLY??? God has COMMANDED us to “go into all nations”. This is not a calling! It is a command to us as Christians. Now, I know this is easier for me to say since I just got back from foreign mission trip but I pray I never feel the same about missions again. I pray I never think we can leave that to everyone else while people all over this world die and go to hell every day. Platt points out how we are quick to all draw on the privileges (abundant life, etc) but we are quick to assign the obligations (going into all nations) to “other people”. It along with the trip to Africa makes me think so much more about the daily lives of people all over this world and the struggles and their eternity… I will not give away any more of the book but I do think it is something that ALL Christians should read. Not just read and say, “well that’s great for him and his church” but read and really think about what God has called us ALL to do. Parts of the book are not any new concepts BUT they are concepts that most of us are NOT living out.

A is teaching the study that goes along with the book on Sunday nights in our small groups and I am excited about going through and thinking through the every day choices we make. There is SO MUCH to be done and we simply aren’t doing it! It has caused us to evaluate everything we do. We have some deep conversations around here! Doesn’t mean we don’t have fun but we want to change. We want to be radically different. Not sure why radical is term which reminds us of freaks but it does and that’s OK, I will be a Jesus freak! He calls us to be radically different from the world and we are not! We blend right in with the world and we fail to do what he has commanded of us. I was reading a blog post recently from Beth Moore’s daughter, Amanda who recently took a trip with Compassion International and she was describing her re-entry into her “regular life” and she said “I don’t want my regular life back” That sums it all up! I prayed and I asked others to pray that I would never be the same after Africa and I meant it!

I want my children to grow up to serve Him (whatever or WHEREVER that means) but not only to serve Him but to serve others because He has told us to. I want them to be aware of the world around us and the disease and the poverty and the lost world who doesn’t know Him. I don’t just want them to know these things but I want them to want to do something about it and to do whatever it takes to do something about it. I don’t want them to think that life is about having everything or the best of everything or what else we can gain. I want them to use everything He has given them to further His kingdom not for our own pleasure. We have to model this for them. We have to live this for them. I don’t want my kids to grow up and say “yes, my parents gave me everything I ever wanted” I want them to say “yes, my parents taught us how to GIVE and how to GO.”

The question this week in our study of the book was "Is HE worth giving up everything?" I came to the conclusion that I can say yes when it comes to my husband and my children (all of whom HE gave to me). There is NOTHING I would not give up for them. There is NOTHING I would not do without for them. There is NOWHERE I would not go for them BUT can I say the same when it comes to my Savior who gave me life and saved me from an eternity in hell... I am ashamed to say the answer is no... Not because He is not worth it, because I don't live like He is.