I had the gift of leading a devotional among the team in the past week as part of our team meeting.
We read Philippians 4:4-8. If you haven't read it lately, read it. Through the stresses of the day, the difficulties we face, our challenges, our distractions and our emotions. The words ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus' are truly wonderful words. If I genuinely reflect on the times I have prayed for God's work in my life I can see a peace that I would not ever have otherwise. If you reflect on it too, I believe that you will find the same thing.
I also have a default position, which is using God as a Lucky charm (only praying when I ‘need’ or strongly desire something). I’m sure God knows that is my normal heart, so every time I read it I feel like God had me in mind. God knows what we need, of that I am certain. But not only that, he gives us the assurance that only He is able to; that the master of the universe has our concerns in mind and through Him we will have a peace that we can’t understand, but can be ever-so grateful for.
God's People
We serve a God who has created infinite diversity in people. We have different languages, skin color, facial features, customs, world views. Yet, as I listened to a Peruvian sister share her testimony this past Sunday, I realized how we all long and yearn for a God who gives us unconditional love and acceptance.
Faithfulness or Success
I've written before about how the church measures success in mission work. I'm kind of obsessed with success. I don't know why. Personality probably. Cultural values, no doubt. I've failed plenty in life, but that seems to have only reinforced my desire to succeed. Tell me I can't, and I'll prove you wrong. Knock me down, and I'll get back up. My mom told me I could do anything, and apparently I believed her.
At the end of the summer this year, one of our interns asked me what has been the most important lesson I've learned in the mission field. It didn't take me long to answer, because the important lessons are often then ones that hurt most in the learning. My response was, "I'm learning to be content with faithfulness rather than success." This is not a tremendous insight; just Google the title of this article. In fact, I distinctly remember one of my graduate professors making this point. I also remember thinking, "Sure, in theory, but of course God wants results. Otherwise, what's the point?" If that sounds pathological, just remember that the missionary too lives by grace alone.
Yet, the fact that there are results that God wants is what makes sense of the contrast between faithfulness and success. The point is not that God is indifferent about the consequences of the church's life in the world. Rather, it is the importance of such consequences that gives meaning to success, and it is the meaning of this success that makes the contrast with faithfulness actually challenging and weighty. Only in view of God's deep concern about the brightness of light and saltiness of salt can we really grasp what it means that he is pleased with our faithfulness regardless of our success. The two are not mutually exclusive, but sometimes they are very different.
What is Christmas Really About?
Christmas isn’t about baby Jesus. It’s about Jesus, just not baby Jesus.
It’s about Jesus coming, showing up in the muck and mess of the physical world, assuming a position of no power and just walking around in skin like everyone else.
The Advent season, the season of waiting for Christmas, isn’t about waiting for the announcement of the birth of the Savior. That already happened. It’s about waiting for the announcement of the return of the Savior, about acknowledging a continuing need for as much of His Presence as we can get.
For some, it’s with excited anticipation, made manifest in the jitters of small children who can’t fall asleep for the thought of what the morning holds. For such as these, it is joy in the gifts that are coming.
For some, it’s with weariness, knowing that the current struggle or pain will someday be seen as fleeting. For these, it is determination to stand firm until it gets better, seen in the person of Mary, bearing through the shame cast her way, enduring a long journey and painful labor to birth her King, obedient through difficulty that was given as a blessing because of her faithfulness. The good and hard entertwined and impossible to separate, all taken as worthwhile for His purpose.
For some, it’s with a yearning for something they can’t put their finger on, even as they hold out hope for it. Though others around them might see it as foolishness to want the unknown, the story shows them wise and committed. For these, it is a search through the night sky, following a glimmer of truth, as seen in the “wise men” who pursue a star for long years in search of an unknown baby king. It’s an inner draw to what is real, whether it seems real to others or not.
For some, it’s almost an afterthought, the result of being in the right place at the right time and finding themselves stirred anew through the message of God. He’s fine working that way, delivering the good news directly to those who hadn’t sought it out, as He did to the shepherds. They were about their own business when He sent a whole sky-choir to change their focus for the night. He can find hearts wherever He chooses, and Christmas reminds us of that.
We remember Christmas to look back at God giving all of Himself to the world, a reminder that love means emptying yourself for the sake of the one you love. We give gifts to participate in this process, looking for how we can step into the act of making someone else’s life good. We choose selflessness and sacrifice and presence and kindness, because that’s what God did.
But we also remember Christmas to look forward to all that has yet to happen, to the day when these truths won’t be a passing season, but a fully enacted reality. We remember our hope in a world where Jesus shows up in the muck and mess of every day, acknowledging that for now He does so through us and will one day blast in and make it all new and better. He will flood earth with heaven and everything will be as it should be. That’s just what happens when His Presence and Love fill a place - everything is good.
So if, for you, this holiday is about fun and laughter and singing and joy…embrace it and know that you are embodying the light of Christ and hope that won’t give up.
And if, for you, this holiday squeezes a little tight because you feel the weight of the world’s brokenness pressing down on you, giving the usual cheer a grating, off-tune feel…accept it and know that you are reflecting the reality of our need for Christ.
And if, for you, this holiday feels empty and meaningless because life is just life and lights don’t change it, rest in it and know that the power of Christ depends not one bit on your tendency toward sentiment or joviality.
Because at the end of it all, Christmas is about how Jesus arrives in the situation He chooses and it doesn’t have to make an ounce of sense to anyone. He shows up because it’s time and that’s that.
This Christmas, remember that this story is both a past truth and a future promise about the Presence of the King in the world. It’s cause to celebrate.
An Invitation and Apple Pie
Back in the day when our two families were strategizing about where to live and what to focus on in this great big city, we decided to move into two communities where “gringos” don’t live. We wanted to live among the people that we were going to serve. So, I remember Greg and Kyle looking at the classified section of the Sunday paper for houses to rent. They also contacted some real estate agents to help us look for available homes. Guess what we found out? Our targeted communities never had listings and the real estate agents only worked in the neighborhoods where the gringos normally live. We were at a loss for what to do until someone suggested we talk to bodega owners.
Every street has a bodega. It is typically a front room or corner spot of someone’s house where they operate as a little mini-mart. One can find milk, eggs, flour, sugar, popcorn, produce, and snack foods all in a stone’s throw. Some are small, and some are huge, but they all have one thing in common... they know what is going on in the community.
So to continue from the first paragraph, Greg talked to a bodega owner that knew of a bottom floor for rent in the area we wanted to live. Long story short, we rented that home for two years. We never would have found it if we hadn’t talked to the bodega owner. Between the Smiths and the McKinzies, we have had our fun share of moving into different houses here (usually they only let you sign a one-year lease, and then they kick you out because some family member is wanting to move back in). When one of our families needs to move, we check the papers, but we also know now to go corner mart to corner mart to ask the bodega owners of what is available to rent.
As a team, we had the idea to come into a neighborhood and form some of our first relationships with our neighbors. We learned very quickly that this would not happen. You see, when my family moved to a new home in the states, I remember people bringing food to our door to welcome us into the community. I guess I thought it would be similar here, maybe not with apple pie, but something to say, “Hola, we would love to get to know you. Welcome to the hood!” This did not happen at all. We quickly learned that Peruvians are very slow to trust anyone, and they really stay to themselves and the rest of their family (who usually all live under the same roof). Once you form a relationship with a Peruvian, it is an even longer process to get them to introduce you to their family or invite you into their home.
We have had all kinds of outlets to form relationships here aside from the neighborhood. We meet people through our kids’ activities or through CUDA projects to name a couple of examples. But we really haven’t ever been super close with the neighborhood. I have accepted that as the way it is, but I still have my eyes open to forming relationships wherever I can. A couple of months ago, I remember going on a walk with Greg. We were talking about the new team coming in and reminiscing about our arrival to Arequipa. Greg said to me, “You know, if we really wanted to get in with the neighborhood, we could just go to the bodega and offer to work there for free. Everybody from the community goes to buy the bread there every morning. You would learn who everybody is just by hanging out in one place.” This strategy isn’t exactly realistic. We have lived here long enough that we know that they would look at us like we are absolute loons, but the point is a good one. The bodega owners know everybody. They are the ones that know what is going on with everyone in the neighborhood because everyone comes in at least once a day and spills out the scoop.
We have been living in our current neighborhood for over two years now. I frequent the bodega just like my neighbors. I have come to know the owners by name, and they know my children by name when we come in together. They can even tell me if Greg already stopped by to buy ice if I am unaware! I love it. I feel at home.
The other day, something very simple happened at the bodega, but it signified a lot to me. Esther, the bodega owner, handed me an envelope before I headed out with my bag of fresh bread for 33 cents. It was an invitation for my family to attend her youngest daughter’s birthday party. At first, one may think, “What’s the big deal? It’s a birthday party.” But to me, this invitation says that Esther trusts me. She trusts me so much that she is willing to invite my entire family over for a birthday party for someone very special to her. That is huge.
I have made an effort to become a neighbor here. I frequent the bodega, and I sometimes go to Esther just to ask a question about my girls’ school activities when I don’t understand the culture. I appreciate her so much, and I like to consider Esther my friend. I think that she just told me through an invitation that she wants to be friends with me. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I am thinking I might be baking her an apple pie sometime in the near future.
One Way to Look at It: A Proposal
It’s easy to think of people in terms of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’. That The World is an entity separate and apart from The Church, and the very basis of our identity is wrapped up in having a line drawn between the two groups. Then we imagine that if God were to choose a side, He would plant His feet just as firmly on our side of the line as we do and join us in glaring fiercely at those who refuse to cross over to our side. He rejoices in their struggles, failings, and pain as proof of their wrong position.
Except, does that actually sound like Him? There has to be a better way to think about it.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Familiar words that pack a punch, though its power is often lost on us because we can rattle it off “by heart” without actually engaging the heart at all. Yet, it carries a great deal of meaning.
It means that God wanted so badly to be in unity with each and every one of the people He created in His image that He proposed marriage to everyone who ever existed. He came in close, offered the promise of a committed life with Him, and asked if we would take Him up on it. As proof, He paid all that it would cost with His own life, giving that which was valuable to Him to His beloved. As a man presents a woman with an engagement ring, Jesus gave us Himself to prove His dedication and sincerity.
And every single person who has lived or will live since then has the choice to merge their life with His, or not. Some of us have accepted His proposal and now live a mutual life with Him. Just like marriage, we don’t do very well some days, but the commitment is there, the base assumption that we live this life together. Others have not yet accepted His offer, but it still stands. It will stand until time ends. He loves each person so dearly that He will wait patiently for their answer.
Do we really feel justified to look down on anyone else for where they fall in their process with Him? Do we truly think that God has assigned us the task of determining whether others have missed their chance? Or, when we really think about it, do we recognize that such an assumption makes no sense in light of the God who has shown us such grace, accepted us so freely, and continued steadfast in His love for us despite our own flaws?
Who are we to write off anyone to whom He has made such an offer? Who are we to be stingy with love when we have received it abundantly? If we are His representatives here on earth, then we show others what this committed life with Him looks like, which means being open to those He has invited. After all, it’s His kingdom.
Planes, Libraries, and Automobiles
I made it safely to the states with our three kids. If you happened to hear the story of our departure, you know that it was not the easiest of trips. We missed our international flight and were totally rerouted (this happening after all the drama with Ana’s passport). Greg posted that people pray for less stress for me, and I want you to know that if you prayed this prayer, God was gracious to me. Though stress was going to be a factor (I was traveling without my husband with THREE kids for crying out loud), everyone was overly helpful, we got on a flight THAT night out of Lima, and my sister made all the connections with me (there was a chance she wouldn’t with the crazy delays out of Arequipa). So, thank you for praying for our travels. I returned early with the kids to participate in the festivities of my best friend’s wedding. Greg will join us the end of September for a one-month furlough. We will hit Tullahoma, Memphis, the Dallas area, and Tyler in a whirlwind trip. It has been a blessing to already be spending time with my Tullahoma family. We look forward to seeing so many more of you!
My article is short this month. First of all, Happy Five Year Anniversary to Team Arequipa. If you have supported this work in any way, we consider you part of the team. It is an absolute blessing to see the faithfulness of God as we look back on what he has done in the past five years. For me, I am in awe of how he has blessed the Living Libraries program. Lucia (the Peruvian in charge of the program) and I have worked so hard this year to see how the program flows in all grade levels serving an entire school. It has been a great year, and our plan is to open three more libraries next year. It will be a lot of work, and CUDA saw the need for us to hire another employee for the program. I am honored to introduce you to our newest Living Library team member, Felicitas. She is a Christian with a passion to teach. She is gifted in working with the children, and I am so excited to see how Lucia and Feli work together in these months that I am not present. Please pray for our library team, and pray for the schools that we will enter next year. We will be in contact with so many teachers and students. It is a huge blessing to be in a place to influence so many toward the glory and work of our God.
One Way to Look at It: Solid Ground
The other day, our youngest was sitting on my lap, facing me. As we interacted, I shifted my position, which resulted in my legs moving in such a way that she couldn’t quite feel their support anymore. She panicked, grasping my arms tightly, crying out in fear that I might not catch her in time.
I chuckled, because I knew what she didn’t...that if she let go of my arms and settled back down into my lap, she would have lowered by an inch or two and nothing more. It struck me as comical that she was so frightened, when all she had to do was sit down. But it was behind her, so she couldn’t see, but only felt the open space below her that had previously felt solid.
I tried to pull my arms from her clenched hands, tried to help her find her seat again, but she clung even tighter and continued to cry. Her fear prevented her from realizing that I would not drop her to the floor, prevented her from trusting my hands to guide her safely.
We do that, don’t we? We feel solid and safe, then something shifts, be it ever so slightly, and suddenly we are certain that a free fall awaits us. In our panic, we grab hold of whatever feels secure, screeching for help. We plead with God to help us feel safe again, to feel that the ground is solid beneath us rather than too far away to reach.
I know, sometimes the situation warrants the reaction. But other times, I bet that God chuckles, knowing that our fear is completely unfounded, that we can sit back and find ourselves comfortable again with minimal adjustment in our position. He sometimes gives us a gentle push, encouraging us to sit back and be okay, but we refuse to give in, trusting instead in our desperate handholds.
I am certain that we are not meant to dangle in a panic from sources of partial security. I am certain we are meant to stand on solid ground. I am also certain that it is only by trusting that we can learn just how close that certainty may be.
Living with Purpose (Dedicated to Lou Ellen Bills)
As I sit here to write my piece for the month, I struggle to find the words to reflect what is going on in my heart and head. My face has been tear-streaked today. I spoke with my father earlier this afternoon. He gave me some news that I have prepared myself to hear, but the reality of the situation is not an easy one to swallow being so far from family. The time is approaching. I am named after my Granny Bills, Ellen. She has been in a state of physical decline the past two years, but this past year has especially been hard. This afternoon, my dad shared with me that the possibility of losing her in the weeks to come is very real. Keep in mind that I am four weeks away from being home. My granny is one of my greatest heroes, and I had the privilege of growing up and knowing her well. I have peace in knowing that these days are the end of her life, and I am confident that I will see her in the Glory land one day. She shared something with my father in the hospital room about a week ago that relates perfectly to what I am doing here...
I have written before about evangelistic studies, but there is something I have found to be very common among the women with whom I have studied. I have been asked in various studies, “But what is my purpose? What is it that God wants me to do?” Most of you have heard of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. I meet in a group of Christian sisters on Saturday mornings to discuss the ideas and scriptures that Warren presents in his book. I have also just recently begun reading it with another friend in conjunction with studying the book of Mark. So many do not know Jesus, and so many are seeking to live with a purpose in this life. I believe we find the answer in our faith in him. I believe that our purpose is to glorify the Father in everything that we do. I love the major points the Warren presents in his book, and after guiding someone through the study of “Who is Jesus?,” it is fitting to guide them in a study of finding purpose if they choose to accept their identity in Christ and his Church.
About a week ago my granny mentioned to my father that she had a lot of thinking to do. “What do you mean by that?” my father asked. And this is how my beautiful, spirit-filled granny responded, “I am just not sure yet if it is my time to give up. I need to really think about it and figure out if God still has a purpose for me.” In all of her misery, pain, and sickness, she still plans to fight the good fight. She wants to live her life with purpose to the very end.
She has always said that Psalm 23 is her favorite. Most Christians are very familiar with the psalm. We know it by heart. We find our purpose in its verses:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.”
For his name’s sake. Our purpose is to live for the glory of the Father. My granny is such a testament to living out her purpose for God. I am unsure how much longer she will be with us. It wouldn’t be the first time she makes us think it is over, and then has a turn for the good. Whatever the case, she is such an example to me in my journey of faith. It is my prayer that I may live with the same attitude and mindset.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
One Way to Look at It: A Masterpiece
Sometimes it is hard to apply what we know about God to the situations we face each day. We tend to get bogged down in “real life” which means the stuff that fills our stretched thin days and energy levels. All too often, it seems the world is spinning at a pace too frenzied to sustain. In the midst of this, trouble seems to hit hard. Life is disrupted by illness, financial struggles, interpersonal stress, work frustration, school issues, marriage, parenting, self-control...difficulties come in every shape and size, and as adults, we have to take the hit, recover and move on.
It can be very hard to understand how God is working. In this broken world fraught with pain and hardship and weariness, it can be hard to identify good things. We want to believe that God is good, that he works for good, and that he wants good for us. But we live in the tension between what we believe and what we witness in our walking-around lives.
How can a good, loving, powerful God be taking part in all this mess? How is it not better, if he is?
One of the verses that gives us pause in this whirlwind is from Romans.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Sounds too easy, too good to be true. There has to be a catch, because an easy life evades us. But consider what came before that specific verse.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Paul makes this statement in recognition of the struggle for hope, not to denounce it. He acknowledges how much we need God’s hand in all of this, and announces confidently that we have knowledge of God’s good intention and action.
Can we understand this in such a way that it helps us live this life? Can God work for good even as bad things happen? How is that possible?
Think about it this way:
God is The Creator. We know this, but we forget that it means He is the first and best creative being. He took nothing...nothing...and made everything. If He can do that, He can take anything and make it good.
Imagine Him as a painter. He has a huge canvas and has begun a masterpiece. It will take ages and time to develop, with layers of color and life built into it. There has never been anything like it, and may never be anything like it again. He is the Master and sketches out his ideas, leaving background shadows and hints to be built upon later. He could take his time and create exactly what he wants. But he has a different plan.
Instead, he takes the paints and materials and shares them with every human being. Everyone can affect the outcome. Those who would learn from him and pursue his dream pay close attention, aiming for the guidelines he left on the canvas. Those who ignore his ownership of the entire work paint as they see fit. Sometimes their strokes closely mirror his own. Sometimes they run amok and cover hues intended for beauty. None can match his design perfectly. But he has chosen this as a collaborative project and rejoices in the opportunity to share in the process with whomever comes to take part.
But whether the paint is lovingly applied or angrily flung, he will produce a beautiful work. He would never voluntarily choose to have parts of his creation destroyed or erased, but he did voluntarily choose to let us choose, so sometimes it happens. He would never celebrate this, but neither does he feel as derailed as we humans tend to in the face of plans that go awry.
He just continues painting. He can incorporate any color, any stroke, any slash of a brush and develop it into something worth showing. It might take a long time for the colors to blend into something softer and worthwhile. He might brighten it immediately. But nothing we do counts for nothing. And nothing anyone does is beyond his repair.
Because, as we know, in all things, he works for the good of those who love him, even if we can’t see how. This does not mean guaranteeing good and preventing bad, but constantly working toward something redeemed and beautiful.