And Then It Gets Personal......

It was Friday afternoon. I was sitting in our office talking with my husband while forming our plans for the weekend and conversing about the day.  My phone rings. I wasn’t prepared for the conversation that would transpire over the next few minutes, so I was glad I was already sitting down.

If you have read my blog the Lord has been taking me on this uncharted journey; pulling me out of the American Dream lifestyle and planting me in the “Take up your cross daily and follow me,” one.  In that journey we have set plans in faith alone to coordinate a missions trip to an orphanage in Jamaica over the upcoming Christmas break (anyone interested there are still spots open…message me).  I first talked with the girls at Whooptidoos, the little eatery we run in town.  One of the girls was ecstatic and said yes I want to go and bring my kids.  Awesome!  

A little back story, this is a single mom with two kids.  She works a total of four jobs which are her sole means of income. She does not skip a beat as a mom and sacrificially gives her kids every opportunity she can. Not only that but she is a giver and the first one to step up when someone needs a hand.  She did not know financially how it would work out for her and her family but in faith she said yes.  Her enthusiasm did not waiver only grew in the coming weeks as I would get texts about her looking on the website and dreaming about the kids. Her son received $10.00 as a Valentine’s gift and he gave it to his mom to put in their fund.  She was beginning to rub off on everyone around her in such a great way including me who would tend to dream big about doing this and then be overwhelmed at all the details.  Each time I think this is way too big for me sure enough a text arrives in my inbox like “I’m planning a garage sale to raise money for our Jamaica trip!”  SWEET!

So the phone call on Friday was this hardworking- give- her -all single mom who had a story to tell.  She said, “Joy you’re not going to believe this I am in shock I can’t believe this just happened!”  She was fighting back tears and excitement and trying to be able to communicate between the emotion and elation of the good news she was about to share.  She proceeded to tell me that she had come to the conclusion that if they were going to be able to go on the mission trip to Jamaica she was going to have to take on another job, things were just getting tight and that was the only solution she could think of to fulfill her passion to go in December.  

Until….

She arrived home from work that afternoon to find a package waiting for her to open.  The contents of the package revealed two thousand dollars in cash from an anonymous soul!  Her next words with happy tears were, “We’re going to Jamaica, I don’t have to get another job!”

We reveled at the awesomeness of this very specifically personal miracle God had allowed to come into her life together in shock and awe and sheer delight!

With this woman’s permission I am compelled to share this delightful story of good news and great hope because on so many levels it speaks.

1)      Webster City, Iowa….The God of all creation is STILL very much alive and working in the heart beat of our community!  This is good news! Life is hard. Everything does not always work out as planned or the way we want, that is the reality of living life in a fallen world filled with sin. But there is hope.  When we step out in faith alone believing in someone bigger than our self, bigger than our abilities and resources that is when God can show himself in mighty ways to you, to me, to a mama who wants to give to others and be an example to her kids. There is a scripture verse that sums it up pretty well…”For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” -2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

2)      When we give what we don’t have God provides.  Having the honor to watch this woman being willing to go and give when she herself has need reminded me of the parable Jesus told about the widow’s mite…” Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—only two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." -Mark 12:41-44(MSG) It is easy for me to give things I no longer need or will not miss.  But when you ask me to give up something “I can’t live without” I squirm.  Have you ever stepped out giving of your time, resources, money or talents and it costs you something, something that you did not know how you would do without?  How did God provide?  Is God calling you to do that in your life now?  Maybe it’s giving up your fight of keeping God at a distance and surrendering to him realizing he is the Good King you need to rule your life in this really hard world.  Be like the widow and give your all, your everything. Life will not be perfect.  God is not a genie in a bottle that you can rub on as needed to get your wishes met.  He is however the best provider, sustainer, and fulfiller of dreams you will ever know…try him!

3)      GOD IS LOVE and he allows us meager humans to show his love. In so many ways this story shows God’s love.  The anonymous giver who generously out of love gave to a single mom looking for nothing in return and no recognition. The single mom who out of love can’t wait to get her hands dirty, roll up her sleeves, love on and care for little ones who do not have a mama that does that.  God’s love for me when I doubt that I can do great things for him. He by the means of others actions make a statement of “Follow me, I got this, you are not alone!”, and hopefully sends a love message of encouragement to you in your life where you are at right now that will strengthen your faith or encourage you to believe for the first time.

………LIFE IS HARD….GOD IS GOOD…ALL THE TIME…….

BTW HERE IS AN AWESOME VIDEO OF THOSE SWEET BABIES WE ARE GONNA LOVE ON!

www.robinsnestchildrenshome.org/

(click on this link and watch the you tube video)

Church

So there I was frustrated angry, hurt, and in those moments I allowed that spirit to fester…bitterness grabbed at my attitude, judgment desired to spew out of my lips as comparison danced its enticing salsa moves in my mind and defeat pressured my stance while I began to sit in the lies hoping to have me.  The church had done me wrong. I was enraged.  I was grieved.  The flesh and spirit fight battled in my body, heart, mind and soul, for days.  

What I heard.

“Look in.”

I heard the Lord say.  “Don’t look out look in.  Look inside you.  Be still child and look.  Because the church is you.  I live in you and I am building my kingdom through you.”

I am being called by the certainty of The Holy Spirit in me to this holy inward radically unnatural look during a time I would rather look at the specs in others eyes without giving thought to a plank in mine.  The message is everywhere inside me and everywhere I seem to turn.  I say yes, not because it’s going to do me any good -like make me a shinier vessel and get me a well done at the meet and great in heaven (although I eagerly await that day) I just say yes because, “King I love you!  I have chained myself to your gospel. I want to be a fool for you. I want my heart to be a home where you can live; I want to be like the poor who have found the true riches.  Jesus I just love you. You’re a Good King who is trustworthy every single time. 

So Jesus is softly speaking to my heart, “Look in…this is where the church is.”  As I look in, I see two things: 1) the disgusting wretchedness of my sinful and shameful ways.  I live my life a lot of the time as a spiritual sleepy head! Ugh!  And then I see the other part during this inward look.  2) The Spirit.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me and continually makes me more and more like him as I fan into flame this gift of God.  Thank you God for your spirit that is like the full time butler to my ever needy withered human soul.  In ward I look while quieting my ever expressive soul and listen ….

“Child stop looking out and pointing fingers, thinking maliciously...No matter what is going on around you I need you to have a laser focus on me.  The fire is heating up around the world but I want to refine you and burn off in you all that is useless to my kingdom. I am making you more and more into the reflection of my son, Jesus.  My Spirit does live in you and for resurrection power to be yours, death must happen.  My word says if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray  and turn from their wicked ways then I will come to them and heal them.  Church, (insert name) humble yourself.  Where is your pride?  Where is your arrogance, where is your superiority to others including other believers .  Church when did you put levels at the foot of my cross?  Church when did you only enlist those who dressed like you or conformed to you?  Church, (Joy) get over yourself! Church what have you put before me?” 

(Lord personally speaking this is sick but I have put the dumbest things like mascara before you if I am going to be transparently honest, ice cream, getting my way, or God have mercy, the sound of my own voice during a worship song. Ugh! Thanks Jesus for loving and forgiving me.)

“Church humble yourself, repent, and turn from the wickedness of comfort, hoarding the gospel, hoarding your time, hoarding your talent, hoarding  your gifts, hoarding your treasure, get rid of this lifestyle even if you must sell everything you own to do so.  Turn away from addictions, habits, rituals, comfort, usual, and normal. Wake up . Turn! Roll over shut off the snooze button and get out of your bed arise my darling for there is a wedding to prepare for! The invitations have not all yet been received. I don’t need you but I want you. I desire to commune with you.  Will you stop sleeping and be with me? You are my bride, I am crazy about you, don’t miss our wedding day.  Will you rub the sleep out of your eyes and wake up from your hibernating state.  You filled yourself and fell asleep.  Sleep is good to an extent but the time for rest is over it is time to come out of hibernation and feel the hunger pains of a dry church needing my living water, my daily bread to fuel a divine fire of revival which I need you to GO! Get outside the built up walls.  Feed and rescue a dying going to hell world.  I am building my church. I am building you.  Stop being a spiritual zombie, reading my word as a ritual and checking it off your to do list. Allow it to sink in, change you, and share it with someone.”

As I here this message from the beautiful Church Builder constructing His church in me, I with a dry mouth, a cough and the smell of spiritual morning breath say, “Lord I’m in. Show me how “in” looks and what to do."

What to do?

I am learning that for right now it means feeling squeamishly uncomfortable most of the time, being willing to have awkward moments, making relationships with others I would have previously passed by…relationships, friendships… not projects, clients or prospective church memberships, just people that God wants me to love like I love myself. Myself does not want to not know about Jesus love and die  and live forever in hell so I get a little more willing to go and spend me on them because I could be them if it were not for the great mercy and love The Spirit prompted others to show me.  

 For right now it means forgiving authority in my life. 

For right now it means in humility putting myself out there with the transparency of this writing with my laser focus on Jesus and not my easy, what is everybody else going to think about it, excuse card. For now it means continuously being humbled and turning from my wicked ways so I become less and he becomes more.   

For now it means waiting on the Lord for logistics and connections that he will show me to bond with other believers who want to live on the Kingdom’s front line locally and globally. 

For now it means pleading with the generation that is in front of me to not drop the baton.  I need you.  If it were not for your faithful and consistent obedience to Jesus I would be a lost soul. Don’t stop now your purpose is not over. Take my hand don’t cross your arms at the style I am freest to worship in. For now it means I will stop viewing your hymn book as stuffy and irrelevant. Take my hand and pour your eternal wisdom into me that I can pour into the next generation.  Take my hand and show me how to be a Godlier woman; share your story with me. Take our hands as we are in the middle of raising the up and coming generation. You have done this. We need your wisdom, love, authenticity, transparency and guidance.  Thank you to those of you who have bought into the ministry of mentoring. Spread the fire and the blessing. For now this means I kneel, I weep, I roll up my sleeves, and I might even dress a little crazy sometimes for the ones coming after me. Oh Church they need us more than ever. 

For now it means looking at everything “I have” and realizing it was never mine.  For now it means giving more… stuff, money, time.  For now it means rethinking what is really a need and a want.

 For now it means admitting, I need your help I cannot do this alone.  For now it means offering help to my sisters and brothers in Christ…and any soul in need of a Savior, I’m awake if you need a hand. 

For now it means open hands unclenched to me, control, my way and instead turned up, lifted up to Jesus.

 For now it means not giving up hope on the Church in America. For now it does mean to not conform. For now it means being willing to be unpopular, disliked, and labeled a fool if necessary. For now it means believing I am the Church, you are the Church if you know Jesus. We are the church, his bride, and he is jealous for us. We need not give our love and devotion to another, for our coming King is enthralled with us. 

For now it means I say, I am sorry world looking in if I have given you the perception that I am better, have arrived, or know more…I’m not and I don’t. For now it means I say I’m sorry church has wronged you, it’s wronged me too but Jesus never has.

For now it means being OK with not being perfect yet and loving, serving, and serving others who have not been made perfect yet either but loving and serving anyway. For now it means having a sacred ache for home that doesn’t leave me discontented and home sick but drawn to action for my homeland of Heaven.

It’s been an imperfect look with fallen eyes that struggle and wrestle with the flesh. I get caught up in sweating the small stuff; I mean put me in a shopping mall and my eyes are enticed. The worldly stuff calls my name. I instinctively call out, “Yes oh bedazzled blue jeans!”  Lately though, put me in a shopping mall and I feel miraculously out of place. The blinders have been taken off.  Not that I should never shop or will never again but, I see the stuff as stuff that will actually burn…eventually. Thus stuff you have lost  your stately position when put against the true riches of heaven’s kingdom with things like feeding the hungry, loving the broken, looking after orphans, and weeping with the widow.  Clearance racks cannot hold a candle to the reality of knowing that God’s word says if I overcome all this earthy stuff and keep a fire for him, not only do I get to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus because of his grace and mercy for me, I will get to sit on his throne! (Rev 3).  To a girl who has lived most of her life daddy less, this is super motivating I can’t wait to snuggle up on my Father’s lap on his throne!!! ……………………………………………………...............……...….............................. sorry, I was having a moment.

What does it mean for you, Church?

Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in who the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:20-22

But Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. -Hebrews 3:6