I have been pondering the question my coach, Tom, asked me at month 4 debrief. “Where was your relationship with with the Lord before you came on the race, in comparison to now?” When I answered him, it was like the Lord was saying, “Hope, take a back seat on this one, let me take this question for you.” This is what the Father has been showing me these past few weeks in Malaysia.
I thought I knew who the Father was. I prayed in my Holy space, my car. I went to church. Volunteered as much as I could. Had one-on-ones with friends. Worshipped. I was in the word daily. Coming on the World Race my foundation was rocked, showing me that maybe I became too comfortable in Western culture and that I didn’t really know my Creator.
I walked through stages of abandonment, brokenness, and now dependency on the Lord throughout the first 3 months on the Race. This was for Him to show me that I had to get rid of all the things I thought were good to actually show me how good of a Father He is. Walking through the book of Psalms will do that to you. I am learning the character of God, I am reading Him promises, I am reading the hardship of David, and realizing that the Lord is faithful. With that, I am finding that when I am learning about the character of the Lord, I am really learning more of who I am. And through that I have a passion to share that with others. An overflow.
Western culture is so enthralled with getting from point A to point B quickly. We get into the routine and we have this image of Christianity that is so religious. When you think of missions trips, we missionaries get this stigma of ” the good person” when in reality the “missionary” life is the life we are called to live everyday. We are to have church everyday. Our prayers are a continued conversation with God, called dialogue. Our worship, constant. Our community with one another, challenging and continuing to show love and grace like the Father shows us every day.
Our western culture is so good at not showing grace. My generation is not a generation who was taught to fight for one another. When someone does wrong, we are so quick to judge, say “You hurt me, so I am going to rid of you.” You have that option of not talking to them again. Where is the love and grace that Jesus showed? To say “hey, I see you are walking through some shit, let me wipe it off your face and let’s do the damn thing together!”
Jesus gives an example of this grace in John 8:3-11 when the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus could have condemned this woman and made a show out of the sin that she had committed, but He did the opposite. Jesus said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (They had all committed sin themselves; they were all going through something.) Then Jesus says this to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” The Father has no condemnation for us, His grace is abounding. Meaning that we are drowning in an overflow of His grace.
People need to know you are fighting for them. Let’s not be people who, after one mistake or even two, we pack our bags and leave. People are growing and they need people to grow with them. I am not speaking of dependence but of healthy community. A community that doesn’t run when issues come. People will never know the unconditional love of the Father if we give up on them. Choose into people around you. Take the bigger step and say “I am all in with you”.
Perspective changes when you choose into being out of your comfort zone and now you are on the outside looking in. By no means am I perfect, but the Lord has placed these thoughts on my heart. This is something as a community and church we can work on. I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and I found this quote by my favorite author, Bob Goff, “Grace draws a circle around everyone and says we’re in.” I believe in the Kingdom and what the Father is doing all around the world. Lets be people, who look like the Father, and give out grace abounding to every single person we come into contact with. I love you all dearly.
In It For Good With Him,
Hope
