The end of each month means a great deal mourning. I am slowly but surely becoming accustomed to this and to grieving while celebrating during our travel days. God has been so good and so intentional with each ministry contact and each team that we’ve had the opportunity to serve with so far. I don’t know that I could begin to explain how each month has been the best and the worst month. They have each been so unique and so special in their own ways and God has shown me how to love new in each place. I am loving this season of growing and learning in the Lord.
This month in Swaziland has been wonderful and awful all at the same time. God touched me with the people of Africa more this month than in the past two. The Gogos (grandmothers) cook at the different care points each day for the children and teach them a lesson. These children are their grand kids or great-grand kids. They so adamantly pour into the community. It’s absolutely beautiful to see. Rather than enjoying what rest they may feel they are entitled to as seniors, they are desperate to pour into these younger generations because they love that much. Their hearts are always for the kids and for their betterment – for their prosperity and health. Most of the times these women have nothing so coming to work basically as volunteers to cook and teach for these kids when they could be searching for another job or taking care of their own homesteads shows that their hearts really are for the future of these children and for all God has for them. God really broke me for these women this month. When we would give them gifts at the Christmas parties I would tear up just at the sheer amount of love in their hearts.
This is the church. This. Serving and pouring into the community. Living out Romans 13:8 to owe no one anything but to love them. Living out scripture that says for older generations to pour into younger generations. This is the church, folks. It’s not Sunday shows that we call church or counting chairs that are filled or coffees that are sold as success. No. The church means living in community, serving the community.
If the Church is in a community in the United States there is absolutely no reason for anyone in that community to feel forgotten or be without anything whatsoever. If these people can sacrifice so much when they have nothing – most don’t even have a bible – then how much more should YOU be serving in the States?
God has called us to lives of action. Even the word ‘abide,’ which we read so often in the Bible, means to walk in what you know, not to sit still or get caught up in your routines. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that what I’m doing is so honorable and wonderful – giving up the comforts of home to serve ‘those less fortunate.’ Let me tell you, these people have a better grasp of who our God is than most of us Americans do. This may seem like ‘radical living’ to you, but this is what following Christ should look like. This is what walking with God should be – this is normal…if you’re not living your day to day waking up and saying ‘God how can I further your kingdom today?’ Or ‘Dad I’m going to carry your name today all day in everything I do’ and actually DOING THAT, then you’re living a subpar life. Normal is realizing that God provides – financially, relationally, physically, emotionally, mentally, and in every facet of your life. Normal is knowing that your identity is sealed in the pursuer of your soul and therefore walking BOLDLY in what the Spirit leads. Normal is taking time to actually listen to what God says – taking time to slow down, breathe, and realize exactly where that breath comes from and that it’s beyond your control or even anything you deserve. Normal is taking that realization and declaring that you will walk with urgency in the Spirit and do with that breath every thing you possibly can to make Jesus BIG. Normal is being most satisfied in God, even when that means forsaking relationships, friendships, and things that make you ‘feel good’ to pursue your Creator FIRST. This is normal. Everything else is living so far below your potential.
God has created you with a purpose – with gifts and talents that are specific to exactly where you are to bring the most glory to Him. No one can touch these people or walk out His love like you can.
I don’t want to come back from the Race and live like nothing’s happened, like I haven’t encountered the Maker of the universe. I don’t want to come home and not serve His people after all He’s done for me. I don’t want to come home and see people that I love walking so far below the blessings and potential and gifts that God has put in their lives. So I’m not. I can’t come home and not pursue people like God has pursued me. I can’t be okay with lukewarm living anymore and I can’t stand idly by and let my friends or family be okay with that either.
So I won’t.
