Today I took a day of rest. It wasn’t that I was tired or feeling sick, I just wanted to read. If you know me at all you know that this does not sound like me. I saw a book that had been passed around on our team and the title looked very interesting. I have heard that you should never judge a book by it’s cover, but this title had a word that has brought new meaning to me in the past five months.
When people asked me what I would be doing this year in the mission field, I would tell them we are going to mainly just love on people; whatever that may look like for them. This year the love of Christ has become more and more real and just the vastness of His love for us has really blown my mind. I can truly say we have no idea of it. Our minds can not imagine that kind of love for a person. In first John it says if we live in love then Christ lives in us. Also we love because He first loved us. So, if we walk around in love for everyone and for every situation we run into, then what else is there?
I read Heidi Baker’s book titled “Compelled By Love” and to put it in one word I would say WOW! I have never read a book by Heidi so I had no idea who she is. After just reading the preface and the back cover I had an idea of the kind of woman she is…what a W.O.G. (woman of God)! She first heard from the Lord at the age of sixteen that she was going to be used in mighty ways in London, China, and Africa. Currently she is in Mozambique where she and her husband have been for the past fifteen years. They have been through so many miraculous events and have hundrends of stories that would just make your jaw drop. They have fed thousands and have planted hundreds of churches all across Africa.
Going through the book today I had to re-read many times because the words were just so impacting. She talks about how she just shares the love of God and believes with all her heart that He will provide whatever the need. She has a home for the many “street” children in Mozambique. She goes out and finds them digging in dumpsters, dying of many sicknesses, covered in flees, barely clothed, and not knowing this love she so desires to give and show. And that is exactly what she does. After swooping them up, giving them food and shelter, she just continues to “show” them love. It is one thing to tell someone about the love of Christ and tell them they need to give their life to Jesus. It is a whole other idea to give someone love. In America we like to talk about the poor and ask what should we do. Very rarely do we go and talk to the poor and ask them what they need and then give it to them. The bible says if you can be trusted with little then God will only give you little, but if you can be trusted with much then think of the possibilities. If God has given you the ability to love then show it! If he has trusted with money then share it. If he has trusted you with a voice then use it for His kingdom. How much more will he give you if it is for His kingdom, right?
Another thought these past five months for me has been the question of what my kingdom dream is. What is His plan for my life? So far I haven’t felt like I am supposed to be the next Heidi Baker leading crusade after crusade in Africa, but I do know I share the same desire to show God’s love. Heidi has seen many healings and just the wonder of God at His greatest countless times. Erin and I both have had this prophesied over us. We have heard that our hands will be used for healing and have begun to see God use us in this way. Maybe we will be used in America at a church somewhere or maybe in some country we don’t even know about yet. I do know that I have had the thought of being a youth pastor in the last month. Erin and I both want to have a family and the white picket fence and the whole nine yards but, is that what true happiness is? Is that where God wants us to be? We don’t know yet. I do know He loves us and He will reveal it in His timing. Right now I am just trying to show love wherever He has me.
