i’m watching my squad transform more and more into the
likeness of Jesus. we are moving from glory to glory as deep cries out to deep.
there is something unique about this group of people. it was noticeable at
training camp. we had a bond from the beginning. we felt it. our leaders
recognized it. if you got close enough…you could smell it.
as we transitioned from eastern europe to africa, i could
sense ‘something’ on the horizon. i stayed in eastern europe for an extra 10
days to meet with potential AIM contacts in bulgaria and serbia. during this
time, my squad flew to johannesburg, south africa and took a bus to malawi.
what should have been an approximate 38 hour trip took them days and days…and
days. they were met head on with delays, dehydration, corruption, cold,
sleepless nights at multiple borders, heat, sweat, hunger, sickness, etc. what
should have caused division and dissension actually created unity. i won’t
over-romanticize the situation…there was plenty of frustration, short-fuses,
and a struggle to “count it all joy.� they are human after all.
sense ‘something’ on the horizon. i stayed in eastern europe for an extra 10
days to meet with potential AIM contacts in bulgaria and serbia. during this
time, my squad flew to johannesburg, south africa and took a bus to malawi.
what should have been an approximate 38 hour trip took them days and days…and
days. they were met head on with delays, dehydration, corruption, cold,
sleepless nights at multiple borders, heat, sweat, hunger, sickness, etc. what
should have caused division and dissension actually created unity. i won’t
over-romanticize the situation…there was plenty of frustration, short-fuses,
and a struggle to “count it all joy.� they are human after all.
however, they
were “pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but
not destroyed.� they had the maturity of Paul (in philippians 3:13-14), “forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, (they) press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called (them) heavenword in Christ Jesus.� i started reading facebook
posts about their travel day(s). i received emails recounting the journey. i
read blogs about their personal experience. every word spoke of His ‘greater
glory.’ they weren’t wasting their breath complaining, instead they used it to
praise our Mighty God for His provision and protection.
were “pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but
not destroyed.� they had the maturity of Paul (in philippians 3:13-14), “forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, (they) press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called (them) heavenword in Christ Jesus.� i started reading facebook
posts about their travel day(s). i received emails recounting the journey. i
read blogs about their personal experience. every word spoke of His ‘greater
glory.’ they weren’t wasting their breath complaining, instead they used it to
praise our Mighty God for His provision and protection.
i eventually met up with my squad (figuring i wouldn’t hear
the end of it since i had ‘missed out’ on the travel day adventure). however, i
was met with grace and genuine thanksgiving that i was “spared.� i enjoyed
having one on one convos about the travel day, and being able to hear many
different perspectives. i loved seeing their transparency when sharing how
miserable it was at times (back of the bus people…you know who you are) and i
love seeing their maturity as they laugh about it now. in fact, a couple teams
partnered together and wrote a “travel day� poem recounting the adventure. they
even included me in it. which makes my heart happy.
the end of it since i had ‘missed out’ on the travel day adventure). however, i
was met with grace and genuine thanksgiving that i was “spared.� i enjoyed
having one on one convos about the travel day, and being able to hear many
different perspectives. i loved seeing their transparency when sharing how
miserable it was at times (back of the bus people…you know who you are) and i
love seeing their maturity as they laugh about it now. in fact, a couple teams
partnered together and wrote a “travel day� poem recounting the adventure. they
even included me in it. which makes my heart happy.
with my squad’s transformation comes a renewed mind. a new
vision. a narrowed focus. a broader perspective. we are learning to claim our
inheritance rather than lament the past. we are about glorifying our Lord
rather than giving the devil any more credence. we are gaining momentum, moving forward while learning to
rest in Him. (something our squad leaders, josh and lia, spoke into and became
a catalyst for during our debrief). the beauty of this process is that the
by-product is the very presence and aroma of Christ. this is good. very good.
vision. a narrowed focus. a broader perspective. we are learning to claim our
inheritance rather than lament the past. we are about glorifying our Lord
rather than giving the devil any more credence. we are gaining momentum, moving forward while learning to
rest in Him. (something our squad leaders, josh and lia, spoke into and became
a catalyst for during our debrief). the beauty of this process is that the
by-product is the very presence and aroma of Christ. this is good. very good.
“But thanks be to God,
who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma
of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.� (2
Corinthians 2:14-15)
who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma
of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.� (2
Corinthians 2:14-15)
the Christ-like aroma of my squad is permeating the nations.
we are even receiving reports that “our scent� is reaching family members back
home. we are witnessing generational cycles of addiction, depression,
co-dependency, abuse, etc. be cut off. and in response, the Lord is grafting in
new identities. a new generation is being created. a generation that transcends
age and is instead bound together by the work of His mighty hand through His
Son, Jesus Christ. a generation consisting of fathers, mothers and their sons
and daughters as one. this constant “cutting off� and “grafting in� is creating
an entirely new cultivated body, whose head is Jesus Christ.
we are even receiving reports that “our scent� is reaching family members back
home. we are witnessing generational cycles of addiction, depression,
co-dependency, abuse, etc. be cut off. and in response, the Lord is grafting in
new identities. a new generation is being created. a generation that transcends
age and is instead bound together by the work of His mighty hand through His
Son, Jesus Christ. a generation consisting of fathers, mothers and their sons
and daughters as one. this constant “cutting off� and “grafting in� is creating
an entirely new cultivated body, whose head is Jesus Christ.
what the Lord is doing within my squad is a snapshot of how
He is moving within His Church. bridging the generational divide. the Lord
doesn’t see age, race, culture, and social class. He sees sons and daughters. do
we see the same? as my generation is positioned where generations before us
have pioneered, how will we receive the mantle? transitions like these have
been viewed as a “passing of the torch.� i, myself, have viewed it as such. but
the Lord has given me a new revelation.
He is moving within His Church. bridging the generational divide. the Lord
doesn’t see age, race, culture, and social class. He sees sons and daughters. do
we see the same? as my generation is positioned where generations before us
have pioneered, how will we receive the mantle? transitions like these have
been viewed as a “passing of the torch.� i, myself, have viewed it as such. but
the Lord has given me a new revelation.
if you’ve ever watched the Olympics, you have seen the track
n’ field competition. in a relay race, the runner passes the baton to the
runner in front of him. once the new runner grabs a hold of it, the previous
runner is able to stop running. he/she has finished their leg of the race. show
me in Scripture where this analogy applies to the believer? other than death,
there is no excuse to stop running…
n’ field competition. in a relay race, the runner passes the baton to the
runner in front of him. once the new runner grabs a hold of it, the previous
runner is able to stop running. he/she has finished their leg of the race. show
me in Scripture where this analogy applies to the believer? other than death,
there is no excuse to stop running…
i believe my generation can be THE generation that GETS IT.
THE generation that receives the REVELATION that IN CHRIST, all
generations are called to be ONE.
generations are called to be ONE.
THE generation that HONORS those who have gone before them
and DISCIPLES the ones coming after them.
and DISCIPLES the ones coming after them.
THE generation that lives in TOTAL SURRENDER.
P SQUAD…i’m so very proud of you.
