I can't believe it's been three months. I can't believe how much has happened. Time is flying by…
This month, my team and I are doing unsung hero ministry.
Heres the definition: "Men and women who are dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the world, yet rarely received recognition for their dedication and service. These givers may also live with meager conditions but give consistently from an abundance of God's love. Their names may not be in history books, their acts unknown to the rest of the world, while unrecognized, they shake a generation and move a culture and ultimately build the kingdom."
So, that's what my team and I are doing for ministry this month.
We are seeking out these people within the country of Nicaragua.
It's a whole bunch of trust,
mixed with REALLY pressing into the Lords voice,
it takes a ton of obeying,
taking risks,
and walking straight into the unknown.
[[ Side note: as of now, we are in Managua, we will be leaving for Carazo on Thursday, then Rivas, then back to Granada. ]]
I recently listened to a podcast about the Love of the Father;
"if we ever want to accomplish the thing Jesus wanted us to, a love with the Father, we need a whole new picture of the Father. I see it in community."
Then I thought of my community, the 6 women I've been blessed with;
The love of the Father is my teammate seeking me out.
The love of the Father is an embrace.
The love of the Father is looking at me and saying "hey, hang in there."
The love of the Father is staring intently at me while I'm sobbing, feeling so weak I can't move, saying, "you're so brave and so strong."
The Love of the Father is being listened to even when the things I say are completely ugly and ridiculous.
The Love of the Father is being loved and accepted when I'm being incredibly ugly.
The love of the Father is being forgiven when I don't deserve it.
The Love of the Father is being heard.
The Love of the Father is laying in a twin sized bed crying while my teammate is laying next to me just to be a presence and so I know I'm not alone.
The Love of the Father is in that same situation and another teammate coming in and singing a song over me.
The love of the father is saying "i love you" and meaning it.
The love of the father is saying "just say the word and let me know when you're ready and I'll pursue you harder than you can imagine."
The love of the father is being affirmed in who I am.
The love of the Father is in laughter, He was the original creator of laughter after all.
My community, my team, show the love of the Father so well…
Then I realize where I am…
right now, I'm sitting on a twin sized bed and right outside this room is a barbershop where we sleep at night.
We're staying with a family that goes to the pastors church, whom we met only 8 days ago and now feels like he's our dad.
He gives us free transportation everywhere and makes sure we have transpiration to meet with ministries here in Managua.
We have free housing.
He takes us on day trips with his family and we haven't paid for one single thing since we've been here in Managua. He makes sure we have free meals and that we feel at home.
We do feel at home.
It's been a learning experience though… because we came to Managua with the intention of serving, not to be served. We came on the World Race with the intention of serving only. Then we met the pastor and his church congregation, and they have given us more than we can give back.
He bragged on us to his congregation.
[[ Which reminds me, the Father brags on us.]]
His daughters washed our feet, massaged them and gave us pedicures and manicures because they wanted us to feel loved.
[[ For the last month, I've been wanting a pedicure and manicure, these girls didn't know that, but the Father knew, and he used them to give me a simple gift. It was a simple silly desire that I had, and He gave it to me. He's a giver of good gifts. even the simple ones. ]]
His family took us to the beach in Granada and paid for our dinner.
Janeth (the worship leader at the church) had us over and made breakfast for us. She has us over a lot actually because she LOVES us, she cooks us meals, lets us use her WIFI, and watch English television.
Like, just now, Janeths daughter gave me a big bowl of cookies and cream ice cream… no way she could have known its my favorite, the Father knows though…
If we say we like something, they just give it to us. (we became aware of their culture and stopped
telling them what we liked… so they wouldn't keep giving their stuff away… haha)
They drive us everywhere because they are concerned for our safety and they just want to.
They treat us as if we were their family.
we are their family.
I remember after we went to the beach in Granada with the pastor and his family, Janeth's family, and a few family friends took us out to eat pizza.
After a delicious, greasy meal, Janeth took the bill for the millionth time
and I gave her a look of "really? again?"
she just smiled at me.
I told her I appreciate her and all that she's done for us,
her response was this, "God provides."
And that's just it.
The Father provides.
A few days before we left Granada to get to Managua,
we prayed what we thought were "impossible prayers".
We prayed for free housing, free transportation, and for clear direction.
the Father provided that and more. Because He doesn't just give us what we ask for, he always goes above and beyond.
That's the Father.
A lot of the times, we humans associate the Father with our earthly father.
Maybe you see the Father as angry with you.
That the Father may even be disappointed in you because of what you've done.
You try to win the Fathers love and approval because you constantly have to win your own fathers love and approval.
maybe you think you're too far gone in sin for the Father to love you. That He will never love you.
[[ Side note: gosh, that's such a lie. I rebuke that lie in Jesus' name on your behalf. My heart aches for you over that lie. ]]
or maybe your thought is this. (I'm guilty for this one sometimes) : "Make God happy so He won't mess with me."
maybe it has some to do with your earthly father, but for me, its the human spirituality thought. If God's happy, then things will go well for me. He'll leave me alone.
He didn't create us so we could work to make Him happy… He's already so happy with us. We don't have to try to work for his approval, we already have it.
The Father loves us, He gives good gifts, He provides, He places people in our lives that show His love well so we can see it, He hears us, He cares, He's generous.
A lot of the time, I expect a voice of condemnation, but the Father is quiet. He is gentle when I mess up and he rejoices over me with shouts of joy. When He's loud, its with excitement and joy.
and the same goes for you.
"When I think about your sin, I'm not the one beating you up. I'm quiet. When I think about relating with you, I get excited about you and I sing and shout over you with joy."
This is how he deals with His children.
There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
This is how He views you.
Those words of condemnation are not coming from the Father, but from the enemy.
The enemy is here to destroy and kill, and any words that destroy or kill come from the enemy, not the Father.
So, believer, maybe indecisive believer, the Father, God, is rejoicing over you. He's pleased with you.
And you may not understand why,
but I can tell you this much,
the more that I spend with my team/ community,
the more I understand and have just a glimpse of what the Love of the Father looks like,
because these women rejoice and sing over me when I feel like giving up.
They believe the words for me because they are for me.
They are pleased with me.
They are quick to forgive me.
They know me, and they love me.
They are quick to tell me they love me.
They are quick to pursue me.
Seek out those people, seek out Godly community, and you truly will get a glimpse of what the Father is like.
All good things and qualities come from God.
"When I think about your sin, I'm not the one beating you up. I'm quiet. When I think about relating with you, I get excited about you and I sing and shout over you with joy."
Yes, that's my Father.
When you're ready, say this over yourself.
"One thing you have said, two things I have heard, that You, oh God are strong and You're loving.
God of power, you relate to me with gentleness and love.
No matter what comes, You God are powerful over ALL things, and You love me."
This steadies the believer.
And community helps one to see His kind of Love.
That's the Love of the Father.
Lately, My Father asks me multiple times a day, "do you trust me? Even when it hurts?" and I respond with "yes, Father."
My Father, my Lord, He is trustworthy and full of Love, you can bet on that.
