My backyard has stakes in miracles, I think. There's something about the way that the sunlight filters through a tangled mess of forest, bouncing off of a creature-filled canal that turns dandelions into wish-makers,tree branches into memory-markers, and mosquitos…
Well, they're still just mosquitos, but they seem easier to bear here.
At six a.m., my back porch is my refuge, complete with fresh coffee and simple breakfast. My roommate told me once that she makes it a regular practice to have breakfast with the LORD, and today I took her advice. I'm working on reading Timothy Keller's book "Prodigal God". So far, it's worth reccomending, although I definitely think that Keller's audience is not so much the rebellious, wayward second son type. It's for the moralistic, hyper-religious older brothers. Maybe we all have a little of each son inside us somewhere.
I also found myself going back to 1st Thessalonians 1, which (honestly) doesn't have a whole lot to do with Prodigal God. We read through the entire book last night at Home Group (my Sunday night small group) and about four verses into chapter two, the LORD made it pretty evident that this is where I'll be hunkering down for the week. The thing that really hit me, in going back and rereading chapter one, was how blatent Paul is about beginning everything with praise and speaking truth into the lives of the Thessalonian church.
"We always thank God for you and remember you continually in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance prompted by hope in Jesus Christ." (verses 2-3)
Whoa.
I'd really love to get a letter someday that says something along these lines. Paul's initial encouragement to a church that has seen so much struggle ("You became imitators of the LORD, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering." v.6) is paramount to the rest of the book, but it also sets a really incredible model for leadership in Christian community. Paul recognizes the struggles this really young church has had and shows them how their hardships have grown such beautfiul fruits (faith, hope and love).
Ok, before this gets too English-major, let's-dissect-this-text-MLA-style, let me just inteject. God hit me with some pretty undeniable truth.
This isn't just a story about the Thessalonians. This is my story too. Or it could be, anyway, if I choose that. I became an imitator of the LORD in the midst of severe suffering. That's a story for later, much later, but for now it's enough to say that the paths my feet walked to get back to the LORD left me more than a little cut up. More than a little desperate. More than a little broken open.
Do you know what I mean? Because I think you probably do.
This isn't just the story of the Thessalonians. This isn't just my story. Chances are, it's probably yours. And probably yours. And probably, yours.
What an amazing thing then, that the LORD takes the struggles of the Body and turns those broken places into faith, hope and love.
Here's hoping that if I give Him enough room, He can do the same for me. Because honestly, I'm TIRED of living in fear. I'm EXHAUSTED from it. This isn't what I was created for.
It was for freedom that I was set free (Galatians 5:1), not bondage. It was for faith and hope and love, not fear. I was made for intimacy, not exclusion. It was a life for a life. His life for mine because I matter to Him.
I could keep going but I think that's enough for now. The LORD has started something in this backyard, I think. There's so much more to come.
And now, for that bike ride…
