Church was incredible this past Sunday. So incredible, in fact, that the recap won't fit into just one blog post. So here's part one, along with some alternative ways you can support me if your bank account is running on empty. (If it's not empty, consider giving a few extra bucks by clicking the "Support Me" link on the left of the page. My first deadline is at the end of this week.) Read on!
Photo cred: Sarah Wright
UNpacking
We just started a 9-month sermon series exploring the idea of how to be people who are proclaiming God's mission. (You can see why it's going to take us 9 months.) This week focused on the Way of Jesus as a model to accomplish that. Jesus tells us to:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
I've heard this passage many times, but our pastor, Jeff, brought it to life in a way I had never considered before. Maybe it's because I'm starting the process of actually packing my bags for the Race, but his luggage metaphor really stuck with me.
Jeff stood in front of the two doors (pictured on the right) with two pieces of luggage, which represented all of our emotional baggage we carry with us–fear, anger, worry, guilt. He found he could easily walk through the wide door with the luggage, but was not able to enter the narrow door. In order to enter, he would have to discard the baggage.
We have a choice of which door to enter. Not a one-time choice, but a daily, hourly choice. I want to choose to enter through the door that brings life–the abundant, joyful, full life we are promised with Jesus. So I started thinking about what "baggage" I would have to abandon in order to get there.
Recently that baggage has included lots of lies. In the process of fundraising and preparing for the Race, I find myself believing the LIES
that I am not good enough or worthy enough for people to want to give me money.
that I control the success/failure of my fundraising.
that God doesn’t see enough in me to use me in impacting the world this next year.
I find myself prematurely creating responses as to why the money didn’t come in on time. “Maybe God wants me to wait until July to leave.” “Maybe all you needed was this time to grow closer to God, but you’re not actually supposed to go on the Race.” But really this is all just me not trusting in God’s power and goodness. This is me not believing the TRUTH
that he loves me more than I can fathom.
that he is my father, and he will provide for me.
that his ways are better than mine, and his plan totally trumps mine.
I will say that I never expected to have grown as much as I have before the Race even started. Heck, before I even got to Training Camp, or to my first deadline. God is slowly breaking down walls and unpacking the baggage that I’ve been carrying around for years. I really can’t even put a finger on what all that baggage is, but I can just feel him working through it. My dependence on Him is constant and crucial, and I find myself gaining more and more confidence (I guess we’ll call that faith!) that He will provide for all of my needs.
We sang Hillsong’s "Search My Heart" at the beginning of the service on Sunday. As we repeated “Without you I am nothing,” I found myself embracing the truth that WITH him I have EVERYTHING that will ever matter in this world.
Friends, this is my prayer, and I hope it can be yours this week, too. God, “Search my heart and search my soul, There is nothing else that I want more.” Open up your baggage to Jesus. Share it with your community, and let them help you work through it. God is in the business of redeeming.
Packing
Whew! Now that that weight is off my shoulders, it's time to add some more in the form of GEAR! In addition to the $15,500 I have to raise, I also need gear, vaccinations, travel insurance, and flights to and from our launch/return destination in the U.S. Thanks to an incredibly giving WR alum, Rebecca, I already have a sweet pack! Now I just need to fill it. Wanna help?
« I'm a big fan of this, so I'd love it if most of the gear is stuff you already have and are willing to donate/sell to me for cheap. If you feel led to buy something, though, I won't object!
THE LIST
Here's my REI wishlist to give you ideas on a few items listed below.
Pack (thanks, Rebecca!)
Laptop (you're the best, Trevor)
Sleeping bag (see my excitement below)
Tent (needs to be 2 person, freestanding, and as light as possible, 4-5 lbs, with rainfly)
Sleeping pad (super lightweight, small, preferably self-inflating, comfy- this is my bed for the year!)
Travel pillow (small, lightweight. see a theme?)
Headlamp (Lauren, thanks for shining the light)
Airporter/pack duffle
Sleeping bag liner
Mosquito net
High quality daypack (size of a school backpack) (Sarah, couldn't have asked for anything better)
Headphones/headphone splitters
iTouch/iPod
Eno hammock
Compression stuff sacks/packing cubes
Pocket knife
Have these sorts of items lying around?
Hand/face wipes
Dryer sheets
Gum/mints
Vitamins/probiotics
Toothbrush covers
etc.
If you have items to donate,please let me know asap, as Training Camp is coming up Oct. 13th! If you could also spread the word to anyone you know who may have some of these items, I would greatly appreciate it.
P.S. I don't know how the disciples dropped everything and just followed Jesus. Maybe one of these days I will get there. Right now I'm just trying to travel light.
I was like a little kid on Christmas morning when
this arrived in the mail. Photo cred: Calli Duggins
