The Lord has taught me so much this month – so much so that I can’t keep it in. So here are a few things he’s shown me:
1. True, God-designed community is insanely incredible – incredibly invaluable, exciting, hard, vulnerable, life-giving and encouraging. This type of community is the life God intended for us to experience with others, and that’s why it’s so good. All squad month has been all of this and more. Living with 37 other people has stretched me beyond my comfort zone, but the Lord has given me grace upon grace as he has shown me what it looks like to walk in Eph. 4:1-3:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
I’ve experienced a good dose of humility each time I’ve mopped the nasty bathroom floor because I didn’t want to walk in the disgusting puddle and I know others wouldn’t want to either. I learned what gentleness and grace looked like the time my dishwashing buddy forgot it was our turn to do dishes and the Lord humbled me when my other dishwashing buddy washed the pots for him when I didn’t want to. I’ve learned patience the countless times we didn’t know how to do something, and I’m learning to grow in what it means to bear with one another in love – because unity is the foundation upon which community stands.
2. Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in the midst of a raging, spiritual battle. Which happens to be going on everywhere at every moment of the day, not just here in Draganesti. We’ve seen the foothold the enemy has here in this place, but we’ve experienced the all-powerful might of the Lord through his Spirit and Son and are convinced that His light is greater than the enemy’s darkness.
We’ve suited up in our armor and interceded on behalf of our squadmates, families, friends, and ministry partners – every. single. day. And we’ve seen the Lord defeat the enemy every time we’ve lifted up our hearts in prayer. The enemy wants to attack the work of the laborers, he wants to attack our vulnerability and life in community, he wants to attack our minds and hearts, but his attacks are no match for the strength of His might. So we put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:11).
3. Living securely in our identities as sons and daughters of God is an inward renewal that results in outward transformation.
We adopted a little black puppy for a short time while living in Draganesti and it occurred to me one day how accurate of a representation he was of the change that occurs when we are adopted into the family of God. When we first met Charlie on the side of the road he was dirty, afraid, unloved, unwanted, and unnamed. We took him in, fed him, bathed him, gave him a place to sleep and 38 arms to love and hold him. And over the course of a few days his entire demeanor changed; he was healthy, growing, walking with confidence and in love. He was safe and secure in our arms.
And the same is true of us. When we walk in the truth of who we are as adopted sons and daughters of the Most High King we no longer need to rely on old habits to live this new life. We are freed from past habits, past actions, past shame and guilt and we are invited to partake in the fullness of Christ. Called to live in the fullness and abundance and grace of Christ. For God sent forth his Son…to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God (Gal. 4:5-7).
