“Be imitators of God therefore, as dearly loved children and
live a life of love.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
What a gift to live our lives as dearly loved children and
to pour out love for others from the overflow of the love that has already been
given us.
This year’s transition has been bittersweet.
All our prayers were answered beautifully for the end of the
year. The kids stood up and sang ‘Let my life be the proof of your love’ and
quoted Romans 8:28-39 and Psalm 103 from memory with boldness. I put movie
clips together from the testimonies of almost all the students which we watched
for their 6th grade program. It was an amazing witness to each
child’s family of all that they are learning and what they want to live their
lives for as they move on to high school.
I am satisfied that the Lord was glorified in this display
and HE accomplished what He promised from beginning to end.
2 Corinthians 3:2-5:
2 You yourselves are
our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You
show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not
with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of human hearts. 4 Such confidence we
have through Christ before God. 5 Not
that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our
competence comes from God.
As an ending activity my friend Autumn and I got each
student a bracelet with their favorite name of God engraved on it. We spent
time praying over each student as we gave them their bracelets. This was my
highlight end event because it was evident that God’s Spirit was with us as we
prayed and I hope the kids never forget these prayers of sincere intercession
over their lives.
à See the photo and
story below for more on God’s work through Autumn and the gospel in some other
kids’ lives!
There are quite a few of my close friends who will not be
returning next year and this leaves gaps and cracks in my heart. These spaces
are always filled with Christ first and other incredible relationships later,
but not without some heartache as it is hard to let go and move on when we have
strived together so hard for a season and gone through so much together. I
praise God because our ending time together was so sweet. God’s grace is
lavish.
Now my homesick heart is being loved on as I am able to be
with family and in the comfort and fullness of home. This is a gift
indescribable because sharing moments of marriage, laughter, anguish, sickness
and health, joy and love is more than my bursting heart deserves. Though I find
it hard to rest, I keep soaking in the goodness of it all and I am content. I
only have a little over 3 weeks left and though I am astounded at the passing
time I am just watching God’s hand orchestrate and bring me good things.
Recently I read this quote about faith from the book ‘100
Days in the Secret Place’
“ A life of faith does
two things: faith helps you see God behind everything that He uses. And faith
also keeps you in a place where you are not sure what will happen next.”
As I rest in God’s control over my life and future I am
content to receive with thanks everything that God uses and I’m anticipating
what He may bring in the future THROUGH FAITH.
Hebrews 10:
23 Let
us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
38“My
righteous one will live by faith.”
As I begin looking forward to this next school year my vision is renewed
for what the Lord has in store for a new group of kids and a new set of
challenges to shape and sanctify me. I am in Honduras to do God’s will as He
makes me holy and more reflective of His sacrifice once and for all.
More from Hebrews 10:
9 Then he said, “Here
I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the
second. 10 And by that will,
we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all.
35 So do not throw
away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Have you reflected on all Christ has done for you recently?
Have you thought about all He sacrificed for you once and for all?
How long have you spent in His word lately? It doesn’t
matter where I turn in the Bible I find it spewing the gospel. I try to gulp it
in and choke because I have to spill it forth to others. The gospel is
unrelenting.
My challenge for you:
read God’s word, meditate on it, soak in it. Memorize it. Don’t just stop at ‘a
verse for the day’ or ‘enough to make you sound half way smart at Bible study’.
Don’t pull out your cliché verses to sound like a good Christian or let other
books crowd out The Book…. Let God’s word and gospel written on every page
transform you. We HAVE to go back to God’s word for perspective and peace in
the chaos of this world. We will find it in no other place. Take the time.
Recenter on the Center of all things. Let the unrelenting Gospel spread through
you.
Story:
The
last Sunday at church I drove a few friends and the neighborhood kids down the
mountain. We usually pack at least 9 of us in my car as a usual Sunday routine.
We stop before church at a coffee shop to talk while the kids color. It is fun
fellowship. On this particular morning Autumn was taking the kids to get some
chocolate milk and cookies from the grocery store. On their way, a street kid
asked for food. The neighborhood kids assumed that of course, Autumn would
include their new friend in the mix. He waited patiently while they picked out
the treat inside the store. When they came out, they invited him to color with
them at the coffee shop. He was very shy, but agreed to come. Eber is one of
the boys that comes to church and to visit Autumn weekly. He is 10 years old
and accepted the Lord in February in Sunday school. After Sunday School that
day he unashamedly stood up in front of church and proudly declared that he was
now a Christian. Since then, he comes every Sunday with his Bible clutched to
his chest. His mom just recently accepted Christ at church as well!
Anyways,
the kids got down to munching and coloring and Jonathan (the new little boy)
just sat there wide eyed. I asked him if he wanted to color and he said he
didn’t know how. I asked Eber to teach him and proceeded to sit back amazed as
Eber quietly and gently instructed Jonathan in the simple art of coloring. As
Jonathan gained confidence I coaxed Eber to ask him if he knew what he was
coloring (a picture of a cross on a hill). Without further prompting, Eber shared
the whole gospel with Jonathan as they discussed the picture. He then asked is
Jonathan wanted to pray to accept Christ into his heart and he nodded ‘yes.’
Autumn
and I just looked at each other beaming with hints of tears at the corners of
our eyes because what we had just witnessed was an exquisite picture of the
gospel and God’s work spreading it through His children, His disciples -- through simple words and offerings and…..pictures.
Testimony
means: May it be done again.
I
share this testimony, as well as those from the past and those yet to be
written, so that God’s work of redemption may be repeated… so it may be done
AGAIN AND AGAIN. May you also witness this sweetness of God’s children, dearly
loved, living a life of love for the sake of the gospel and may this example be
stamped on your hearts and minds.
Lets
make the most of every ‘picture making’ opportunity…..
