An Invitation to Breath

I just read Marshall Shelley's most recent Leadership Journal newsletter.  He was reflecting on the week between Christmas and New Years as a chance to slow down and catch a breath.  When I was working I looked forward to this week as a time when no one else would be in the office.  I was one of the few hold outs that had used all my vacation days through out the year, and I was using that uninterrupted time to sort files or take care of those things that sank at the bottom of my "To Do" list.


Life can feel like a train we got on years ago, one that has gathered momentum with every small decision. And when we reach for the break leaver, it comes apart in our hands. With the life changing steps we have taken, we have the chance to re-imagine things like this.  I get to ask the question, "How do I want to spend this week between Christmas and New Years?" I don't think I expected that preparing to serve Christ is Austria would push life so off the rails that I'd have this much of a chance to rethink how I invest my time. I am thankful for the opportunity.


What do you want for this week of quiet time?

Welcome to Detroit Lakes

Our display in the church lobby

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of visiting First Baptist Detroit Lakes, about 3.5 hours north of Minneapolis. We arrived there Saturday evening and spent the night at Pastor Jim Hinson's house with his family. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed in and had an enjoyable time getting to know the Hinsons.  On Sunday morning, we shared our ministry story with several Sunday school classes and then also during the worship service.

Nate preaching on I Samuel 10 - the anointing of Saul as king.

Sharing about Austria in the Sunday morning service.

A highlight for me, though, was seeing Nate preach the Sunday morning sermon. He brought to life the story of Saul being anointed as King of Israel by Samuel. Through the story, he reminded us that there are times when we are in over our heads and when God brings into our lives situations that we cannot handle on our own. Our natural reaction can be fear and uncertainty. But God uses these difficult times to draw us closer in dependence to Him and to bring Him all the glory.

I was very encouraged by Nate's sermon and it is so applicable to where we are at in our process of moving to Austria. This journey has been difficult, especially during the times when it feels like progress is slow and we may never get there. But we have been pushed to depend on God so much more than we ever have before. And in the end, when He provides the funds and the support to make it to Austria, it will truly be miraculous and He will get the glory!

When Do You Need Prayer?

I came across this quote made into a video from David Platt who spoke at the Desiring God national conference we attended last weekend (more to come on processing our experiences there).




Do you think we show that we need prayer, that we thirst for prayer?

I was blind but now I see...

A few days ago, Nate and I were climbing and I got whacked in my right eye by my climbing rope. Not a big deal at first (I recovered after a few minutes), but when I woke up Friday morning, I knew something wasn't right. Friday afternoon, I went to see an Ophthalmologist and learned that I had scratched my cornea. After a few uncomfortable tests and a prescription, I was sent on my way.

Friday night and Saturday were supposed to be a "spiritual retreat" for us. We went up to Evanston, IL to stay in a hotel and spend time in prayer and meditation. But Friday night and most of Saturday were really rough for me...my vision was blurry and I was in pain. It took me about 3 hours to fall asleep and on Saturday, I spent 3 - 4 hours laying down with my eyes closed to give them a rest.

I write all of this not to seek out sympathy, but to share the lessons God taught me over the last 24 hours. I was very frustrated when we arrived in Evanston... I had been looking forward to this retreat and having time to relax and renew. Instead, all I could think about was my eye and how uncomfortable I was. I was discouraged that it seemed like our spiritual retreat would be ruined for me. However, God took a bad situation and used it for good. Here are a few things I learned through this experience...

• God speaks when we are quiet and still. Most people who know me know that I don't sit still very well. Even when I have free time, I fill it with something. With my eye, I was forced to lay still for hours... I couldn't even read or study or watch TV. So Nate read scripture to me and I spent time praying, meditating (we read some of Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline) and napping. In the end, it was very restful and spiritually rejuvenating. God used the situation to remind me what it means to actually rest. Hopefully, he won't have to use injury to teach me this lesson again in the future!

• Oh, what joy the blind man must have felt... When Jesus heals the blind man (recounted in Mark 22), Jesus told the man not to tell people about his healing experience. It must have been so difficult to keep that inside! When I was without sight for only 24 hours, I was desperate to get my eyes back to normal. 24 hours! That is nothing compared to a lifetime. I can only imagine the joy the blind man felt and how much he wanted to shout it from the mountain tops.

• Our bodies are fragile. My eye was injured in such a quick instant. And just as quickly, any of our bodies would be taken from us. How much more should we use every day to glorify God and live out the gospel! I forget this all the time and I assume that each day, I will wake up alive and healthy. Instead, I should be living with a sense of urgency, striving to use my time of earth as well as I can while I am still here.

• It's ok to depend on someone else. I've always been pretty self-sufficient and independent...but being incapacitated meant I needed help from Nate. It was really freeing to ask for help and receive it. It's probably no surprise that I act self sufficient in my relationship with God, as well as my relationships with other people. Being forced to depend on Nate reminded me that I should also function with dependence on God. Simple concept, but hard to put into practice. In life, I act like I can see clearly and make my own decision, when in actuality I truly am "blind" with sin and need God to lead me.

In case you're wondering, my eye is now improving and should be healed in a few days. But hopefully I'll ponder these things I've learned even after I can see again!