Dominican Republic

 FAMILIA (Part II)  
  8-23-10


 So now that we have laid the foundation for the family structure, lets build upon it and discuss what it looks and smells like. When a family is functioning at its fullest capacity it’s like a well-oiled machine. It looks good, is efficient, smells sweet, and even leaves a good taste in your mouth. Don’t you wish family always functioned this way? I know I do. Unfortunately, on this side of heaven we experience breakdowns, misalignment, empty tanks, short fuses, and wrong turns. Before you know it, what was meant to function flawlessly begins to disintegrate. We discover that maintenance is required on a daily basis in order to keep it running.

One of the biggest challenges World Racers face is living in community. Some months consist of you and six or seven other racers doing life together. Other months you find yourself living in a house with twenty-seven other people (which is a blessing considering last month there were almost 50 people living in the same house).  The word “family” takes on a whole new meaning. So, not only am I finding myself discovering my family role on my team but now, also, in the midst of 27 other individuals as well.

                                                                                                                           

Without going into great detail of the challenges and rewards of community living, I want to share what God has revealed to me this month about who I am and how to keep my house in order. There is this fine line between what God is doing in me as an individual and as a team member. Sometimes the two can play tug-of-war. I discovered (through the love and wisdom of my friends) that it all boils down to perspective. Where is my focus? Is it on myself? Is it on my teammates? OR, are my eyes fixed on the High King of Heaven who knows all.  I recognized that my gaze was starting to descend from of the heavenly realms and onto flesh and blood. Praise God that my eyes didn’t rest there for very long and I quickly returned back to my Heavenly Father. The awesome TRUTH that I am walking in is the fact that I don’t have to battle this anymore. Praise God! I will keep my house in order by keeping my eyes fixed on my Creator. I’m pretty much gonna stalk God. I’m such a creeper.

 









FAMILIA (Part I)
8-23-10

 There is no escaping family. What one family member does, directly affects the other members. I think we don’t always recognize this. Instead we say, “Oh that’s her problem not mine.” Or, “If that’s how he’s going to act then let him. Whatever.” The only problem is that every family has an invisible thread - so transparent that it’s easily overlooked, or better yet ignored...yet it runs through every heart binding them together. Because of this bond we find ourselves rejoicing when another family member rejoices, or sometimes feel hurt, abandoned, confused, or frustrated by another family member’s words and actions. Before I move any further I want to define “family.” I want us to move beyond the traditional definition so we can start recognizing a broader perspective. A perspective that I believe God designed from the beginning.

According to the Oxford American Dictionary:

FAMILY:

1. A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household

2. A group of people related to one another by blood or marriage

3. A group of people united in criminal activity (my favorite)

According to the Bible:

FAMILY:

1. Ephesians 2:19- "You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household

2. Galatians 6:10- "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers

3.  Romans 12:4-5- "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

                  

When we combine the traditional definition of family with God’s definition, we discover a much deeper and broader interpretation. Of course, if you take Jesus out of the picture we are only left with the traditional definition. I LOVE God’s definition a lot better.

SOLITUDE
8/11/10

What do you do when you hit a roadblock? You look for a detour, right? Well, this month has been just that for me…desperately looking for detours. It’s not a bad thing, all it means is that I have to change course, get creative, suck it up and press on. I thought I’d share with you an excerpt from an email I sent a friend a few days ago. It gives a glimpse into my heart.

One of my favorite authors is Henri Nouwen. I love his perspective on solitude. He helped me understand the importance of solitude and the difference between being alone and being lonely. Last year I spent a couple of months in solitude. I still went to work, hung out with friends, went on facebook (lol), but there was this place within my soul and spirit that was set apart. It was a space meant only for me and my Father. He would speak tenderly to me there. We would spend hours together sharing secrets. It was a really sweet time with the Lord and I soon realized that I had learned a new discipline. I found myself wondering why it had taken me so long to discover this reality. Then I realized I had allowed the world to dictate how I spent my time. Its expectations of me kept me from seeking solitude for myself. Most of the time its intentions were good and what it wanted me to do was important, but was my heart prepared?

Ministry will suck me dry if I allow it. I can become very task oriented, focusing more on efficiency and end results rather than freedom of the Holy Spirit and the process. Solitude is what keeps me grounded. Solitude is what increases my availability. Instead of burning out, solitude fuels my fire. When I start battling fatigue I know it's because I need solitude. What are the symptoms of solitude-deficiency? Frustration. Escapism. Irritation. Confusion. Resentment. It gets pretty ugly really fast. I had to cling to my Father a lot the other day because I felt these symptoms creeping up in a BIG way. I've been reading through Colossians and when I came across this verse it struck my heart. I've been meditating on it for the past few days. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Col 3:6  And then this morning our team was studying Mark and I read: "Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Mark 9:49-50 

I recalled the salt covenant I made with my team and squad during launch. It reminded me why I'm doing what I'm doing and gave me the strength to continue. I'm not gonna lie, I was wanting to throw in the towel. I was feeling pretty frustrated, discouraged and fatigued. I wanted to check out. So I dug a little deeper. Pressed a little harder. Clung a little tighter to the train of His robe. And as always, He was faithful to fill me up. Give strength to my bones. Soften my heart. Prepare me for one more day of battle. My heart's desire is to have some saltiness linger on the lips of those I speak to. I want to leave them better than what they were before. Whether or not they receive the "seasoning" is not my concern. All I have to focus on is being obedient. I can truly say that this month is really teaching me to be intentional with my words and how I spend my time.