So a couple days this week I was blessed with a free hour at school during the day. One day I helped another teacher out, one day I worked on things for my literacy program, one day I cleaned my classroom from top to bottom, and the other day, I read :) I’ve been reading John Perkins and Shane Claiborne’s new book, Follow Me to Freedom and God has been showing me a lot through it. When I was reading one day this week, I came across this quote when Shane Claiborne was talking about his live in inner city Philadelphia…
“Stability is a traditional monastic vow; it is to commit to a group of people and to be submitted to them. Stability is something poor neighborhoods [and really everyone] are starved for. There are so many things that don’t last—like landlords. And missionaries. Things come and go, and people are moving all the time—not far, but often. It’s part of the culture of poverty that is so unhealthy. And it takes commitment—literally, a commitment to become a stable part of the neighborhood to change that.”
After I read that I had to put the book down. I'm a dreamer. I often find myself thinking about where God might take me, what countries I might end up in, ways to bring justice and love, places that need their chains of bondage to be broken. There is so much I want to do, so many places I want to see. I want to go to the ends of the earth proclaiming Jesus' love. I want to do Mission Year. I want to do the World Race. I want to go to Uganda and live in an orphanage. I want to spend more time in the Dominican. I want to go to Eastern Europe... and the Holy Land. I want to go to Papua New Guinea and do Bible translation. I want to do Timo and work with an unreached people group in Africa. I want to live in a trailer park in the States (preferably with Spanish speakers :) ), I want to live in row housing with a stoop, I want to go to Haiti and work to eliminate poverty, I want to raise up leaders in the Dominican to end the racism towards Haitians. I want to breathe the Gospel wherever I go, bringing life to people. Sometimes I talk to people about all these things that I want to do. I want to throw my life at Jesus' feet... and go where He leads. I have often thought about living my life on a year-to-year basis.
But when I read that quote, I just stopped reading. It was like a realization to me that all of those above sentences are about me. I want to here, I want to go there, I want to do this, I want to do that. And though they are all rooted in my desire to show people the love of Christ, I was hit over the head that maybe that's not the way that He wants His love to be shown. Maybe He wants me to build roots with people. To stay in their lives for more than a couple months or a year. Maybe I have a lot to learn about what pouring into people really means. Maybe to invest in them I need to actually move in for the long haul. To live life with them, not just a stint for a year or so and then on to something different. And not that that is wrong. Afterall, Jesus lived His life travelling and ministering from city to city. And I believe God is probably calling some people to devote themselves to that nomadic lifestyle. But somewhere along the line, I think I turned my dreams into my own, instead of God's. I started to take control... and that's the last thing I want to do... because I surely know that His plans are far better than mine! So my reading day turned into God gently reminding me to once again lay my life at His feet. To place my direction in the palm of His hand. And to remember that His plans will far exceed anything that I can even imagine. And I feel Him turning my heart towards putting down roots somewhere. I have no idea where that's going to be. Maybe it's here in the Dominican (can't say I would mind that :) ), maybe it's in the States, or maybe it's in a country I've never even heard of. But I want to devote my life to serving and sharing the love of Christ with whoever God wants me to.
On a side note, when I picked up the book again, I turned the page and about half of the places that I have dreamt about going to were talked about. And the author reminds us that while learning in these types of settings and ministering to these people in short amounts of time are wonderful and bring forth many great changes, it's the long term commitments where we can fully invest in people and see the fruit of God's purposes for us there. So who knows where I'll live the future or for how long... but I'm sure excited :)
“Stability is a traditional monastic vow; it is to commit to a group of people and to be submitted to them. Stability is something poor neighborhoods [and really everyone] are starved for. There are so many things that don’t last—like landlords. And missionaries. Things come and go, and people are moving all the time—not far, but often. It’s part of the culture of poverty that is so unhealthy. And it takes commitment—literally, a commitment to become a stable part of the neighborhood to change that.”
After I read that I had to put the book down. I'm a dreamer. I often find myself thinking about where God might take me, what countries I might end up in, ways to bring justice and love, places that need their chains of bondage to be broken. There is so much I want to do, so many places I want to see. I want to go to the ends of the earth proclaiming Jesus' love. I want to do Mission Year. I want to do the World Race. I want to go to Uganda and live in an orphanage. I want to spend more time in the Dominican. I want to go to Eastern Europe... and the Holy Land. I want to go to Papua New Guinea and do Bible translation. I want to do Timo and work with an unreached people group in Africa. I want to live in a trailer park in the States (preferably with Spanish speakers :) ), I want to live in row housing with a stoop, I want to go to Haiti and work to eliminate poverty, I want to raise up leaders in the Dominican to end the racism towards Haitians. I want to breathe the Gospel wherever I go, bringing life to people. Sometimes I talk to people about all these things that I want to do. I want to throw my life at Jesus' feet... and go where He leads. I have often thought about living my life on a year-to-year basis.
But when I read that quote, I just stopped reading. It was like a realization to me that all of those above sentences are about me. I want to here, I want to go there, I want to do this, I want to do that. And though they are all rooted in my desire to show people the love of Christ, I was hit over the head that maybe that's not the way that He wants His love to be shown. Maybe He wants me to build roots with people. To stay in their lives for more than a couple months or a year. Maybe I have a lot to learn about what pouring into people really means. Maybe to invest in them I need to actually move in for the long haul. To live life with them, not just a stint for a year or so and then on to something different. And not that that is wrong. Afterall, Jesus lived His life travelling and ministering from city to city. And I believe God is probably calling some people to devote themselves to that nomadic lifestyle. But somewhere along the line, I think I turned my dreams into my own, instead of God's. I started to take control... and that's the last thing I want to do... because I surely know that His plans are far better than mine! So my reading day turned into God gently reminding me to once again lay my life at His feet. To place my direction in the palm of His hand. And to remember that His plans will far exceed anything that I can even imagine. And I feel Him turning my heart towards putting down roots somewhere. I have no idea where that's going to be. Maybe it's here in the Dominican (can't say I would mind that :) ), maybe it's in the States, or maybe it's in a country I've never even heard of. But I want to devote my life to serving and sharing the love of Christ with whoever God wants me to.
On a side note, when I picked up the book again, I turned the page and about half of the places that I have dreamt about going to were talked about. And the author reminds us that while learning in these types of settings and ministering to these people in short amounts of time are wonderful and bring forth many great changes, it's the long term commitments where we can fully invest in people and see the fruit of God's purposes for us there. So who knows where I'll live the future or for how long... but I'm sure excited :)
Giving Nicol a manicure during a spa we did for the kids at the orphanage.
My roommates! Christine is on the left and Elizabeth is in the middle.
Yulisa, Yenny, Yessica, and I on the patio.
Coral and I at the festival.
...cuando llegaste aprendi a vivir.
1 comment:
Heath, Jesus just spanked me with this post through your words. Incredibly challenging and something that I need reminded of as well.
Oh goodness Jesus. Have all of us, all our years. Settled and unsettled!
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