I'm taking this math class at MHCC and everyone in the class is part of a group made up of the people who sit at our same table. In our group we've got his lady named Nicole. We've got into some conversations before and I discovered that she was a Christian, which wasn't really a surprise because she was so helpful and sweet, yet I could tell she was a little rough around the edges. She has been through a lot. She has been divorced, has a little son, and is engaged again to be married to someone who used to be in a Portland street family. She's part of a church family in Portland that is made up almost entirely of drug addicts, homeless or college students (which could fall into either category actually). When she tells me what's going on in her life it is so encouraging to me. It is encouraging to see that Jesus is still at work in the world, and that the church still cares and works with him. It doesn't seem like there are any accidents in life to me, I don't think that God plays dice with his creation. So I view her presence in the class as something that God wants me to experience. I feel like God uses people every so often to remind me that I need to begin participating in the work of the church, that I can't fool myself into thinking that because I'm using my gifts of teaching and prophecy that that somehow exempts me from real service to others who need Jesus to reach out to them. I become so complacent, so dead to real life, the life that Jesus came to bring, and I often don't even realize it. I'm so thankful that God uses these appointments to wake me up from my comfortable slumber. Sometimes I wonder if I am trapped in the church in America. I wonder if we all are. It comes down to this: If Jesus spent his time with those in the margins, why in the world would we think we will find him anywhere else in the world today? I'm thankful that God has not given up on me, and he continues to urge me to join him in the work he wants to do in the world through his body, the church. Pray for me.
Monday, March 10, 2008
No Accidents
I'm taking this math class at MHCC and everyone in the class is part of a group made up of the people who sit at our same table. In our group we've got his lady named Nicole. We've got into some conversations before and I discovered that she was a Christian, which wasn't really a surprise because she was so helpful and sweet, yet I could tell she was a little rough around the edges. She has been through a lot. She has been divorced, has a little son, and is engaged again to be married to someone who used to be in a Portland street family. She's part of a church family in Portland that is made up almost entirely of drug addicts, homeless or college students (which could fall into either category actually). When she tells me what's going on in her life it is so encouraging to me. It is encouraging to see that Jesus is still at work in the world, and that the church still cares and works with him. It doesn't seem like there are any accidents in life to me, I don't think that God plays dice with his creation. So I view her presence in the class as something that God wants me to experience. I feel like God uses people every so often to remind me that I need to begin participating in the work of the church, that I can't fool myself into thinking that because I'm using my gifts of teaching and prophecy that that somehow exempts me from real service to others who need Jesus to reach out to them. I become so complacent, so dead to real life, the life that Jesus came to bring, and I often don't even realize it. I'm so thankful that God uses these appointments to wake me up from my comfortable slumber. Sometimes I wonder if I am trapped in the church in America. I wonder if we all are. It comes down to this: If Jesus spent his time with those in the margins, why in the world would we think we will find him anywhere else in the world today? I'm thankful that God has not given up on me, and he continues to urge me to join him in the work he wants to do in the world through his body, the church. Pray for me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Please know that this post is only my attempt to share what's been going on in my heart recently and to invite you to pray for me and worship with me when we see God's dramatic transforming power in people's lives. I just love hearing how God is healing people of addictions, restoring them to normal, functional lifestyles, and rescuing them from the kingdom of darkness, bringing them into the kingdom of his son.
It is always encouraging to see what God does in peoples lives like that, but like Seth said, Jesus came to save everyone....I'll pray for ya. I really think that we should spend some time praying in small groups this Wednesday. Last time we did that, I think it encouraged a lot of people, including me. It inspires me(and maybe other people too, I don't know though...) to be more diligent in my fasting. :)
I definetely agree! (with both of you). Usually I feel like Im just going through the routine, everything so monotone... It feels so good to be woken up from that by seeing what God is doing in peoples lives. Its really encouraging. And I think we should pray in groups more often because people are more open and it shows me that God is working in them... Im pretty much just repeating what Bekka said...:)
Lyuda
Well, I guess we should pray in groups tonight then. We could do that more often if you guys really want to, I'd like it as well if we did more of that. By the way, you guys are great, I love you guys a lot! I'm so glad to know people like you and to see your hunger to know and love God and others. Like Paul says, your faith is refreshing to my heart!
I am now just joining the blog account. Can you do live chat on these things? I just wanted to let you know that I accepted your invitation to join this blog. See ya all later.
Hey I'm here!!!
Post a Comment