Charlie's beautiful permission and one last blog on power!

Last night, I had a 700 word article due to headquarters by midnight that I hadn't started (no one tell Susan, Greenwood!), two loads of dripping laundry on the line in the rain, and I was tired and ready for bed.  However, I also had a full, freshly worked on heart!


Charlie is in, our friend from NorthRidge Church in Sabetha.  The day young Matt and I moved to Haiti, Charlie and Martin were on the same plane, coming in for a four day visit.  Since then, we always love when anyone from the NorthRidge clan comes, first, because they are ridiculously encouraging, good listeners, praying and loving people, and two, because they have all been dubbed by Sharon with the gift of missionary-gift-giving.

Lily's outfit of the day: the swim vest Sharon sent her and her socks.  For hours.

Charlie is the famous one who brought me the ice cream cake on dry ice a few years ago, and didn't fail to delight us again with three baby pools, a bushel of gorgeous assorted apples, chocolates, ginger snaps, candy corn and other fall goodness.  

However, I'm getting sidetracked.  This is not about Charlie's snacks.  Charlie has a way of sharing that always seems like God JUST told him what he should tell you.  


We didn't dread leaving the beach Tuesday because of the Seminary.  We love what God has called us here to do.  Love the people we work and live with.  Love it.  But I dreaded leaving because of the mountain of things to do.  A hundred loads of laundry.  A mountain of papers to grade.  A living room to paint.  Lily and the million beautiful spill/break/boo-boo accidents each day.  Cat and dog.  Cooking. 

Yesterday afternoon, Matt came home to in-a-panic Stacey, who was in the middle of laundry loads and unpacking and bathing Lily and had just realized that the five guys outside working with Matt on the generator (a beautiful praise below!)  and Gertha, and Matt, and Lily, would be needing fed.  In an hour.  


I was feeling overwhelmed when Matt popped in for a second, and he sensed it.  "Stace, you don't have to DO all this.  So there's no lunch!  So there's dirty laundry!  You don't have to take care of everything!"


"I DO!" I wailed to him, truly feeling the weight of the world.  "It has to all be done, and I've got to do it!  There is no choice about some things, you know?"  


He left shaking his head at his stubborn wife, and I set out (it seems ridiculous now) making iced tea, biscuits and chicken, and baking a pineapple upside-down cake, etc.  By the time the guys finally came in for lunch, I had laid down with Lily to get her napping, and was out cold.  Missed the whole lunch.  


While I woke up feeling less exhausted, the "weight of the world" hadn't alleviated.  Where was my "yoke is easy, burden is light?"  After making a huge salad, salad dressing, getting Lily dressed and a bag packed, we were out the door for our weekly missionary prayer meeting, which Matt had asked Charlie to share for.  


Charlie started in talking about the "basic truths" that are ever powerful but can grow dim in our lives...salvation, grace.  He added "destiny" to the list, quoting from Romans 8:28-30.


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.


God destined for us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.  No laundry list here.  Just to be the likeness of Jesus.


He continued to talk about the way they try to do church at NorthRidge, not worrying about how to get more people or how to get people back or about a mountain list of things to do.  


"What we worry about," he said, "Is how we can be in the likeness of Jesus.  Loving.  Patient. Kind. Gentle. Self-Controlled.  Full of Mercy.  Gentle.  We work on that stuff, and we trust that if we do, God will take care of the other stuff."


Charlie continued, "If the people who go to NorthRidge are full of the fruits of the Spirit and reflecting the image of Jesus, people ARE going to be coming to Christ.  I don't have to worry about what they are doing, etc.  If their whole focus each day is NOT on what they do, but on WHO they are...to BE Jesus, then all the rest is going to follow after."


"It's so easy to forget about the peace and patience thing, the love and kindness and get caught up with all the goals and tasks and to do's.  But when we DO that, the things of earth become SO important, and it is HIM who grows strangely dim.  


"It's easy to have all of this potential in your ministries and in your lives and in your families, and to completely lose track of it in the day-to-day frantic task accomplishing. The potential you have for ANYTHING life changing, anything lasting, anything truly GOOD, will come only from your radiance of Christ."


I don't remember everything else that he said, but THIS is what Charlie gave me yesterday: 
Permission.


NOT permission to do what I want, or to put myself first, or to be rude when I'm tired or to complain about others when they are crazy :)


He, and the Holy Spirit through him, gave me permission to make it about CHRIST again and not about my accomplishments.  Gave me permission to walk out the door each morning dwelling on Christ and who He has asked me to be, and NOT on what I and others have asked me to do.  


I found tears of relief running down my face as he spoke, feeling total relief from MY burdens and feeling instead HIS burden...and it IS light!  


Today, I have to be like Jesus.  That means love God and love you.  My goals are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control.  That's what I have to do today.  Whew!  I have some thinking to do on that, and some priorities to rearrange!  Praise the Lord for His truth, and the way that it truly and continually sets us free!


Sharon says I can't keep posting with "ugly Stacey" labels, or this would be another one of those :) 

PRAISE:  Two visitors from NorthRidge, Gailin and John, teamed up with Bud, Edrice and Ti-Blanc, grabbed the two new John Deere Generator engines (free!) that came in Tuesday and by this evening, had the old engines out, the new ones in, and we have beautiful, beautiful power.  NOT "until such-and-such" power.  But permanent power (Lord willing!)  This generator/electricity thing has been a long, bumpy and truly beautiful road, but I am THANKFUL we are off it and ready to get on with life without working daily on just having water!  

THANK YOU, Gailin, John, Bud, Edrice, Ti-Blanc, Radio4VEH, Dad, Joe, Don, Dave, NorthRidge, and everyone else who has played parts in keeping us on our feet!  Thank you for your prayers!