digging in.

This week was harder than I ever expected in so many ways.

Working with people...pouring into others...sometimes it's so so beautiful.

And sometimes, it'll rip your weary heart out.

Life ministry is messy, as we all know from Moses to Jesus to Paul to today, because our heart for Him requires us to die for others.  Messy dying for messy others. To pour out His love on PEOPLE.  Perfect love given messily by messy people on messy people.  To give it all to Him through His creation.

We somehow think that (entirely contrary to the example of Jesus' life and ministry) if we give our all and our best in great love, that it's all going to be glory-hallelujah.  That if we're obeying Him, it's all gonna be hunkey-dorey.  That if we follow Him faithfully, it's going to produce abundant blessing and favor and greatness and riches and all those other wonderful things we hear and say.

And while it's so easy to see His faithfulness is the many beautiful moments, when things don't go as we've planned, or when we're hurt, or disappointed, or frustrated, or the outcome doesn't seem to match the input, or someone you love dearly is hurt, or it's unjust or it's cancer or it's horrific or it's life shattering...man...you've really gotta search for the faithfulness that you KNOW, by faith, is there.

And. it. is.  

That's all I've got to say tonight.

He is faithful.

Add my name to the list of every single person on planet earth who will disappoint, let us down, forget, betray, neglect, not think, mess up, fall short.  Add today to the days that will disappoint, let us down, bring bad news, break our hearts, change the game, ruin a dream.

But our God, our God, entirely different.  Entirely faithful.

If we can--by His sweet and ever-present help--stake firmly our very lives on that truth...that no matter what, we KNOW and TRUST Him and what He says to be faithful and LOVE...

If we can stand on the knowledge that He reigns, He won, that HE IS...

If our attitudes and words and reactions can testify simply that He IS who He says He is in our messy lives...

It is enough.  More than.

I know you're going through crud.  I am, too.

Step out today with me, by radiant faith, that He is faithful.  

Keep showing only what He is showing you.

Be strong.

You therefore be strong

in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Suffer with me, as a soldier of Jesus.

Remember Jesus, risen from the dead,

and suffer hardship, even to imprisonment,

Endure all things for the sake of others,

so that they may also obtain salvation in Jesus,

For if we die with Him,

we live with Him,

And even if we are faithless,

He is faithful,

for He cannot deny Himself.

2 Tim 2