When I was in Greenwood, one of the morning devotions went simply and powerfully like this.
If you don't care about holiness, unity is easy. You just agree with anything anyone says. Whatever they believe, whatever they do, however they want to stand, you align yourself with them in love and are unified.
If you don't care about unity, holiness is easy. You cling to it at whatever the cost, plowing over whomever threatens to disrupt it, walking in holiness and righteousness and trampling others underfoot.
However, if you care about holiness, as He does, and care about unity, as He does, too...your work is much more complicated, and must be filled with the help of the Holy Spirit. If His people are to be holy and set apart, and if His people are to be one, working together for His kingdom, we must be overflowing with His love and wisdom and relying continually on His help.
Walking and living on that line has been on my heart and mind quite a bit since then, fleshed out in big ways and small, and I am SO thankful to realize that God's Word, His Truth, is already THERE. I don't have to find that hard place on my own...all of Scripture is laid out to bring me there and keep me there.
I was so blessed last night to leave the kiddos and Kate with pizza, to pick up a few neighbors and to be at Wesley's Partnership Dinner.
But I was thankful to meet some more members of the body and to hear some powerful and heartfelt stories and testimonies of what God is doing...to hear from students who dreamed of going deeper and took March of 2020 as their chance to GO...to hear from staff who went to DC who realized we must be bolder, that sometimes we have to GO, too. To hear from donors who have been changed by being a part of God on the move in holiness and unity. To chat with board members, all here for meetings today, who have prayed for and shown up. It was sweet.
We're blessed to have Marshall (board member) and Jessica with us for a few days...always because we became friends with Marshall over our table in Haiti at Emmaus, but also because they are fighting to live holy and live unified a state over and I love meeting the people we're ALL working with to make Him known and raise our children in Him.
I am blessed to be continually stretched.
Holiness and Unity aren't all that hard at home. (if the kids are gone :)
But when you have people always in your home...when your home is always lived outside the home, He's been so gracious to keep my mind and heart and work on others...only loving them well, on living Holy as He is, on coming alongside for His glory.
Matt's mama also comes this morning to join in on the fun, and then Sunday early Matt heads to Telluride for a few days of skiing with some good friends.
Most of my holiness and unity is stretched most, however, by these precious kiddos...one of whom seems to have somehow learned from MY teenage years that she is to be our refining fire. Not a day goes by I don't hear my Dad reminding me that her age-appropriate roller coaster is my loving grounding down below. I am gonna hold this girl's ropes in His patience, love, and unwavering truth if it kills me. Her first ball is Tuesday night (while Matt is still gone) and...it might. Kill me like I killed that dress.
Meanwhile, my dad starts day one of round two of chemo today, this time from Florida (his Ohio doctors said this chemo stuff can be done anywhere as long as he gets back every few weeks for evaluations). Thankful he's in a warmer place and praying for round two to be what his body needs...for the Lord to keep giving him exactly what he needs.
Thank you for praying for him continually with us, and for reminding me you are.
Northern Haiti is largely under water, and Emmaus fights on, wet and heavy. I've never seen perseverance in the Faith, with Hope, like I've seen it in Emmaus these past few years. They will NOT STOP, they will not be dismayed, they will not allow so much brokenness around them to chip away at their wholeness in Him, and I'm just thankful to have had our Haitian brothers and sisters pouring that DNA into our lives all those years, and still. Keep praying for His dear Haiti.
Nora is off to be a pharaoh today and I'm off to run kids to school and clean this place we call home the one time it's NOT like shoveling snow in a snowstorm...the four hours that all five are gone!
Ask Him where we're falling short...in unity or holiness...and let Him hem us in today, for His glory.
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