Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Iron Sharpens Iron

So I've been so blessed in my friendships of late. Not only do I have an amazing best friend in Rachel, who is seriously the most tender hearted person I've ever met, and who gets excited for me and sad for me and just loves me crazily, but I've also had the opportunity to meet great people like Chad, Joseph, Rachel Z, and the entire rest of the team. Since leaving Texas, I've had the opportunity to chat with all four of these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Never underestimate the power of the spoken word.

These people have spoken truth into my life, offering words of wisdom and encouragement. It's amazing to me how God really does use the Body of Christ to build us up; iron really does sharpen iron, friends, and these people have certainly sharpened me, and I pray that I have sharpened them in return.

These friendships would not have been possible without this trip to Australia. Because of that trip, I was able to witness the body of Christ truly at work, to understand the ways in which believers impact one another, and also to realize that I have power, that not only do they sharpen me, but, through Christ alone, I can speak truth into their lives as well, to strengthen and encourage them.

I hope that I use my words for good, and that my friends have come away from our chats feeling as encouraged and uplifted as I have. I'm seriously so inspired by this body of believers.

Love you all so much.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

On the Unpopular Word "Discipline"

My niece was here today, and I was helping my dad move machinery, so she rode along. She was standing in front of my dad's seat, leaned forward, and I was so scared she was going to hit her head on the windshield when we hit a rough bump. She was determined, though. "See?" she said, "I'll just hold on really tight." My dad laughed a little and said "If it only it was really that simple." I don't know if he meant not hitting her head on the windshield, or if it was a broader statement about life, but I took it as a statement about life, and I realized something;

It really is as simple as holding on; it's about holding on to Jesus.

Now, I said it was simple, a simple concept to grasp and to understand, but it is not an easy concept; it is not an easy thing to hold on to Jesus. It isn't easy to hold onto anything, really, when you get right down to it. It's not easy to hold on to money, or a job, or your home or your family. In all truthfulness, it's a lot easier to hold onto God than it is to hold onto those earthly things, because God is holding on to us right back, and He will never let us go.

We still wander to other pursuits, though, and though God is calling after us, pursuing us relentlessly, we are like the small child that is only emboldened by the nearness of their father. And so they continue to run away, secure in the knowledge that their father is calling them, that he is nearby, despite the fact that they are not heeding his voice. We are much the same way with Christ.

Holding onto Him, though, it's really a matter of discipline. It's the discipline to read your Bible every day, to pray even when you don't feel like it. It's loving God. Our leaders said something that I found really powerful: "Love isn't something you feel, it's something you do." You love people even when you don't feel love; you do it anyway, you love them anyway. It's not about whether you feel love toward them, it's the act of love that counts. And so it's about loving God, even when you don't really feel love towards Him, even when you doubt and wonder; that's love, and love, my friends, requires discipline.

Discipline isn't a popular word, but it's a necessary one. We are called to be disciplined, and it requires work and effort. Let's be honest: Christianity isn't for lazy people. It's like any relationship--if you want it to be a good one, you have to work at it. It's just a fact of life. I was challenged on this mission to learn discipline; those of you who know me know that I am not a disciplined person at all, but that is what God laid on my heart--I need to love Him enough to sacrifice, time, energy, maybe even money, but most of all to learn self discipline. It's not an easy road, but God promised that we would face trials, but also that He would be there to guide us through. It is not by our strength that we learn discipline, but God's.

Trust God.

Learn discipline.

Monday, August 6, 2012

So Great a Love

One of the topics we discussed on the trip, and that I began to discover for myself, was God's love for us; prime Scripture: Romans 8. Seriously, take just a minute to read the whole chapter--it's such an amazing and precious piece of Scripture. I'm hard pressed to pick a single favorite verse from the chapter, they're all just so great. However, the beginning of the verse is so fantastic. "There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." I don't know if you realize this, friends, but it doesn't matter what you've done, God wants to forgive you for it. Of course, this is something I've always known in my head, but it takes revelation from God to really understand the scope and the depth of this statement with your heart. The same with the way that God loves us; I grew up hearing that God loves me, that He loves everyone, that He died for sinners, but it's not something that I truly understood until God opened my heart.

God did not even spare His own Son, but sent Him to die that we might be raised to life, and through Him we are more than conquerors. My favorite verse, though, is probably where it says "The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that words cannot express." The Holy Spirit is talking to God on our behalf, with groanings; He aches for us and hurts for us, and feels our pain as His own. Take comfort in that, friends, that Jesus loves You, and that He died for you, and that nothing can separate us from that love.

What Do Ya Burn For?

Post Trip Depression.

Maybe you've heard missionaries talk about it. I hadn't until I went on this trip, but it is very much a reality. It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm still on Australian time, wide awake. I don't know what to do with myself. It seems like the first time in forever that I've had down time, time to be idle. Even in our "free time," we were typically in motion. There was always somebody to talk to, something to go and do, even if it was just going down to the SAC (Student Activity Center where we ate our meals) and just talking, or playing a game of Ninja or Signs. I was never alone. Those of you who know me well will be shocked by the statement that is about to follow, but there was never a moment where I felt a need to BE alone. Some of you will be shocked by this next statement: I, my friends, am an introvert. I know it sounds crazy, because I'm outgoing and I love talking to people, but I desperately need my down time. If I'm with people nonstop, I get burned out, and I have to go find a quiet corner to get myself grounded again. There was never a moment where I felt a need to be alone. That's really unheard of for me. Usually, I look forward to coming home from trips like this so I can just relax in my bedroom by myself. At this moment, though, I just feel lonely.

There was such joy in my family, though, because yes, my team is now my family. We know each other like family, we care about each other like family, and the best part is, we really are brothers and sisters in Christ! We were all so unified, so centered on Jesus, and it just brought us together. We bonded over a love of Jesus, over trials and tears, but also over joy, drawn together in moments of praising God together, or witnessing the light dawn in someone's eyes as we shared the Gospel of Christ. We understand each other. It's bittersweet, because I know that that group of people, in its entirety, will probably never be together again, at least not this side of Glory. There is comfort in knowing, though, that we are God's people, and that though we say goodbye for the moment, we will all meet again in Heaven.

I miss my brothers and sisters so much it's like a physical hurt, but it is amazing to be home, as well. I have missed my family and my friends here; my two best friends invaded my house and surprised me when I got home, and we spent the evening watching movies. It was great to see them again, and it feels great to be in my own bed with my dog laying at my feet and my horses in the pasture, and most of all the SPACE. I am such a country girl, and the rolling plains of Montana just speak peace into my heart; how could it not? It's God's creation. And I also know that I have grown and changed, and that I am ready and well prepared for whatever the coming year might bring. I feel closer to God, and I understand myself better. I know what it means to be on Fire for God, and I feel more disciplined, able to stay in this place instead of falling back again. And I have gained friends who are in the same place as me who will encourage me and hold me accountable and pray for me, even as I will do the same for them. And at the end of the day, I know that it's not about whether I'm home or a million miles from home, about whether I'm comfortable or not, or anything else about me. It's about God and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the oft-repeated words of my project director, "What do ya burn for?"
And the answer to that is that I burn for Jesus Christ, and my prayer is that I will burn brighter every day.

Intro

Hello, friends,

Some of you participated in my calendar fundraiser. You "bought" a day and I told you that when I returned, I would give you the journal entry from that day. Here's the problem. I didn't do any journaling while I was there. You see, we went from literally before sun-up until after sundown, and there was very little (read absolutely no) down time whatsoever. I suppose if I had been really determined, I could have done some journaling in transit or something, but I need peace and quiet to journal, time and space to organize my thoughts. Regardless, it's already done, and there is no journal.

Therefore, I am going to attempt to make it up to you guys via this blog. I'll post my thoughts and reflections, recollections from the trip, and I'm sure my family (my Aussie family, that is!) will be willing to help with some details as well. So, welcome to Post-Australia, 2012.

Love always,
Erika