HAPPINESS IS...

...the unexpected of a package.

What makes that happiness even nicer? When it is a new book!

This one, The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing is by my friend and Adventures in Missions staffer Jeff Goins.  

A very short quote from the book contains great wisdom for me to remember ---

“In the waiting, we become.”

As I wait for the end of this year to get here and our new life in Swaziland to start, I need to keep that thought ever before me.

I'll be sharing more about this book after I've actually started reading it, but just had to share my surprise blessing with you.  After all, those unexpected, unasked-for ones are often some of the sweetest.  Maybe because they are so much like grace?

After all, true grace is God's unmerited favor.  His goodness came to us and keeps coming to us even though we so often don't deserve it.  And when we've experienced it, we just can't help but sharing it with others.

Thank God for grace and thank you, Jeff, for this unexpected gift this Monday afternoon!

NOOOOOO-OOO-OOOOOOO-O-O-O-O!!!!!!!!!!

Somewhere, I have no clue where, Betsie has gotten this idea that she needs to go to college and further her education. She also thinks she is supposed to turn eighteen next week. 

Eighteen.

How dare she do this without the rest of her family liking this? We are all thinking that we need to take a vote and make her abide by our decision and stay with us. And we all know the vote would be for her to stay.

Sigh...for some reason, I think she'd go all demagogue on us and not abide by the will of the people.

Anyway, since we'll be traveling on the day of the not-so-happy-event (for us, she thinks it is a big deal and all) and the day before, too, I wanted to do the traditional birthday interview a few days early.

So here goes.

Betsie, you know my opinion of you turning eighteen and going away --- far, far, far away --- to college. What is your take on the matter?

I feel like I have been running a marathon for the past seventeen years and I'm almost to the finish line. I'm on the last paragraph of the chapter and about to start a new one so I'm really excited to turn the page and start that but I'm also kinda sad.

Yeah, you just put that sad part in to try and make us think you're going to miss us. As if....

ANYWAY, back to your birthday. If you could get anything for your birthday, price and realism have not limits, what would you ask for?

Okay, either it would be a vintage convertible or a trip to Thailand. But since I can't get either of those things, I would really like to get a bike.

What color?

Sky blue.

Is that your favorite color?

It is one of my favorite colors. I pride myself on not having a favorite color.

What are you other favorite colors?

Green and dark blue and pale purple and cream.

Since we're on the subject of favorites, what are some other favorites in your life right now. Let's see....ummm....books. What are your favorite books right now?

I'm reading THE KITE RUNNER and that's a page-turner. I'm not a masochist, though, so I will probably never read it again. I'm reading a lot of girl power books lately.

What are your all-time favorite books?

Oh my gosh. I don't know.

Just name a few.

LITTLE WOMEN, THE HELP, DELIRIUM, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, all the NARNIA books.

What about music? Favorite right now and all-time favorites?

THE BEST SONG EVER [by One Direction] and the mixed cd my friend Bethany gave me are my favorites right now. All-time favorites? Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgroves, Switchfoot, One Direction, Keith Urban, Jesus Culture.

Favorite scripture verse or Bible story/passage?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. At least that's it for the moment. It changes a lot.

Favorite foods? Real food and junk food.

Chocolate chip cookie dough, fro-yo, rotel [dip], anything Thai as long as its not spicy, and MEXICANNNNNNN!

Favorite thing to do when you just wanna chill.

Either a movie or tv show marathon and eat.

Favorite place to hang out with friends.

Somewhere outdoors, maybe the park.

Really? I figured coffee shops.

Oh, coffee shop couch.

Speaking of coffee shops, what are your favorite beverages?

Blondie frappes with lots of whipped cream, hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream, I'm digging Dr. Pepper right now, and always water with ice.

Favorite icecream?

Chocolate chip cookie dough and anything Ben and Jerry's. Their cannoli one is uh-maaaaaazing!

Favorite cookies?

Chocolate chip.

Favorite candy?

Ummmmmm......Reese's cups.

Okay, so off the food theme.

Favorite animal.

Probably cats.

Why?

Because, they're not clingy like dogs are. They don't drool and rub their bums on you. I hate that about dogs.

You are my daughter.

Okay, so what are ten other things you really like?

Dancing. Annoying people with David --- it is more fun [with him]. The fact that I only have 22 days until college. Getting a nose ring next week. High heels. Driving with the windows down, every time, even in the rain. I like baseball. I don't like saying goodbye. I like Mindy Kaling, she's really cool. And I loooooove getting snap chats from my friends that are really random and sometimes slightly inappropriate.

Oh Betsie.

Ummmm....so what is your favorite birthday memory from years past?

Probably my 16th birthday. We went to a restaurant and afterwards we bought a disposable camera and when all the girls came back to sleep on my house we took all these pictures out on my balcony. The next day we went to Merit Creek and when we got there, two of my friends had written HAPPY BIRTHDAY in huge letters in the sand on one of the banks.

How do you think you've changed the most since that birthday?

I stick up for myself now. I'm not afraid to tell people when they are doing something that makes me uncomfortable.

How do you think you'll change between now and next year when you turn 19?

I have no idea. I don't know.

Well, you will have lived 6 months on the other side of the world from your mama and daddy. You'll have finished your first year of college. I can only imagine that it is going to be a huge year.

Do you have any hopes for this year, specifically where college is concerned?

That I become really good friends with my suite mates; that I don't commit to too much, take on more than I can handle; that I still go to the gym and don't gain the freshmen 15; and that I will finish the school year knowing that I helped at least one person.

Well knowing you, and how driven you can be and how loving God has made you, I have no doubt that most of those will happen, especially the very last one.

I love you sooooooooo-o-o-oo much and even though I might pout a bit concerning your leaving, you know that I am actually very proud of you and support your choice all the way. The W is a good match for you and God's going to do amazing things in your life this year.

I love you, Birthday Girl!

Ahhhh, thanks, Mom!

WHAT?

What am I reading now? I've started two books. the first is TOWERS TO ETERNITY, by Paul W. Freed, which is the story of Trans World Radio. The second is REAL: Learning to Live a Relevant, Engaging, Authentic Life.

Even though I've just started them, I am already finding both of them to be very interesting with a lot that I can learn from.

What are you reading?

SATURDAY in a SNAPSHOT

Planting of the We Will Go community garden and a retreat for the missionaries at Twin Lakes.

AM AND WILL

What I am reading...

...and what I will be reading.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...

...this week is really all about some of the most amazing words of fiction ever written.


 

ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET

As I finish reading Jen Hatmaker's book 7: AN EXPERIMENTAL MUTINY AGAINST EXCESS, and condsider the periods of fasting our ministry is walking through and our church will soon participate in as part of the Lenten Season, I meditate on these quotes from it:

"At some point, the church stopped living the Bible and decided just to study it, culling the feast parts and whitewashing the fast parts. We are addicted to the buffet, skillfully discarding the costly discipleship required after consuming. The feast is supposed to sustain the fast, but we go back for seconds and thirds and fourths, stuffed to the brim and fat with inactivity. All this is for me. My goodness, my blessings, my privileges, my happiness, my success. Just one more plate"

*"When the fast, the death, the sacrifice of the gospel is omitted from the Christian life, then it isn't Christian at all. Not only that, it's boring. If I just want to feel good or get self-help, I'll buy a $12 book from Borders and join a gym. The church the Bible described is exciting and adventurous and wrought with sacrifice. It cost believers everything and they still came. It was good news to the poor and stumped its enemies. The church was patterned after a Savior who had no place to lay his head and voluntarily died a brutal death, even knowing we would reduce the gospel to a self-serving personal improvement program where people were encouraged to make a truce witht heir Maker and stop sinning and join the church, when in fact the gospel does not call for a truce but a complete surrender"
Oh Lord, help us.

A FUNNY REMINDER

I love my life. And I love my kids. I know, I know. Almost ALL moms love their kids. But some days I'm reminded how fun it really can be to be a mom. Not every moment is spent refereeing toy wars or listening to wails related to homeschool assignments.

Anna has been home for a couple of weeks over the holidays and she's great at keeping track of cute things her younger siblings say and do. On Boxing Day, we took the whole family to see The Hobbit. Seven year old Merry was quite impressed.

Earlier this week, Anna reported this on her facebook:

"I hope I marry a man named Thorin. If not, I'll just call him that.

 That'll be a big compliment to him."

 7 year old Merry taking her crush on Thorin--the dwarf from The Hobbit--to the next level.

Like I said, I love my life. I love my kids.

WAS AND AM

I have just finished Rolland and Heidi Baker's book MORE THAN ENOUGH about "God's miraculous provision among the poorest children on earth", in this case, Mozambique. The founders of our ministry are good friends with the Bakers and the Lancasters, along with many others who minister here at We Will Go, have spent a lot of time serving in Mozambique with them. So besides the fact that the majority of the book was set in Africa, I was also interested in reading more about the amazing ministry I've already heard so much about. It was a challenging book and really reminds me that my ability to truly minister effectively and for the long term depends on me intimately knowing The Lord and depending on His provision, not my own.

I am now starting Jen Hatmaker's SEVEN, "an experimental mutiny against access". I'll be honest, I am a bit nervous about reading this book. I already struggle with the extreme materialism associated with Christmas here in America because of the extreme poverty I've seen in other parts of the world, but I keep feeling pulled to it, so for better or for worse, I'm plunging in.

STILL

I am sick in the bed with a nasty tummy. Despite the yuckiness, I can still enjoy good books, including one of my childhood favorites, MISS SUZY, with little Merry.

I THINK I'M IN LOVE

No, I need to amend that. I know I'm in love.

I have long loved burgers. I remember thinking it was so cool to be able to put my own toppings on them at Burger Chef back in the 1970's. I remember putting french fries and pork-n-beans on my burgers for the first time while living in our beach cottage when I was a pre-teen. And I still remember an amazing truck stop burger featuring guacamole and corn chips in Junction, Texas. I could go on and on retelling memorable burger moments because, as I said, I have long loved burgers.

So today, when I saw this Rachael Ray cookbook sitting on the shelf behind the circulation desk at the Eudora Welty Library, I knew I had to have it. It was love at first sight. I could go all cliche'ish and say it was love at first bite, but it wasn't. I didn't have to even taste the photographed burger to know that this was one book I had to have and hold as my own.

Quickly asking the librarian if I could check it out, I made that baby mine, well, at least til I can no longer renew it and have to turn it back in. And at that point, I really will make that baby mine to have and to hold and to cook out of. This beauty will be at the top of my Christmas wish list, and knowing how much my hubby and kids love these stacked lovelies, I don't think I have to worry that it won't be waiting for me under the Christmas tree.

I mean really, what's not to love about great meat, rich cheese, smooth condiments, and a rich variety of topping options all in a bun, or bagle, or even a donut, so you can wrap your hands around it and completely revel in the symphony of flavors and textures.

Our city has many burgers that are locally famous. Jim and I have set a goal to try all of the top 10 rated ones before we move to Swaziland. I've already had the scrumptious pleasure of polishing off about 4 or 5 on the list.

But I'm not waiting to eat out to appreciate a voluptuous indulgence, I'll be making some Friday night and for many nights in the kitchen to come.

After all, I've got a lifetime to love.

REALLY WANNA READ IT

One of my favorite bloggers, Jeff Goins, has written a brand new book --- his first --- that I'm really looking forward to reading.

Jeff lives with his Mrs. and their baby boy in the Nashville area. I had the chance to first get to know Jeff when he came down to our church a few years back and spent the weekend teaching our youth and leaders about serving the least and the lost. It was during Jeff's time here, that we first served at We Will Go. Jeff is on staff with Adventures in Missions and spends a lot of his time encouraging people to live beyond the ordinary, to allow God to wreck their lives for His glory and the good of them and the ones He wants them to serve.

Jeff's book is described this way at his website:

"Wrecked is a book about the life we’re afraid to live — one full of radical sacrifice and selfless service. It’s a look at how we discover fulfillment in the least likely of places.

This is a guide to growing up and learning to live in the tension between the next adventure and our daily commitments.

We all need to be wrecked, to allow the pain of a broken world to slam into our comfortable lives—and let it change us. But that’s just the beginning.

Wrecked is a journey of unbecoming, covering the stories of people whose lives have been turned upside-down in the best way possible—and what they decided to do afterwards.

Jeff Goins leads the charge, sharing the experiences of missionaries, storytellers, and entrepreneurs whose lives have been beautifully ruined by a larger purpose."

Just reading the description gets me fired up!  Because believe me, I have often felt like the book's cover tortoise more than once over the last few years.

Visit his website for more details, and listen, if you sign up at his blog for updates, he'll actually send you the first fifth of the book for free. That should help hold you over til you can actually get your hands on it. 'Cause believe me, as someone who knows Jeff personally and has been reading his writings for over four years now, you're gonna want this book.

http://goinswriter.com/wrecked/

IT ALL STARTED WITH A BOOK & A MOVIE

6 years years ago, I was living a nice, neat, compartmentalized Christianity.  I avoided messy people and was afraid of putting myself out there.  I was trapped in a very safe yet scared life.  And then God used a book and a movie to start me on this incredible journey that is taking us into inner-city Jackson and Africa.

The movie was AMAZING GRACE about the life of William Wilberforce.  The book was QUAKER SUMMER by Lisa Samson.  This June marks the 4 year anniversary of us beginning to serve at We Will Go.  In light of that, I want to share a blog post I wrote about this book way back then.  I had no idea what God was getting me into, but I wouldn't change a thing about where He's taken us.
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A MUST READ...QUAKER SUMMER

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God has been speaking to me over the last couple of months about getting out of my comfort zone and ministering to those who are enslaved...enslaved by sin, addictions, poverty, and abuse. He has used QUAKER SUMMER by Lisa Samson and the movie AMAZING GRACE to open my eyes to the fact that though slavery may no longer be legal here in America, there are so many who are enslaved in other ways. They need to be set free...they need the Father's grace and power to remove the shackles that bind them up.

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But how will they know if those of us who are already free do not go and show and tell?

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In AMAZING GRACE, the story is told of William Wilberforce and others who poured out their very lives to fight against the slave trade. Theirs is a historically true story...a profound story of God's grace and power.

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QUAKER SUMMER is a fictional story, but it is still very true. For in it is a message of truth. The protagonist, Heather, is a woman who "has it all". She has a devoted husband, a great teenage son, a beautiful home, and all the other stuff and fluff that money can buy. But she's empty inside and all the "good stuff" in her life is enslaving her in a gilded cage.

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Through a God-ordained "accident", she finds herself slammed with the reality of how the "other half" lives. She meets Godly women whose lives are not dedicated to living "the good life" but to DOING good to and for others. She begins to finally see that all the stuff in the world will never fill the void inside...the void that only God and being about His business can fill.

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Heather must make some scary choices. She must be willing to sacrifice and change. She must be willing to break out of HER chains that bind in order to help set the captives free.

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And through it all, Heather learns that its only in giving away does she really receive.

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Related Links:

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Lisa Samson' blog--- http://lisasamson.typepad.com/

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Lisa Samson interviewed about QUAKER SUMMER, the "ministry of presence", and upcoming books--- http://tpr.typepad.com/themastersartist/2007/04/lisa_samsons_qu.html

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Shauna's most excellent blog review---

http://shaunarumbling.blogspot.com/2007/03/quaker-summer.html

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AMAZING GRACE--- http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/

LITTLE LOST COWBOYS AND THEIR MAMAS

Since Mothers Day was just yesterday, the subject of mamas and their children is still on most of our minds. Little Miss Merry and I just read a sweet book on that subject and she wanted to tell you all about it.

"The book is called THE LITTLE LOST COWBOY. The little coyote says 'Arooo --- I'm lost and I'm lonely' and the next page, the moon says 'follow the stars, they know where to go' and so the little coyoto started off. He was still walking when BUMP! He bumped into a cactus. He said 'Arooo --- I'm lost and I'm lonely' and pulled the stuff off of his nose."

The coyote is the little cowboy, right?

"Right. And then a snake met the little cowboy. He said, 'if I were lost, I'd follow your nose. Your nose always knows the way.' So the little coyote started it. And soon SPLASH! The little coyote had fallen in the river and he got wet. He said 'Arooo --- I'm lost and I'm lonely and I'm wet'. And then he met a bird and the bird said 'I would follow the river'. And so he followed the river and then down he fell into a deep dark hole in the ground. And then he said 'Arooo --- I'm lost and I'm lonely and I'm down in a dark hole'. And then a frog said 'ask me' and he said 'no, I asked the moon and the moon brought me into a cactus. I followed a snake and fell into the river and got wet. I followed a bird and fell in here. So I say NO!' And besides, he was a little angry. So at last, he said 'okay'. So the toad said 'I would howl as loud as you could.' So he did. He went 'Arooo --- I'm lost and I'm lonely' and then his mother found him. And then he said 'Mother, I'm glad that you found me.' 'I found you by listening with my ears', said the mom. So the little coyote told his mom 'I followed the moon and I pricked myself into a cactus. And then I followed a snake and fell into the river. And then I followed a bird and fell into the hole. So that's why I howled. And then you came mommy. I'm glad that you found me mommy.' 'Now follow me', said the mom, 'I know the way.' So he followed his mommy that way. And then they sang a song, 'Arooooo!'"

"Okay, that's the whole book."

Merry, does that kind of thing ever happen to you?

"Yes. It happens to everyone."

And who will help you when you are lost and lonesome?

"I will yell loud and someone will eventually find me. And that's what I would do."

Do you think the coyote's mommy was a good mommy?

"Yes, I think the coyotes mommy was a good mommy. All mommys are good mommys."

Hmmm...I hope that she always feels that way. I pray I'll always be the good mommy she believes me to now that she is six years old.

LITTLE LOST COWBOY is written by Simon Puttock and illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church.

What? What? What?

Time to check in on some good reading.

What have I been reading (and still using as a reference)? Jorge Cruise's TWELVE SECOND SEQUENCE.

I've been following his fitness routine and suggested health and nutrition tips as I continue working on getting stronger and healthier.

What I'm reading right now?  SECRET BELIEVERS by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen is about the real lives of Jesus followers living in the middle east. 

It is really encouraging me to not be a half-hearted, wimpy Christian where my faith and calling is concerned.

What am I going to read next?  I'm still undecided.  It will either be, for me, the next book in the YADA YADA HOUSE OF HOPE series by Neta Jackson,  WHO DO I LEAN ON? or....

...another book by the same author, FLIGHT OF THE FUGITIVES, about the life of Gladys Aylward who was a missionary in China during the Japanese invasion.

Sigh...too many great books and just not enough hours to read them all.

So what are you reading these days?

BOOKS: WAS, WHILE, WILL

What I was reading last week:

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

What I'm reading while this week passes:

Third Culture Kids by David C. Pollock and Ruth van Reken

What I will be reading:

Say Yes to God by Kay Warren

What are you reading this week and what do you want to be reading?

MISSING THE STARS

I've been asked what we would do if we took our kids to Swaziland and they didn't like it. I jokingly said that I'd take them to get their heads examined.

But seriously, one of the main reasons we took our kids to Africa was because we wanted to introduce them to our new home and, hopefully, give them such a wonderful two weeks worth of experiences that they'd fall in love with it, too.

A conversation I had with my six year old tonight is just one of the many things they've said and done that communicate just how much they did like their future home.

The subject of a hotel we ate supper at while in Pigg's Peak came up after tonight's evening meal. Miss M said to me:

"Mommy, I know why the Orion Hotel is called that. Its because it is named after a constellation. Orion, the Hunter. I read about it in NANCY FANCY, STARGAZER. I want to go back to Swaziland so I can see the stars again."

Yes, the stars do shine brighter in Swaziland. And I love that my little girl is missing doing some African star gazing.

A BURNT HAND REMINDED ME


As soon as I grabbed the scorching hot pot handle, I felt the intense pain and knew I'd done what I'd told myself I must remember not to do. I immediately yanked open the fridge door, grabbed the bottle of pure aloe vera, and covered the already red area generously.



But though I acted quickly, the damage was done. One third of my hand was red and throbbing. As I carried on with what I needed to do, the pain dominated my consciousness. No amount of telling myself that it was only a small part of my body made it hurt less or made me able to forget about the pain.

As I thought about how much the burns on my hand were such a big deal even though the rest of my body felt great, I thought about the body of Christ.

The Bible tells us that we are all different parts of the Body when we are followers of Jesus, but we are parts of one Body, His Body. His precious church here on the earth. It doesn't matter if we are middle-class Evangelicals in the heartland of America or persecuted Christians in Asia. We might be members of a non-traditional, surfers-for-Jesus church on some exotic coastline or pastors and teachers of African congregations with members starving to death and dying of AIDS and tuberculosis. Regardless of where we are, who we are, or what we do, if we love Jesus and have Him as our Master, we are part of one Body, His body.

And just as I can't pretend away the pain in my hand, even though the rest of me is feeling fine, I can't pretend that we're doing fine if some of my brothers and sisters in Christ --- other parts of the Body that I am a part of --- are suffering.



Here in America, especially if you're someone like me who lives in a nice house, in a safe neighborhood, with all the necessities that we need, it is too easy to forget that there are parts of the body in pain. There are parts of the body that are in desperate need. To be honest, a lot of times we don't even want to know. We think that we can look the other way, keep our eyes squeezed tight, and what we don't know won't hurt us. Won't require something of us.

Well, with our own bodies, if we just ignore an injury, there is a small chance that it will get better on its own. But not likely.

That gaping wound, if it is big enough, can bleed so much that the high amount of blood loss leads to unconsciousness or even death. If the bleeding stops but the wound is not treated effectively, nasty infections can set in that can lead to blood poisoning, gangrene, loss of a limb, or even death.

A broken bone? Have you ever seen what happens when a broken bone isn't set? Not a pretty sight. The bone fuses up all out of kilter and if it is a leg left like that, that person will become a cripple.

Tooth infected? Abcessed? Did you know you can actually die from this? DIE! From a rotten tooth that gets all nasty and infected in the gums!

One part of the body hurting --- a rotten tooth, a broken limb, a gaping wound on your torso --- affects the entire body.

Anyone who suffers from migraines can attest that the pain in the head renders it almost impossible to function. Who wants to ride a bike or dance with their husband or chase their preschooler in a game of tag with a migraine?

But we do that every day as the Body of Christ. Every day we think we can pretend that we don't see our brothers and sisters in need. And when we do learn of their need, we think we can just not think about it, not act, and our part of the world, our section of the body, will be okay.

Is there any wonder that non-Christians deride our faith so intensely? Is it any wonder that they say things such as "if God is such a loving God then why does He let children die from starvation?"

We as Christians can not fix every problem in the world. There is still free-will and some people are in difficult situations because they've made bad, perhaps even sinful, choices that have landed them in hard places. They might be in situations that they need to walk through for their own good. Some situations, such as tsunamis and tornadoes, are beyond our control. Until Jesus comes again and sets things right, there are going to be bad things that happen to good people.

But let me just ask you to imagine for a minute what this world might look like if those of us who called ourselves Christians began to take the call of Jesus seriously. If we did as Jesus instructed and loved our fellow man as we love our own self.

What would the world look like if Christians actually tithed? Gave 10% of their income to churches and the work of the Kingdom? According to some facts and figures in Richard Stearns book THE HOLE IN YOUR GOSPEL, the total income of American chruchgoers is $5.2 trillion. Trillion with a "T". The overwhelming majority of Christians do not tithe. In fact, the average percent that American churchgoers give is only 2.58% of their income even though the American church is richer than the church has ever been through out its entire history. But what would happen if we were to all tithe? If all of us that call ourselves Christians gave the amount that most Biblical scholars and Christian leaders agree on as the minimum required by the Lord? According to Stearns, "we'd have an extra $168 billion to spend on funding the work of the Church worldwide"!

Richard Stearns goes on to itemize what could be done with that money.

*Universal primary education for children would cost $6 billion.
*Clean water brought to most of the world's poor would cost an estimated $9 billion.
*Basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world would cost $13 billion.

And that leaves a whole lot of money leftover for life-changing actions such as opening half-way homes for ex-cons and recovering addicts, providing micro-loans for start-up businesses in poor nations, printing Bibles in every language of the world, building and staffing Bible colleges for pastors and church leaders, opening counseling centers for those who have endured trauma and war, providing homes of redemption for former child soldiers, giving emergency supplies for those devastated by natural disasters, funding ministries that teach job skills to women who have left prostitution, and on and on and on.

And that's just the impact of money.

Imagine with me if just one family or individual from every church in America was willing to leave behind the comfort of home to go and serve in a hard and needy place? If each church sent out a missionary or family to live in a hurting, inner-city, American neighborhood; a country closed to the gospel; a nation wracked with poverty and disease; or a people group that has no Christian presence at all?

The Southern Baptists alone have 37,000 churches in America. They have over 4000 foreign missionaries. That is a lot of missionaries and they accomplish much for the Lord, but can you imagine if each and every single Baptist church sent out one family or individual? And when you expand that to include all Christian churches in America, that's 340,000 churches!

And what about those who don't go overseas or move to a far-away city? What about the rest of the church members? If they were to donate a few hours every week of their life to ministries that did not benefit them directly, that reached out of the walls of the church, can you imagine how many tutoring programs, teenage mom support groups, soup kitchens, free counseling centers, prison Bible studies, English classes, and homeless shelters could be manned by this huge army of Jesus followers? Taxes could be lowered because the church was taking care of the poor in ways that broke the vicious cycle of poverty. Children would be mentored by Christian leaders who would help them learn to make good life choices that turned them away from gangs and addictions. Families would be made stronger as young mothers were discipled by older women and young dads were taught by church elders. Children would be able to leave institutions and be fostered long-term in Christian homes or adopted. And the elderly would not die alone in sterile hospital settings or flop houses but would leave this world surrounded by those who loved and valued them.

As we began caring for those hurting, handicapped parts of Christ's body, this world would be a different place. And as this world became a different place, the people who do not know Jesus would stand up and take notice, just as they did when Jesus walked this earth 2000 years ago and fed the hungry, healed the sick, cast out demons, loved the outcast, touched the lepers, taught the truth.

Yes, some still rejected Him because He upset their world. These were mostly the politically powerful and the religious leaders who had much to gain by keeping the masses oppressed.

But for the every day people, they knew He was different. His actions were in perfect unity with His words. As He spoke of love and freedom and peace, He lived it out with His life. He was accused of many things, but He was never accused of being unloving.

God has promised us that if we follow Him, we will also be accused of many things. Those that hate Him will also hate us. Let us be labeled radicals. Let them call us crazy dreamers. Let them say we've lost our minds to leave our fine homes and nice cars to live simply in hard places.

But never let them say we didn't care. Never let them say our actions don't back up the words we confess on Sunday mornings. Never let them accurately describe us as hypocrites.

Let's quit looking the other way. Let's quit ignoring those who are dying from treatable causes. Let's quit turning away from those who are persecuted. Let's quit pretending that we don't know children are going to sleep hungry tonight. Let's quit acting like the church can be healthy and whole if parts of it are broken and hurting and dying.





Let's love our brothers and sisters in Christ as we would want to be loved if we were in their situations. Let's show tangible love to those who don't know Jesus so they will come to know Him. Let's quit just saying we are the body of Christ and be the body of Christ.

And that means doing what Christ did when He was with us in bodily form on this earth.

That means loving the lost and the least of these even if it costs us everything. After all, that's what it cost our Lord.