I can't believe that I will actually be meeting two of my teammates, Rebekah and Brittany, and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime in 31 days. The preparation alone has been such an incredible part of the journey, I've hardly had time to sit and think about the part about me actually leaving the country!
God made it so very clear to me that I am not to go alone on this trip, and that Bay Area Community Church was to come alongside me. For months now, I've been speaking to lifegroups, youth groups, community members, and participating in some awesome fundraisers. It's been as much of the mission as the actual going part.
Now that the lifegroups are done and, after tomorrow, the last fundraiser will be over (and I believe we'll top out that fundraising thermometer!!!), I've had a moment or two to take a deep breath and think about what's coming. Needless to say, there's been an occassional adrenaline spike, erratic texting, and an incessant counting of paper chain links.
I've said goodbye to all of my clients and had some really special times to reflect on the last 14 months as a Hurricane Ike crisis counselor. One special commemoration was the installation of the "Tree of Life" mosaic we created in adult survivor support groups and with first-responders in MOD coffeehouse in Galveston, a place created for community. We used broken tiles to create a two-panel work of art. The whole idea of the mosaic was creating something beautiful out of what was broken... putting the pieces together one by one. It's a beautiful testament to recovery and resiliency.
In thinking further about my experience of working as a crisis counselor with an incredible team, I thought about what life looks like now, 15 months after the storm. There is still homelessness, people are going without, and it seems like FEMA trailers are being pulled out from under people at random. And then I looked at the mosaic.
There is no promise in sight that everything that is broken and bruised will get better today or tomorrow. There will be disasters, diseases and devastations. All of that comes with this broken world we reside in.
But He is Sovereign and He has given us each other until He comes back for the ultimate restoration. He has been teaching me this week that, for now, we are enough and we have enough. Not one of us is perfect or undamaged, but, if we put all the good we have together, we are enough.
It's the most beautiful mosaic.
(I've really been hearing God calling out the word "ENOUGH" to me, in case you haven't noticed.)
I've encountered resistance, fear and concern this week. Sometimes it's hard to walk into the unknown and the uncontrollable. The control part can be REALLY hard. But I find peace in the fact that, if nothing else, we can sit with a person in their doubt, fears and anger, and love them. We may not ever get to make everyone happy, have as much money as we need for Christmas shopping, or do everything we want to do... but we have enough to love freely, give what we've been given, and do what we are called to do. Exactly enough.
I've rearranged my Christmas plans according to this idea... with the influence of God's working in my heart, a sermon by Pastor Steven, and this video. I'm leaving in a month. There's not enough time or money to answer to everything society's shouting about in today's Christmas culture. This year, I'm asking for the gift of time to be with and celebrate the people I'm close to. I'm inviting family and friends for good conversations, quality time, and perhaps a time to serve together. I'm so excited to have a Christmas that reflects the reason for the season and to not have to take that little white truck anywhere near the crazy holiday shopping!
What I think I'm getting at here, is the idea of "enough". Rob Bell teaches that for water, basic healthcare and nutrition for everyone in the world, it would cost about $20 billion... That's how much Americans spend each year on ice cream.
We have enough. So much more than enough. We have enough to give. We have enough to walk alongside our sisters and brothers in hard times and love them freely. We have enouogh to end the orphan crisis in Africa.
Let's put all the pieces in, all the gifts we've got, to make something beautiful where there is hurt and devastation.
Let's make mosaics.
"Restore us, O Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved."
Psalm 80:19
i love you sooooo much.
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