Full of your love and encouragement. And of pazookie's and any other binge-worthy food that can be justified in the company of good people with the magic words, "I'm Going to Africa!"
Goodness in a "party platter".
And five minutes later...
I believe Jesus fills us up, or prepares us, as He sends us out. How would we know how to give love if we haven't received it? How would we know what Home is if we've never rested there?
Even as I've said goodbye after goodbye, I've marveled at the ways that each moment has been so unique - how there are so many ways to love and be loved. There have been prayers, lists, dance parties, things that involve an incredible amount of calories, hugs (so many good hugs), emergency chapstick runs- for the kind with pomegranate oil, phone calls, a poncho, a beautiful church send-off, text messages, and so many heartfelt considerations. I know that I am not going alone.
I feel like I've got the best seat though: the one by the window... in a plane.. going to Africa! But this trip is completely ours, and I am grateful for the ways you allowed God to use you for His work.
For the past year and a half or so, I've had an alarm set on my phone. Everyday at 10:02am it flashes a reminder, "Send Workers".
It's a command and a prayer from Luke 10:2. In chapter 9, Jesus prepared his disciples. He gave them power and authority to overcome evil and to heal, and then he taught them how to be disciples. In chapter 10, He is raising up even more men to go out as disciples and he tells them how to pray in Luke 10:2:
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
As I've prayed that God would send workers to His harvest daily, I've sought ways that I could become His worker from right where I was that day, whether it was in line at the coffee shop with strangers or meeting with old friends. My heart continued to increase so that I was praying for the heart of every believer to rise up to work for the harvest. I've found hope in the vision of what it would be like for all of us, every single believer to pray, to really pray every day that God would send workers, send us, to His harvest.
In the past months, as my family, friends and church have jumped on board as workers for the Kingdom. In a very short time, we've raised enough money to send me for 7 months, to build a home for 3-5 orphaned children to grow up with a family, and have our hearts set on raising more and traveling to Africa. Even more than that, a spark has been lit within us and we are dreaming Kingdom-sized dreams. Hopefully we're also noticing how contagious it is.
Even casual encounters can be a worker. God's love is exhilirating. Rachel from Wells Fargo called me this week just to make sure I had everything I needed to go. Joe from the Egg and I is making a special trip to the library just to subscribe to my blog. All of us want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. And we all need someone to encourage us to do that amidst this loud and distracting society.
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
We serve such a captivating God. People want to know Him.
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