So I started writing to you over a week ago. Somehow and somewhere halfway down the page, sitting in the middle of the action-packed Ten Thousand Homes base, I forgot where I left off. For good reason though. I’ve found myself in the past few weeks getting lost in the most beautiful tapestry - God weaving together new meaning, exposing new depths of grace, and building a new foundation for family. He’s so good at what He does…
My cousin, Laura Chaffin arrived on June 23rd. FAMILY in Africa! My first family member to experience life on this side of the globe and to meet Lifa! (We are hoping, praying and trusting he’ll be back home with me this weekend! Pray, pray, pray we can meet up with him and his father on Friday, July 8th at Home Affairs.)
Since Laura arrived, there has been more joy, more delight, more encouragement, more grace and more family – deep, deep down family – than I ever could have imagined encountering.
I don’t know what He’s doing… but He’s doing something big. It’s another step in paving the way for what’s to come in family, with Lifa and in creating hope and home in me and in Africa’s orphaned and vulnerable children.
Let’s take that and rewind it back to June 23rd, shall we? (Thank you everyone who just caught on to me saying ‘take that and rewind it back’.)
Last year on June 23rd, I announced I was staying in South Africa to join the Ten Thousand Homes staff, I talked about relaxing into God’s sovereign embrace rather than try to perform well enough, and had my arms full of sleeping Lifa while God burned into my heart His words, “This is what it’s supposed to be like.”
I could never ever… EVER… have imagined the way this year would unfold.
This year on June 23rd, I was lavished by God’s love.
I was wrecked by God’s love.
I was overwhelmed and absolutely consumed by God’s love.
I sat bundled up on my couch in the cottage after saying goodnights, in silent reverence, with an unhinged jaw. No one was there. Lifa was not sleeping in my arms.
But, once again, on June 23rd God spoke to an untapped part of my heart. “This is what it’s supposed to be like.”
Laura had rolled in suitcases full of love upon arrival. Pike’s Place in my French press is like a hug every morning. More than the American treats, she brought genuine expressions of love.
She brought the most beautiful, take-my-breath-away reminders that the Body of Christ is more than just a bunch of body parts. It’s family. I teach that in my African church every month... but this hit me hard. Across oceans, intimate, personal and so completely, unexpectedly loving.
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| Laura's mom and sister sent beautiful blankets for Lifa and I! He's going to LOVE it! |
She unpacked suitcases full of Siyabonga-sized winter clothes from last month’s visitor, Lindsay Loveless, who was so moved by compassion, she continues to respond to the least of these in Africa from America.
The final straw for me that sent my jaw to the floor was opening up the card Lindsay made for Siyabonga. Written completely in his language. SiSwati.
She spoke love to him in his language.
And, through opening that card, those suitcases and all of that delicious coffee, Jesus spoke to me in my language. A family love that can love everybody all the way.
More and more love kept flowing in – I hit flood level (hence the jaw on the ground) and it kept pouring. “This is what It’s supposed to be like.” The more we take and take and take His love and grace, the more He gives and gives and gives. It’s His upside-down Kingdom thing He does. There’s no earning or working for it… there’s just drinking it all in.
All this jaw-dropping love… I’m going to have to start sweeping more often.
There’s more… from that same suitcase!
Last month’s visitor, Anda Brown, sent a shoe kit for my sister Prudence. Prudence loved Anda’s homemade shoes. Anda gave them to her right then and there, and then sent a kit of practice shoes along with a personal video for Prudence to teach her how to make the shoes and hopefully start her own business! You see what I mean? We’re going past warm fuzzies here… This is arms, legs, mouth, eyes, and all the parts of the Body standing up and saying, “We see you. We know you. You’re worth it,” to the people in the world who’ve never heard it.
The way you love, the way they’ve responded, Laura’s presence here, and the way you’re sticking with me… this is the stuff changing the world.
This is what it looks like to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.
I’ve been hit hard by His grace and the way it flows through you. Don’t stop loving your family and being loved by His ridiculous grace.
Take and take and take it. Give and give and give it.
The more I pray for it, the more He sweeps me away in it. Here’s part of a prayer I prayed yesterday:
Jesus, I love you.
I love the way you give gifts and extend compassion across nations.
I love the way your love flowing makes all people groups,
all culture and all voices feel like a seamless family.
I love the way your Spirit dances in mine as a promise of heaven
and a taste of Home dwelling in me…
Your Sovereignty prevails and is more faithful than the sun.
Your love is more powerful.. Your thoughts more profound…
The palm of Your hand is bigger than the ocean.
Your justice is stronger than a hurricane.
Heaven, come down.
Flow wildly – burn more brightly and dangerously than a wildfire.
Bring your Kingdom into focus…
Amen
Here’s a picture of His immediate answer to that prayer – the prayer of His seamless family connecting, His Kingdom coming into focus, and his passionate love burning brightly through His children. I had my computer at my African family’s house and my GoGo ran up to me screaming in SiSwati that she wanted to see her sister… my NaNa. She sat all the way down on the ground with me as I pulled up the picture, screaming “I love you” in SiSwati and leaning over to kiss the screen. My sisters talked about how beautiful their Texas mama and sister, Sunny is. You could see something actually filling up in them once they felt like they got introduced to their family. We were created to be seamless. We were designed to take and take and take in that marvelous, ever-flowing love.
This is how it’s supposed to be.
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