How Do You Fit God's Love into a Gallon Size Baggie?

Our family has felt God leading us to sponsor a child in need. We had been researching companies like Compassion International and World Vision.  Both are wonderful!  In December, Hirchie and Sara Schaffner from Out of the Ashes came to our church to share their mission work in Korah, Ethopia. Hirchie and Sara live in the next town over from us. Out of the Ashes is a sponsorship program for the children of Korah. Korah, Ethiopia sits near a huge garbage dump where many families have to pick through the rubbage to find food or items to sell for minimal amounts. As I listened to their testimonies and looked at the pictures of children standing on top of piles of garbage, my heart leapt with a call to action. Psalm 113:7 is the Out of the Ashes theme verse.

He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap. Psalm 113:7

Yesterday, I received the information for my sponsor child, a tenth grade boy nicknamed China. Hayden, my 7 year old son, was so excited to learn more about him.  He studied his picture for quite a while. Our family is so ecstatic to start this journey. We feel like we've added a family member. I'm going today to create a care package for him.   The Schaffners are headed to Ethopia and will be able to give him our package in just a few days.  My task for today…find items for China that fit inside of a gallon size baggie.

How do you fit God's love into a gallon size baggie?  You don't, but that is what I felt I needed to do as I prepared my bag for him. I wanted every item to represent an over pouring of God's love. I ended up buying way more than would fit in his bag.  After careful choosing, the bag's contents included: a shirt, socks, paper,  a notebook, pens, candy, a necklace, a card, and two family pictures. In our information packet on China, he had written that he did not have a Bible.  I was so excited when Sara said she could pick one up for him once they arrived in Korah. I packed $10 for his Bible, and with a prayer I sealed the bag and sent it on its journey.

When I talked to Hirchie on the phone, he invited me to go with the next group to visit Korah.  I could meet China! Now, my head is filled with thoughts of visiting Korah in July and meeting our new family member. A young boy who wrote that his wish for his sponsor family is that we might change his life or pray that God will change it. I hope to do both giving all glory to God! My thoughts then move to, "Could I possibly go to Ethiopia? What would this gluten free girl eat there? Will I have the money to pay for the trip?". Then, I think of Matthew 17:20. My what ifs fade, and I let my God be God.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have 

faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to 

there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."     Matthew 17:20

I love you! I love you, too!

You know the drill.  You tell someone, "I love you."  Then, they say, "I love you, too." It usually occurs in that order. My two year old, Holland, uses "I love you, too" a little differently.

• I smile. She says, "I love you, too."
• I kiss her knee after she has fallen.  I hear, "I love you, too."
• I snuggle her after she wakes up in the morning.  She whispers, "I love you, too."
• We fall on the floor laughing after dancing to our favorite song, "Shake" by Mercy Me. She looks over and says, "I love you, too."

What a lovely reminder of how my children see love through my actions.  She feels my love in my acts of kindness so much so that she responds with those three special words without waiting for me to say them  first.  Every time she says, "I love you, too." It warms my heart.

We love because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19

My sweet daughter's words made me think about my walk with Christ.   Am I showing my love for my Savior with my actions and not just proclaiming it with my lips? My love declared during prayer isn't enough to show my God how much I love Him. It takes my thoughts, my words, my time,  my actions, my all.

He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'   Luke 10:27

Puzzling Puzzle Pieces

Today, my daughter Holland and I sat together working puzzles. Her little, two year body sat beside mine. I smiled and nodded as she looked my way for approval after placing a piece in a spot.  Her chubby fingers searched for connections, working hard, spinning pieces until a perfect fit made..
Holland's eyes have always lit up at the sight of a puzzle.  A floor puzzle brings forth screams of joys at  just one glance. Today, we were working a dinosaur floor puzzle that we had conquered many times before. I helped gather and put together the outside edges and watched in awe as she got to work on the inside pieces.  We both smiled and clapped with each piece placed in the correct spot. Holland picked up a puzzle piece and placed it where she thought it belonged. Her brow arched, staring intently, and biting her lip, she worked with the piece. Her little fingers spun and crammed for what seemed like an eternity. She was determined to fit that piece in the incorrect spot. I pulled out the piece that fit and spoke gently, "This one dear."
I began thinking. Isn't that what we do as Christians sometimes? We take our own will and keep shoving it into the puzzle of our lives.  God has a wonderful, perfect plan. Yet, we, out of our own frustration, lack of faith, and or lack of patience, keep pushing. We keep opening doors that need to remain closed.  We keep initiating life as we want it. We keep cramming even though we know the pieces don't line up.
I've decided to pray daily for God's will for my life for just that day, maybe even for that minute. I ask for wisdom. I ask for the ability to discern God's will for my life.  I pray for the ability to see God's divine appointments in my life.  I'm hoping through seeking so intently I'll spend less time cramming the wrong puzzle pieces into the spaces of my life.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paloetic/4455679049
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

Week 1 - Thwart the Dirty Little Tongue

This is my first post on my My Great Commission blog.  I created this blog last year, but sadly have not posted until today. I started this blog for many reasons. 1) to hold myself accountable 2.) To record my progress 3.) To possible help others.   Last year about this time, I heard a sermon on the great commission.  It moved me unlike any other sermon I have ever heard before. I came home all inspired and created this blog to record my journey.  Then.... I continued my life like nothing was different.  Well, I'm ready to do this thing for real this time.

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, the worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

                                                                                                                         Matthew 28:16-20

I want to do God's work.  I want to share His Word, love, and hope with others. I've spent many years hoping that being a good person, going to church, volunteering at church, and developing a close relationship with God would be enough.  I've been leaving out something major. God wants me to reach out to others and share his love, Word, hope, forgiveness...   I could go on and on.  God is all those things for me and more.  Yet, I don't shout it from the rooftops.  Right now I guess I'm whispering it from the basement.

I want to start a journey to begin living out the great commission.  I want to really do God's work. I've decided that to reach others, I really must start with working on myself and my witness.  For the first week, I want to work on my tongue.  Yes, my tongue-the nasty little devil.  I, like many others, have a dirty habit of saying things I shouldn't.  I'm tired of my negativity and those little comments I make about others.  I always feel guilty, but I want to keep them in and hopefully even think them less.  So this week, I want to stop making those comments. (Note: I want to stop this for the long haul and not just a week).  My philosophy on this is that I cannot reach others with the word of Christ if they hear me speaking badly about someone else. 

Week 1 - Thwart the dirty little tongue