Way to go, God
April 1, 2010 | Faith: Knowing Christ
I traveled to Fayetteville, AR yesterday to hang out with some new friends. They have been reading The Mom I Want to Be, and I got to hang out and have lunch with these women. We talked, laughed, and even had a footwashing ceremony (initiated by the leader of the group).
The ladies knew all about me because of the book, but I knew nothing about them.
“Will you share your story with me?” I asked.
“What do you want to know?” one said.
I knew the obvious. These beautiful moms and young grandmas had experienced a hard life. Addiction. Poverty. In some cases, violence. But they all had something in common, as well. They were learning how to be women of faith.
One started with her story. Numbers: brothers, sisters, kids. Information that told about the others in her life, but not so much her story. As we continued, she and others opened up.
I heard from a woman who has dreams. A woman who sometimes struggles with people and with knowing who to trust. I heard another who sees herself much differently than I believe God sees her. And yet another who wants to know even more about this man called Jesus.
That’s when the Holy Spirit gently ushered in.
Through tears each shared what Jesus meant to them, what it felt like to have mentors of the group pour into them, and asking for prayers for real-life hardships in the midst of that growth process.
All I could think of as I listened was: Way to go, God. You are so much more than just church. Y0u are so not limited to what we make You out to be. You lift people from depths and lead them to destiny. Whether that destiny is breaking the cycles of the past, or setting a crack addict free, or taking my sometimes skewed view and helping me refocus on what it really means to know Jesus. All of these help us see You.
But also, way to go Potters House ministry women. You show that ministry is so much more than what we sometimes see on the surface. You showed me and you continue to show these beautiful women and their children that ministry is stepping into messy lives and living out Jesus in such a way that it sets people free.
It’s the modern-day version of washing feet, serving and loving in the name of Jesus.
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“Way to go, God. You are so much more than just church.”
i want to remember this everyplace i go… this last couple of weeks i have watched how God is creating “church” on several of my friends blogs… how women are connecting with each other, being set free, establishing community… all on the blogosphere.
it is beautiful, new, innovative. it is God.
i’m sure of it
April 5th, 2010 at 7:23 pm