Following Jesus on The Way

Growing up in the ministry world I have (thankfully) been slowly and sometimes painfully readied for a life I never imagined, dreamed or hoped I’d have. Being a ministry partner of a pastor is proving to be (mostly) what I expected.

Church yesterday was hard. Ray and I have been in Mertens long enough now that people are starting to open up and completely unload their pain, struggles and questions on their ministers. You would think that living in a rural area there would be fewer issues and possibly less pain, but that is completely incorrect.

In our small community of less 200, we are walking with people through incredibly difficult, painful, draining and heartbreaking situations. I found myself at a loss of words and feeling completely devoid of wisdom several times.

But I was reminded yesterday that God stops and that most of the time that is what people need from us; to stop.

Ray finished a sermon sires yesterday called “Following Jesus on The Way.” Sunday’s text was the story of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10. The thing that stuck out to me was that Jesus was walking amongst a crowd of hundreds, possibly thousands; people who I’m sure had been longing to catch a glimpse of Jesus of Nazareth. I assume the crowd around him was thick and loud as they wandered past the blind beggar on his blanket.

Bartimaeus had heard of this Jesus. Some were calling him the Messiah. Was it true that he could heal the leper and wake the dead? “Could he heal me,” he wondered. He wanted to believe, he needed to believe. As the crowds grew louder his heart began to race, his palms began to sweat and knowing there was a possibility that Jesus would pass him by he cried out,

“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”
“Be quiet!” many of people shouted.
But he only shouted louder,
“JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!”
And when Jesus heard him, he stopped . . .

I believe it was in that moment that Bartimaeus’ world was changed. Jesus stopped. Jesus stopped for him. Jesus stopped to listen. In that one small action Jesus gave hope to man who had been tossed aside by society and labeled as nothing.

He stopped.

I am clearly not Christ and don’t have to ability to give sight to a blind man, I do have the ability to stop.

To stop and listen with a compassionate heart. To stop and give my full attention to someone’s cry. To stop and hold someone’s hand as they walk through pain I don’t understand. To stop and help them search for the wisdom I don’t possess. To stop and listen for God among the crowd saying “tell him to come here.”

Christ Stopped.

Will you?

Dream . . .

My oldest sister Jenny is the poster child for having a dream, chasing after it and making it happen. All my life I've watched her sing in front of the bathroom mirror into the end of her hairbrush, claiming that each song she sang brought her closer to her dream. And now . . . she's living that dream. Well done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xboucW89gUU

Symphony Fantastique

I love fall and all its colorful symphonies magnificently playing for the joy our creator. The beauty and mystery of fall is always accented with a sadness for me, as the leaves die and glitter ground in preparation for a new season, a new year, a new adventure. And although joy gracefully encompasses the sadness, it is there nonetheless.

Especially this season.

More things are changing than I ever could have imagined possible, and although each change shows the creative and passionate love of God for me and the community around me, it has still been difficult. Being a person who is far too often driven or paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, The Giver has provided me with continuous opportunities this season to grow past the fear, trust a little more in myself and rest in the promise of delicate creativity. These opportunities have of course been received with a good deal of courage and its share of fear-filled resistance. But the fear only seems to come with changes that directly effect me and my husband. Do you ever do that? Completely trust God's plans for others, but hesitate when it comes to your path, plans and future? But I think that God not only desires for us to trust in God, but also in ourselves.

So this season God has not pointed out the next trail we will climb together, but has instead given me the task and opportunity to be the trail guide. Several summers ago I became certified to be a trail guide for backpacking trips, and during the certification course I was placed in charge of our group for a day. Deciding which trails to take, when to rest, eat and where to set up camp. I had to trust completely in my own judgment, talents and instincts; this was terrifying. What in the world made me qualified to make such important decisions and (even scarier) what if I made the wrong decision? What if the pace was too slow, the sun started going down, the temperature starting dropping and we didn't have a place to start a fire? What then?

This is a similar thought process I have been through over and over after understanding that God was giving me the task of choosing where to go next. Um, excuse me . . . God, I am almost positive that I am not qualified to make this decision. Are you sure? More importantly, are you crazy?
But what if pick the wrong one?

Such a huge fear of mine.

Then God sweetly reminded me that this choice didn't matter. What was going to matter is what we do on The Way and what we'll we'll do when we get there.

So now that I've chosen the trail, I'm learning to hold confidence in that choice, soaking up the symphonies of the season and continuing to follow Jesus, on The Way.


Hope you rest in the enchanting music of fall this week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI