The Remedy

A couple of months ago I began reading through the Old Testament, well let's just say from Numbers to where I currently am in Nehemiah (there's some good stuff before Numbers I would agree, if you're willing to sift through to find it). So anyways, the running theme throughout the Old Testament is the Israelites' rebellion and straying from God. The Israelites spent so much time running from God, even though he showed himself to them so many times and delivered them from so many enemies, they ran.

This caused me to started thinking about my own current situation. I know God is calling me to be attentive to a certain situation and to follow him through it. However, I've spent the last few days running from that. Telling him time and again that I'm done and want out. It didn't hit me until during quiet time today, I was reading through II Chronicles about the Israelites' idol worship and how God in his grace over and again gave them a chance at redemption, but one line in the passage struck me. "But God knew there was no remedy." (speaking of their lost state of sin) I could see the parallels in my life up until that point.

However, I/we have a remedy in Jesus. He rescued me from a lost state of sin and is giving me a world of love and happiness, if I just trust him and surrender everything to him. I've spent the last couple of months reading through the Old Testament and have been tremendously blessed by the revelations God has there for us. How alive it is, and how amazing He is, but this one fact never was bigger until now. I want to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites and hear God in my own failures and rebellions calling me back to him. I want to hear his voice in the midst of uncertainty saying "I am here." So many times I've thought, "If only God would tell me what to do right now, it would be simpler." That's true, but I'm also realizing it's simpler than that. He is there often saying, "Abide in me," or "Be patient." He's not a complicated God. The lesson with my current situation I'm dealing with is this, and it's simple: He is here; wait on him. Don't become scared and run. He's here and will lead. Just be patient.

Quick Update from Germany

Well, rehearsal day is over, and we're heading home for the night. 7:00am tomorrow we start a last minute run-thru of the first two sessions, and at 9:00am the conference begins. Many, many things to do yet! We have yet to see powerpoint up on the screens for any significant length of time. That's a little nerve-wracking. There are small things here and there that haven't come together, and I saw some of the guys repainting a door backstage a couple minutes ago. We could definitely use some prayer tonight and tomorrow - but we know God will come through as He always does, and it will be an incredible day.

Can't wait to tell you all about it!

Hannah's Prayer

Her name is Hannah. She's an older woman, tall, laugh lines, grey hair, visibly someone who has weathered much but done it with that deep joy that marks those who follow Him. Wrapped in her dark dress coat and a brightly colored scarf, she follows us into the arena where our tech crew will soon begin the long haul of a million things that need to be done in the next three days, setting up for the conference that will begin here on Thursday.

"We pray for this," she says. "Years ago when first they begin building this place, we stand here, and we pray. We ask God that someday the Christians will come and worship in this arena. Last year for the first time, the Christians are gathering to worship here, and now you come. You are God's answer. We are so excited for this."

Wow.

Two days from now, Willow Creek Deutschland will hold the first ever women's conference in Germany. It has a slightly different connotation here than in the states - at least half the people attending the conference will be men - definitely no Women of Faith type event. :) But the topic for the conference is the role of women in ministry, which has never been addressed so publicly here before. And as someone said yesterday, "After this, everything will be different."

How cool is it that God has allowed me to be here for such a time as this, to see and to pray in a watershed moment in the life of His church? I am humbled and awed to have some small role to play in this part of the story.

More About Love

This post is actually a sort of response to Josh's last post; it's not really, because I wrote it awhile ago, but it is, because it came to mind as I've been thinking about the love Christ showed/shows us. So, as a result of that weird shift in the time continuum - here are my thoughts on God's thoughts on love.


Love is patient when it could be easily frustrated.

Love is kind when it could have chosen to be cruel.

Love isn't envious of the blessings of others even in the absence of blessing to itself.

Love is humble and quiet, not boastful and self-centered.

Love chooses to forget the wrongs done to it; love refuses to stay angry, even though it has every right to be upset.

Love rejoices with everything that is good and true and right in the world, and weeps over that which is not.

Love protects fiercely, trusts unyieldingly even when it doesn't understand, hopes unswervingly against all odds, and perseveres no matter what.

Love refuses to fail.

Love embraces grace, extends it, doesn't give up.

Love recognizes it can't be earned.

Love mourns sin and celebrates repentance.

Love is meek enough - gentle enough - to both hear and tell the truth.

Love hungers for righteousness.

Love extends mercy.

Love is pure in heart.

Love seeks peace, at great cost to itself.

Love will not shy away from persecution of any kind, because its purpose is greater than any temporary pain.

Love is...Love.*

(He is also known as Jesus.)


* 1 Corinthians 13 and Matthew 5: 1-12