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I welcome you change

1/26/2022

Here is an article I wrote for our upcoming internal missions devotional mail.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Change seems to be a steady companion of life. As I sit and ponder how I really feel about change, I must admit that for most of my life I have tried to avoid change. Having grown up as a third culture kid, I guess I have had more than my share of this mostly unwelcome guest.
As I have been reflecting on this, it came to my mind that perhaps, just perhaps, there is some good in change. I think of how my kids left our home, a change that I was not super thrilled about. But as I think deeper about this, I don’t think I would really want to stifle their lives by keeping them here with us, all tucked in and “safe” with their mom and dad. That change was a natural and a needed change for their own growth. I have also found that particular change to be good for me as I had to learn to let go and let God continue His work in their lives just as He was working in my very own life.
Another change I am experiencing currently is that of getting older. As I see the uninvited limitations that start creeping into my life, I sometimes have a difficult time welcoming that change. Since I do not tend to cultivate a bright and shiny disposition naturally, I have to work harder at finding things to be thankful for. As I age, this has become a greater challenge, but by God’s mercy and grace I have been able to find things to thank Him for even through the changes as I mature.
All of that being said, I believe that it is innately human to long for something that is unchanging. And so as I have continued to ponder, my mind finds great rest in the fact that we serve an unchanging God in a life which seems to be constantly changing. As I settle on that thought, it gives me great comfort. That which is pure and true and holy is never going to change. I, who tend toward sin and unholiness do not need to stay in that state. Rather I am invited to embrace the inner transformation as I change to become more like Christ who has always been and is and will always be as He is. Oh how that alters my thoughts on change! I would not have it any other way. I want and need the change in my life that is always transforming me more into the image of Christ.
As we have entered 2022 with unknown changes still to come, I want to become better at welcoming them. For it is change that brings me closer to my Lord and makes me a more useful vessel for His purposes. This can happen as I learn to let go of my own expectations and desires to allow for those things that God has planned for and with my life. Those plans most certainly will involve some kind of change. As much as it may pain me at times, I welcome this change as a gift from my Lord Jesus.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end.
Lamentations 3:22

-Which current change has God brought to you and is asking you to embrace as He walks through this change with you?
-Which aspect of God’s unchanging character comes to mind as you walk through your current situation?

If you are having a hard time relinquishing control over this change perhaps you may want to practice this exercise:
Ask God to give you the strength and the courage to relinquish all to Him.
With palms down on your lap name any uneasiness regarding a change in your life. Now put your palms up and offer the worry to Jesus saying “I trust you Lord”. As you open your hands He does not leave these hands empty but He offers Himself to you. Rest in Him and you will rest through the change He brings about in and through you.

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THE HOLY WORK OF HOSPITALITY

7/14/2021

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My life goes in cycles when it comes to ministry. When the kids were home, hospitality played a huge part in my life. When they got older, I was always on the look out as to what God would have me be involved in and who He was calling me to serve. He calls me to do different things in different seasons it seem. Recently, after the restrictions of Covid have been lifted a bit more, I was at that point again where I was trying to figure out what God is calling me to do and be.
With less restrictions and the opportunity to invite people into our home again, I picked up the old familiar pattern of meal prep with the idea of feeding friends and family as well as strangers. It is actually something I had learned from my sweet mamma. Growing up in Austria our house was always full of people. My mamma did not make lavish meals but they were tasty and they were plenteous for as many as needed something to eat. The blessings of having people over abounded. We met so many different people from all over the world and with many different backgrounds, with joys and with hurts, with gifts and with needs.

Last week on a beautiful summer day while preparing for our guests who were making a stop-over in our city, I stood there, wondering how God would be using me in this next cycle of life. Since hospitality seems to be something that comes natural to me and my husband, I don’t count it as much of a ministry, or certainly not as a service or even sacrifice for God. But I heard clear as day these words: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” As I pondered these words, I started smiling. My act of preparing food all these years is not just an act of doing but it is a gift to those who come in and out of our home. And, I wondered, just how many of these were indeed angels that have been fed and housed by us. As I continued to ponder, I understood that my preparing a meal for a traveling family was exactly what God was asking of me for this day. I wondered why I am always looking for the “more significant” thing to do.

And so as we sat together with our new friends, we were blessed. Not only were we blessed by their presences but we were blessed by the conversations and the encouragement that happened around the table. Words of life were given as we spoke of how Jesus was working in and through our lives. We received physical as well as spiritual food that day. I am not sure that these new friends were angels, but maybe, just maybe there was an angel sitting with us. I know that Jesus was and is with with us and that is is more than I could ever wish for.

Hebrews 13:2

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Have You Kicked 2020 to the Curb?

11/23/2020

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I think everyone in the world would agree that the year 2020 was, in the least, unusual.
I have read many reflections on social media and elsewhere about how difficult this year has been. I have seen memes that show a disgruntled person pushing the year 2020 out of the picture while pulling the year 2021 with great enthusiasm. Come on 2021! Come on relief from all that was difficult in 2020! Come on life that is waiting to be lived!
So here we are in 2021. Does it feel different already? Likely not. Changing out our calendar is not the magic pill. But the hope of a vaccine is certainly lifting our spirits as we look forward to a life that feels more familiar and well, livable. I believe we all know better than to think that life will go back to what it was. Do we really want that anyways? I mean, is there anything that has come out of this Covid pandemic which could possibly be a positive for this world? For us? For me? Or do we just want to get rid of it with all its memories?

Well, today I spent half a day pondering with God the year that has just finished. As I wrote out my memories and tried to systematically go through the year and then review what I had written, I was utterly surprised. The words “calm”, “quiet”, “rest” came up a lot. Mind you, there was also a lot of fear, uncertainty and craziness. I also feel like I have had an amazing year of ministry and productivity. But still what stands out are the moments where I was forced to slow down with less activity, less people, less meetings, more time to read, more time to pray, more time to think and more walks; lots of walks.

I further reflected on what God would have me take from 2020 into the year 2021. I don’t believe for a minute that the year was a waste. In fact I believe that the year 2020 has brought so much good to this world. Think of the fewer airplanes which caused less pollution. Think of the parents who interacted more with their kids this year. Think of the many people who began attending churches when they would never have darkened the doors of a church before the pandemic. I understand of course, there are the flip side to each of these things, but there are positives which we do not tend to highlight and that is all I am saying. 2020 is not a wash. God gave us that year to live and I believe we must try to see what is good in that year which we can take into the next year.

For me, the words of Isaiah stuck out to me. In Isaiah 30:15 it says “In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength”
This past year I was forced to rest. In that forced rest, I realised that I was not trusting God as I wanted the activities to continue which I had become to experience as essential. For this I needed to repent. And as I learned (and who am I kidding, I am still learning this!) to trust God through the craziest of circumstances this past year and as I was able to become calm as I learned to lean into my Abba more and more, that is where I found the strength for my day, for my next moment.

We all have had a tough year. Some of us had more work than we could handle, others had way less which may have caused some depression, still others lost their jobs and possibly loved ones. In our difficult year our experiences have been different. I want to acknowledge this. But I think the following can ring true for each one of us.

It is not until we are brought to the end of ourselves (giving up all that we think we are in control of, but aren’t really) that we can actually hear from God and learn from Him. When we keep getting in our own way, insisting on how things should be, then things are mutled and uncertain. We cannot hear God when we hear our own voices louder than His. This year has brought me to a place where I have had to let God silence my own voice. If He had not, I would still be screaming. I would be fretting and trying to find a calmer way and all the while sabotaging God's plan for quietness and calm.

The lesson I am taking into 2021 is this: Lean more into Jesus as I learn to trust Him more each day and He will bring me the calm, peace, joy and strength that I so desire.
What has 2020 taught you that you wish to bring into 2021?

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I welcome you change

THE HOLY WORK OF HOSPITALITY

Have You Kicked 2020 to the Curb?

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