Clutter

Clutter.

We all have it.  

As we begin to clear out closets, drawers, rooms and the garage, we realize how much 'stuff' we have accumulated in the 9 years we have lived in one place.

Having everything we need is a comfort most of us afford; for even more of us, having everything we want is a luxury.

It begs the question, why do we keep so much stuff?  Sometimes even hoarding things...like paperwork, books, 'sentimental' items...just to name a few.  Maybe it's because we don't want to deal with it when it enters our home, maybe the clutter belongs to another family member and we are waiting for them to take care of it.

I have to admit, the clutter is totally overwhelming.  If not for a very good friend who is gifted at seeing a task and knowing where to begin; I may be inclined to just walk away from this mess and wait until it's crunch time to deal with it.

Clutter can be spiritual as well.  How many times do we feel that twinge of the Holy Spirit to do something or take care of a situation, and we put it off until later?  Often times, we know what it is we need to do, we know what is right, but we ignore what we know and do what we want anyway.

When we pile on the spiritual 'stuff,' it can become overwhelming to even know how to get out from under it.  Many times, we may just walk away from the spiritual things (i.e. the church, Christian friends or even God) because we just do not want to deal with our own stuff.

I love the word picture here in Matthew 3:12: 

'He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.'

He is where you start.  You see, what happens when you come to Him, you allow HIM to be the organizer and the detailer.  He will do the de-cluttering.  When you let Him; He will take care of the junk.  The old things that you deemed so important don't seem so earth shattering anymore.  He will change your 'want to.' 


2 Corinthians 5:17
'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.'

De-clutter.  Not just your home, but most importantly, bring your spiritual clutter to the One who is the Master of the mess.

m

First Reaction

We are experiencing some very interesting and unique times in our lives.  Preparing to go to the mission field full-time invokes quite a range of questions from friends, family and even acquaintances.  It is kind of funny to me what the first reactions are.  I wonder if any of the disciples went through similar situations, well, except the hair color!

What?
You are going where?
Where will you live?
What do the kids think about this?
How long will you be gone?
When will you move?
What will you do with Ellie?
How will you get paid?

And a popular one:
What will you do about your hair?

My absolute all-time favorite first reaction to the news of our accepting a mission call comes from a child, well, a tween.  We have a sweet friend who wrote us a letter asking if she can set up a table at our church to have a bake sale.  She intends to sell cookies and cinnamon rolls (which she specified she will make from scratch) in order to help us raise financial support.

Wow.  Now that is a reaction I'd love to duplicate.  Her first response was, 'I see a need.' This is a kid who gets being part of the solution and wants to do her part.  I love it!

Don't get me wrong,  the curiosity from others is well-meaning and we feel blessed to have people in our lives that fully support following God's call wholeheartedly.  I just cannot help but learn a lesson from our little friend.  Why do I sometimes call into question a motive, when I should be asking 'how can I help?'

The truth is this about our missions call.  We have been praying and asking God for wisdom and guidance for years.  If you know us at all, you KNOW that we would not make this kind of decision overnight.  We have sought God and His guidance alone.

Our prayer is that our first reaction to His plan would always be, 'I see a need' and 'how can I help?' Whether the idea is popular or not was not the question.  How will it all come about, we don't know.  God guides, He provides.  He has proven faithful to His followers for centuries, to our family for more than 100 years, to Brian and myself as a couple for 20 years.   We trust He will continue.  We covet your prayers and your first reaction.

Below, I'm answering the above questions.....just for the curious.

What?  Yes, we are moving to Africa.
You are going where? Yes, Africa, Swaziland, to be specific.
Where will you live?
In a home, not a mud hut or tent with a thatch roof.
What do the kids think about this?
They have been part of the process, and while they will be giving up luxuries, they understand they will gain plenty.
How long will you be gone?
Currently planning on 3 years. (Jan-Oct-Swaziland, Nov-Dec-US)
When will you move? We plan on leaving in January 2013
What will you do with Ellie? We have arrangements with a close family friend to care for this 4-legged family member.
How will you get paid?
We are currently seeking monthly supporters and speaking at a few churches to raise our prayer and financial support.

And a popular one:
What will you do about your hair?
This is a good one.  My very special salon girl (Misty) has been on alert and she is helping me by getting my hair color to take with me AND teaching Brian the basics of trimming my hair ;) Love her!

Most importantly, will you pray?

If you would like to know more or learn how you can be involved in joining hands in ministry with us, visit:
missionswazi.org

1 Corinthians 1:4-9
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,  for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you,  so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by Him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

m

Pound, Pry, Pull

[Confirmation the Lord is moving both of our hearts in the same direction, when Brian and I write similar thoughts.  

I have asked him to be my guest blogger today. ]

There have been times as I worked on a project that I have reached into my tool box and in that moment the tool I needed was not available. I am a son, and have a son, so I am well aware of who likely saw that tool last. Yes, I could complain about not having the right tool, I could even stop the project and go searching for the right tool, maybe even buy or borrow a new one. There have been times though that I have actually used a wrench to pound a nail into a board or a screw driver to pry something apart; even a set of pliers to pull out the bent nail my wrench just hit. I will admit,  I have used tools to accomplish a task for which they were not designed. Pound, pry, pull; the bottom line was, I got the job done even if it took a little longer because I used a different tool than was intended.

As the owner of the tools I can choose to use any of my tools as I see fit. If the right tool is unavailable for the job at hand and I need to get the job done, then I can choose to use the next best tool available. In that project, it is not the tool that decides if or how it is used. It is the owner of the tool that makes the decision.

I often wonder how God’s kingdom would be impacted for eternity if we chose to understand these truths. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have submitted my life to be His tool and He can choose to use me anyway He sees fit.

If God had a tool He intended to use for a kingdom task and it was not available, can he choose to use a different tool? Maybe it would help me in my journey to ask myself which tool am I choosing to be? The one that is available or unavailable? Do I bristle up when the Lord reaches for me, slipping out of His grasp with my own self-will refusing to be used. Do I yield to His will? And if I happen to be the next best tool, can God still do amazing things for the Kingdom with and through me? 

I have been asked on more than one occasion why in the world would I choose to leave a ministry position I love... serving a church family that loves me and my family? Why would I leave a place so close to the ocean, right on the Gulf of Mexico with all of its outside activities on or near the water?  Why would I choose to part with most of my earthly possessions and move my family halfway around the world to live in a third world area that has the highest HIV/AIDS rate of any country on the globe? 

In those moments with those questions I can only reply that as the Lord’s tool He has the authority to use me anyway He chooses.  At this time, for this task, He has chosen to use us in this way. I believe that He knows the end result and I am only a part of the project. A tool in His hand to pound, pry and pull with as He sees fit.

Brian