Hold the Rope

I was recently talking with a mentor of mine, sharing with him about my mission adventure.  As our conversation was coming to a close, He ran into his office rummaged around and after several minutes returned with one foot length of white rope.  Handing me the rope, he must have seen the confusion on my face and began this story.

    “There once was a young missionary who left for a foreign field full of excitement, energy, and enthusiasm.  He told his church, friends and family that he couldn’t wait to come back and tell them all about the lives that were going to be changed. 

     Things didn’t go according to that plan for the young missionary.  Several years later he returned to the church that had sent him off.  He returned broken, a failure. His faith and love had been replaced by bitterness and resentment. In secret he snuck into the prayer and sat in the back unnoticed.  He remained there silently until one member of the prayer circle invited their “new guest” to share.

    Dejected but feeling spiteful the man stood and told his story.  He explained how his early ambitions had been blocked first one way and then another till eventually he lost all desire to minister.  He told of the human depravity and hatred that many had targeted at him.  These trials had beaten him so badly that he gave up on the mission, the church, the faith, and God.  Finally he close with this accusation, “You don’t know me, even now after hearing what has happened you don’t realize that I was your missionary.  When you sent me out, you said, ‘We’ll be praying for you.  We’ll hold our end of the rope and lift you up to the God.’ You dropped the rope.”

    My mentor looked me in the eye and handed me the rope.  “You go in God’s grace, and by God’s grace we will hold the rope.  You hold onto us and we’ll hold onto you.”   

    Interestingly enough, I was sharing this story with another friend and she resonated with it so much because of what God had been teaching her that she offered to write a post about it.  View what God has been teaching her here.                   

    My last post spoke of the chaos I feel I am going into, but it is supporters like him who give me confidence.  

    I know that I am held up by many with bowed heads and folded hands. If you would like to join that team and help hold the rope, send me an email or comment on this post.

Guest Post - @SMixRoss

Sometimes it’s really hard to understand what God has in mind when we face tough times. The Bible tells the story of a man named Job who God allowed to lose everything. In the same book, God says that His ways are beyond our understanding. God showed me this verse recently when I was going through something. My question was “Why?” and His response was Job 37:5:
“He does great things beyond our understanding”. I realized my question should not be “Why?” but rather “What can I do through You and Your great acts?”

God showing His greatness through suffering and perseverance is all over the Bible. And the greatest story of all, the story of Jesus, is about the greatest plan God had before our existence. A plan that would involve the greatest sacrifice, where Jesus would ask the question “Why?” But it’s a question that we will never have to ask. Jesus asked why God had forsaken Him as Jesus felt the weight of all the sin the world had ever committed, were committing, and would commit. Jesus was forsaken so that we would not have to be: the Bible promises in Hebrews 13:5 that we will never have to experience this forsakenness or abandonment. Our suffering, then, is experienced with God holding our hand, or carrying us through, or embracing us: we never have to go through these great things beyond our understanding alone.

In fact, the Bible talks about persecution for Jesus’ sake many times. It isn’t just the traditional thought of persecution. It could be laying down our own dreams and desires, letting go of relationships, saying goodbye to fortune and career success, and perhaps even choosing Jesus over one’s family. Here are some verses that speak to persecution and suffering:

It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9 – 10).

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:18-20).

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well- developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:2-4)

“Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:7).

But my favorite of all the verses is found in Matthew 5 (The Message):

“You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”

Maybe your suffering is financial strain, fear of the unknown, rejection from friends and family, or even being called to a life that you know will be full of sacrifice. The easiest question to ask is “Why?” but it will hold the smallest reward. God promises great things through us, and sometimes the road to get there is paved with suffering and persecution. Do not be discouraged. Consider yourself blessed, even, for when we face trials like Jesus did, we become more like Him. When we begin to act like Jesus, we become more like Him. The more we worship Him, even during suffering, we become more like the One we worship. Our lives won’t be significant by default. I want mine to be significant because of the great things God does through me, knowing they will come at a great cost, comforted by the fact that I’ll never go through it alone. Hold on to the rope, because as long as He’s holding the other end, greatness for His name’s sake is ahead.

--

Thank you @smixross, for sharing your heart with me and all of us. May God continue to "hold" us all in His great love.

Baby Steps

Baby Steps
   One of my families favorite movies is “What About Bob.”  In it Bob, played by Bill Murray, is a obsessive compulsive with a multitude of phobias and disorders.  Bob follows his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin played by Richard Dreyfuss, on vacation trying to get the treatment he thinks he needs.  Dr Marvin gives Bob the advice that eventually cures Bob and drives Dr Marvin insane.  Baby Steps.  When Bob meets an obstacle he quotes, “Baby Step out of the office. Baby step onto the elevator. Baby step get better.” 
   Right now I feel a little like Bob.  Going to Africa on this Video Production Missions project seems too big of a task for me.  But God is faithful.  He has been showing me the Baby Steps I need to take.  Here are just a few that I’ve done the last few months.

           Baby Step…
             Set Up Budget
             Set up Housing in Guinea
             Set Up Timeline
             Make Equipment List
             Research Countries
             Call Missionaries in Guinea

What's Next?
   There are a growing number of tasks that I must be finished before I leave, but the next one I’m focusing on is building a support team.  That means asking you to join me in this adventure.  I would love to have you as part of my team.  There are a number of crucial roles that you can play.
 
   Financial Supporters – My monthly budget will be $3,800 per month, and one
   time outgoing expenses of $15,000.
   Prayer Partners – This project has a lot of challenges foreseen and
   unpredictable. Adedicated team of people praying over each issue is
   absolutely necessary.
   Distribution Partners – These videos are no good if no one ever sees
   them.  I need people that will share the videos I produce on Facebook,
   Twitter, YouTube. The more people that see the videos the more people God
   can impact. 

Please prayerfully consider how you can join the team. If you have questions, I would love to answer them. Shoot me an email, give me a call, send me a tweet, post on my wall or do all of them. Thank you for considering this opportunity and I hope to hear from you soon.

Called To Chaos

CALLED TO CHAOS

Last Spring I attended the Mid Term and Short Term missionary training at World Venture Headquarters in Colorado. During the weekend of training, I had an experience that I have until recently been unable to express in writing. One of the sessions was lead by a counselor and the topic of the workshop was preparing for cultural transition and the issues that accompany Culture Shock. They explained the transitional process and what will happen to us as we move out of one place and settle into ministry in another. The five basic stages are Dis-Engagement, Leaving, Chaos, Entering, and Re-Engagement. Through out this session, I kept quiet. Knowing that my trip with the amount of travel and transitory nature of the project would have some unique challenges. It is possible that I could be in a different country every 6 weeks. So when the presenter opened the floor for questions I raised my hand. I explained a little about my project and then asked the question, “How do I expedite this process? How do I go through this these 5 steps every 6 weeks?” “You won’t.” She looked right at me and with tears in her eyes said, “You will spend most of your time in Chaos.” I was crushed. I had been hoping to glean some tip or trick that would make it easier to deal with the difficulties. Thank God there was a break, cause I had to leave the room and get outside. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Standing outside, looking up at the Rockies across the horizon, I cried out to God, “How can you ask me to do this? Do you really want me to leave my friends and family, my home, my church, all these blessings You have given me and knowingly walk into 2 years of Chaos, of loneliness, of stress, and trail, of homesickness, of darkness, and despair? Is that really what you want for me?” His response couldn’t have been clearer or harder to understand. “Yes. It will be the hardest trial of your life. You will experience hardships you can’t imagine. You will be in Chaos. But I will be there. Will you be with Me?” Tears were running down my face by now. There was no comfort in His words. No promise of His sustenance provision, or blessing. He assured me of hardship, pain, and suffering. Someone who doesn’t know Christ would think this trip fool hardy. That it is unwise to disconnect yourself from your support network of friends and family and knowingly place yourself in a place of danger, hurt, and Chaos. Why would I ever want to do any of this? The secret is in God’s question to me. “Will you be with me?” George McDonald’s poem Obedience beautifully expresses the struggle I felt and the decision I have made.

OBEDIENCE
 - By George MacDonald
(1824-1905) 

I said: “Let me walk in the fields.”
 

He said: “No, walk in the town.”
 

I said: “There are no flowers there.”
 

He said: “No flowers, but a crown.” 

I said: “But the skies are black;
 There is nothing but noise and din.”
 

And He wept as He sent me back –
 “There is more,” He said; “there is sin.” 

I said: “But the air is thick,
 And fogs are veiling the sun.”
 

He answered: “Yet souls are sick,
 And souls in the dark undone!” 

I said: “I shall miss the light,
 And friends will miss me, they say.”
 

He answered: “Choose tonight 
If I am to miss you or they.” 

I pleaded for time to be given. 

He said: “Is it hard to decide?
 

It will not seem so hard in heaven


To have followed the steps of your Guide.” 

I cast one look at the fields,
 

Then set my face to the town;
 

He said, “My child, do you yield?
 

Will you leave the flowers for the crown?” 

Then into His hand went mine; 

And into my heart came He;
 

And I walk in a light divine,
 

The path I had feared to see.

______ 

I will be in Chaos. I will be with Him.

Spanish Guitar

While traveling through Spain this summer, I wandered upon these local street performers. I was struck by the thought that simple stories exist around us everyday. What stories are you telling?

Be On The Rock

  Yes, That’s me standing atop a 200 meter (600 foot cliff) at 2330 meters (apro 7000 ft) above sea level. This adventure took place in Leysin, Switzerland. You can see more pictures in my Facebook Album. I can imagine the question’s that my friends and family will ask me when they see this picture.
   My Mom, will say, “Are you Crazy? Why would you do that?” She questions my motivations and sanity. Dad will ask, “Where is that? When did you go?” He wants the story. My brother, “How did you do that? What gear did you use?” He’s a climber like me. My friends in Chicago will ask, “Where you freaked out? What was it like?” They can’t imagine it.

   The sport is called Via Ferrata (Italian for "road with irons"). It’s a series of steps and ladders drilled into the side of a mountain and it’s probably as close to real mountain climbing as the average person can get. Check out the Wikipedia entry for more details about this emerging adventure sport.
   It is an entirely thrilling experience to put yourself so far out on the edge of security and the limits of human ability. When I started to put on my harness and approach the cliff face, my adrenaline started to pump. With each step as I rose higher and higher up the face creating more and more distance between myself and the ground beneath, I could sense my mind quieting. My mind becomes so focused on the task at hand, namely staying safe on the rock, that all other thoughts silence. By half way up I was at about 2100 meters above sea level, and approximately 100 meters above where I started. At this point there was only one thought in my mind, “Be on the Rock.” The billions of thoughts that run through my mind all day, some conscious others hidden in my sub-consious, stopped. Every thought was the same. Be on the Rock, One step at a time. Next hand hold, Put your foot there. Be safe. Be on the Rock. I wasn’t thinking about camera angels and how to tell this story, as I’m apt to do. I wasn’t thinking about my family and friends across the world. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. My mind was clear, focused, centered.
   It wasn’t until I reached the Top, looking at the panorama of the Swiss Alps with Lake Geneva spreading out from their base, that I even realized what had happened. It wasn’t until the voices, the other thoughts started to rise again, that I realized how rare it is to have such moments of clarity and focus.
   Rock Climbers know this feeling well. I have several friends that say that’s the reason they climb. “When your on the Rock, nothing else exists. The stresses of work, life, responsibility all fade beneath the all important task of climbing, because if you don’t focus on the rock you fall.”
You can’t climb and be thinking about all those other distractions. If you do, you’re putting yourself and sometimes even others in danger. It’s that danger, that essential knowledge that if I don’t focus, I’m putting myself in harms way, which brings my mind to clarity, to focus on the Rock.
   Have you caught the spiritual parallel? Sometimes it takes hanging off a cliff, out beyond the limits of my comfort and my safety for me to focus. Out there, Christ clearly reminds me to leave all the noise of the world behind and focus on Him, To Be on the Rock. (Psalm 18)

The Hood of Service

“Why are we doing this?” Sometimes there are questions that we respond to almost instinctually. Someone says, “How are you doing?” you respond with “I’m good,” even if you are sick and just got fired from a dream job after you girlfriend broke up with you and took the dog. But every once in a while we are presented with a question that knocks us on our heals, with the weight of it importance.

When Anthony asked me, “Why are we doing this?” it was one of those questions. We stood there in the quite sanctuary, waiting our turn to wash each others feet, and I struggled to answer. My answers didn’t seem to balance with the weight of those words.
Perhaps the question had added weight because of the way that Anthony asked it. His awkward bending teenage frame, trying to figure out how to hold itself to match the straight and formed décor of the stained glass sanctuary. His muscles pulling on each other trying to hide is sagging pants, oversized t-shirt, and general street thug appearance. Maybe it was because only a year ago Anthony prayed to have Jesus be the Master of his life and in the past 3 months had the Latin Kings, a local gang, try to recruit him. Perhaps the sincere and earnest way that he asked the question, truly not knowing and early wanting to, made me consider my answer more carefully.
The day, Maundy Thursday, could have added to the impact. We were participating in the evening service of prayer and remembrance of what Christ went through with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. We read the scriptures and sat in silence letting the memory of those events soak into us like drying laundry left out in the rain.
Maybe the question hit me hard because this was the second time in a week, I had knelt and washed some else’s feet. A week prior at the World Venture Short Term and Mid Term missionary training, I had the humbling experience of being taken out of the servant position and being served. At that same training, I heard this quote that as came crashing back to front of my mind with Anthony’s question.
“Servant-hood stems from a secure identity of who you are in Christ.”
“Why are we doing this?” It was almost as if Anthony had captured in his confusion the very heart of Peters protest. “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Why are we doing this?
It is only now weeks later, as I try again to study the verses and understand Jesus’ answer to Peter that I know how to answer Anthony’s question.
Jesus washed his disciples feet because he “knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” (John 13:3) Christ was certain of His identity and out of that authority he knelt and served. When Peter protested that Jesus was too good to wash his feet, Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand… Unless I was you, you have no part with me… Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should was one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:7,8,14-15)
We serve one another because Christ has served us. If we are going to be part of the body of Christ we must follow his example and wear the hood of service.