Reblogged from Walking Worthy ~August 17, 2011
Surrender. It all comes down to surrender. Does anything we have in our lives actually belong to us? Did we decide on and create the people in our lives to custom fit our needs and our circumstances? No, of course not! Our all-knowing, wise Creator did! The people in our lives are gifts from God. They are instruments used for God purposes.
Surrender is key to Christ-centered relationships; so that when the time comes to let go, you already have. Now I am not saying that you should not love or even that you should love less. Of course that would be disobedience to Christ’s many commands to love one another and give thanks for each other. This does not mean you live at an arms distance either because the New Testament clearly demonstrates living life with each other and bearing each others’ burdens and joys. But the best love, what I believe to be the most Christ-glorifying love, is love with open hands. Holding loosely to the things and people God has entrusted to you.
This comes back to living with eternal perspective. Relationships, as we know them, are also temporary.
They serve eternal purpose and with believers they have an aspect which will last for an eternity. But that is the Christ-glorifying aspect! What we manage to accomplish in the slightest way here of centering our relationships around Christ is only a shadow of the purpose of our eternal relationships with other followers of Christ. John Piper writes in Don’t Waste Your Life about a plaque which hung in his home as a child. My sister also made me a replica of it which hangs over my bed. It reads, “Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
If you live a life of constant surrender, you respond differently to God’s direction. Take possessions for example. If I have surrendered my possessions to God, then when something is stolen, sold, or given away it comes with ease and joy because I’ve already given it to God! It is His anyway. My life doesn’t fall apart at the loss of those things. Surrendering your possessions can be tough and has to be done every time you make a Christmas wish list or start packing for a big move. But something I believe is even harder to surrender than possessions is relationships. Relationships of all kinds – with our parents, with our friends, with our sisters and brothers, with our church family, with children, and with husbands.
Remember the idea of living with open hands. This is where holding loosely becomes so important. In receiving and giving of the things we’ve been entrusted with by God, keeping this “open hands” mindset gives freedom to live for eternal things. Again, this does NOT mean you do not love, invest in, cherish, and serve the people in your life; rather it means you do those things for the sheer glorification of Christ. If in Christ’s call for you to die to self and take up your cross, He requires you to go great distances from your family and friends or you lose a dear one to death or sickness, open hands enables you to trust God’s greater purpose and bigger plan. Great challenges and lose will come in our fallen world, ask God to instill this concept into your heart and life ahead of time.
For example, as a single I surrender my future husband to God. I hold loosely to him before I even know who he might be. Whether or not God chooses to give him to me or however long or short God allows me to have him before one of our deaths, I surrender him. I surrender my children, before I even have them. That means whether or not God allows me to have children, how long my children might live, and how they might obediently follow Christ in difficult or distant ways. I have neither husband nor children right now, but these are areas in my life that demonstrate the need to live with open hands. Even when God entrusts us with relationships for a season of our life, we are to receive, rejoice, and release- all with open hands.
What if we don’t surrender? Sometimes we turn the blessings from God into idols. We turn the things that God intended for us to use as tools for serving Him into things we serve instead of Him. This is no different from those mentioned in Romans 1 who traded worshipping the Creator for worshipping mere created things. Living continually with two open hands leaves no room for clinging to an idol or hiding it behind your back. Surrender has to be daily. We cannot muster up the ability to surrender. We must ask for it from God. The good news is- it is God’s desire too, and He will equip us and strengthen us each day!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
August 1st Already?!?
Can anyone tell me how it got to be August 1st so fast?! Glory be to God for an absolutely incredible summer! The tables have turned for me through the years of coming to Ecuador. Five years ago on August 1st, I arrived in Ecuador for my first long stay of four months. I cried a lot that day and every single day for the next month! Now as my departure date has almost arrived, I am so sad to leave and the tears are for a new reason! This past Saturday night at dinner, the sadness set in. When I got back to my room that night, “I said, Okay God, you’ve got to help me here. I feel so sad and I’ve got to keep moving forward!” Our Heaven Father graciously comforted me with these words, “Katie, I have great things planned for you for your life. Just like I have here. I didn’t write a single pointless, purposeless chapter for your life. The next is rich with purpose just like this one has been. The best news is that I NEVER leave you alone for one chapter. I go with you through all the chapters. I wrote them. Rest in me. You’re sad because I created you to love. If you trust me, your sadness is even precious to me. I’ll hold you and guide you.” Thank you God for speaking to the depths of my heart! The same is true for you. Every facet of our lives as followers of Christ is rich with purpose. So live like it!
As you know (and prayed), I spent this past week in Salasaka working with First Baptist Church Rocky Mount. Let me say- THANK YOU for praying! God worked this week on His watch! The days were full of visits and building relationships with contacts from Rocky Mount’s last two trips in February & May. Let me give you a few highlights and a few beautiful people to pray for!
Daycare- We worked with the children and teacher at a daycare for two days. We
played games and told Bible stories to the children, and my personal favorite, we made friends with the four sweet women who work there. I got to help Anita in the kitchen and see little glimpses of her heart. Anita is not a follower of Christ. Her mother-in-law, who was a evangelical, just passed away. Anita made a clear distinction between her religion and her in-laws. Please pray for Anita’s salvation. Through my time in the kitchen with Anita, I found out about the hidden burden that one of the other teachers, Maricela, carried behind her soft smile and business with the children. Maricela’s mom died eight days before in childbirth. The baby died too. Maricela’s eleven year old sister Johanna has moved in with her, her husband, and their three year old little boy. Thanks be to God for His timing in our visit. One of the women on the team from Rocky Mount and I were able to share the Gospel with Maricela and Johanna in response to their grief. Their sweet hearts are broken and grieving. It is evident that God is working in Maricela’s heart.
Please pray for Maricela and Johanna. Pray that as these families grieve these deaths that the Great Comforter will show himself to them. Pray that they will chose to follow Jesus through this difficult time.
Francisco- A man who is hard and closed to the Gospel. An indigenous man who has worshipped Pachimama (Mother Earth) since he was a child. Worships regularly at a “holy place” on the mountains. He says he has been blessed and he is content with this practice. He sees division among other religions and has no desire to change. His face is solemn. His opinion strong. FBC Rocky Mount is faithful to love him anyway and continue to visit him every trip. Please pray for Francisco and his wife Anna Maria. Pray for the eyes of their hearts to be opened by the Holy Spirit and the consistence of Rocky Mount to soften his heart to true followers of Christ.
House Church- We had the privilege of visiting a house church, one that I visited five years ago. It was a joy to visit and encourage these brothers and sisters in Christ. What an encouragement they were to us! After sitting for two hours of listening to Bible teaching they were eager to continue for another hour or more!
When is the last time you sat in church and didn’t look at your watch when your stomach started growling? When is the last time you were so hungry for God’s Word that you would sit for hours just to hear it taught? I don’t know about you, but that was a convicting afternoon for me! Pray for our hunger for God’s Word to grow to such eagerness. Pray for Angel and this house church to continue on in obedience.
FBC Rocky Mount & Translators- Last thing- Please thank God with me for the incredible relationships developed this week within the team! Thank Him for their obedience and desire to serve Him by serving the people of Ecuador! What a blessing to serve with Wanda, Gretchen, Mike, Allison, James, Jimmy, Cecilia, Diego, and Aunt Ruby! Gracias a Dios por mis hermanos aqui!
I cannot begin to tell you everything. You’d likely grow tired of hearing the details, but be confident in this, God IS working in Ecuador. He is working in the people and He is working in me! I cannot image what my life would be like without having had the privilege of serving here this summer! God is not finished with me! And He’s not finished with you! Obedience prepares us for more obedience! There is more to come! In that there is great JOY!
As you know (and prayed), I spent this past week in Salasaka working with First Baptist Church Rocky Mount. Let me say- THANK YOU for praying! God worked this week on His watch! The days were full of visits and building relationships with contacts from Rocky Mount’s last two trips in February & May. Let me give you a few highlights and a few beautiful people to pray for!
Daycare- We worked with the children and teacher at a daycare for two days. We
played games and told Bible stories to the children, and my personal favorite, we made friends with the four sweet women who work there. I got to help Anita in the kitchen and see little glimpses of her heart. Anita is not a follower of Christ. Her mother-in-law, who was a evangelical, just passed away. Anita made a clear distinction between her religion and her in-laws. Please pray for Anita’s salvation. Through my time in the kitchen with Anita, I found out about the hidden burden that one of the other teachers, Maricela, carried behind her soft smile and business with the children. Maricela’s mom died eight days before in childbirth. The baby died too. Maricela’s eleven year old sister Johanna has moved in with her, her husband, and their three year old little boy. Thanks be to God for His timing in our visit. One of the women on the team from Rocky Mount and I were able to share the Gospel with Maricela and Johanna in response to their grief. Their sweet hearts are broken and grieving. It is evident that God is working in Maricela’s heart.
Please pray for Maricela and Johanna. Pray that as these families grieve these deaths that the Great Comforter will show himself to them. Pray that they will chose to follow Jesus through this difficult time.
Francisco- A man who is hard and closed to the Gospel. An indigenous man who has worshipped Pachimama (Mother Earth) since he was a child. Worships regularly at a “holy place” on the mountains. He says he has been blessed and he is content with this practice. He sees division among other religions and has no desire to change. His face is solemn. His opinion strong. FBC Rocky Mount is faithful to love him anyway and continue to visit him every trip. Please pray for Francisco and his wife Anna Maria. Pray for the eyes of their hearts to be opened by the Holy Spirit and the consistence of Rocky Mount to soften his heart to true followers of Christ.
House Church- We had the privilege of visiting a house church, one that I visited five years ago. It was a joy to visit and encourage these brothers and sisters in Christ. What an encouragement they were to us! After sitting for two hours of listening to Bible teaching they were eager to continue for another hour or more!
When is the last time you sat in church and didn’t look at your watch when your stomach started growling? When is the last time you were so hungry for God’s Word that you would sit for hours just to hear it taught? I don’t know about you, but that was a convicting afternoon for me! Pray for our hunger for God’s Word to grow to such eagerness. Pray for Angel and this house church to continue on in obedience.
FBC Rocky Mount & Translators- Last thing- Please thank God with me for the incredible relationships developed this week within the team! Thank Him for their obedience and desire to serve Him by serving the people of Ecuador! What a blessing to serve with Wanda, Gretchen, Mike, Allison, James, Jimmy, Cecilia, Diego, and Aunt Ruby! Gracias a Dios por mis hermanos aqui!
I cannot begin to tell you everything. You’d likely grow tired of hearing the details, but be confident in this, God IS working in Ecuador. He is working in the people and He is working in me! I cannot image what my life would be like without having had the privilege of serving here this summer! God is not finished with me! And He’s not finished with you! Obedience prepares us for more obedience! There is more to come! In that there is great JOY!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Headed to Salasaka
Last night we picked up the First Baptist Church Rocky Mount team from the airport. Mrs. Ruby & I will head to Salasaka this morning to work with them in their REAP community. Just after meeting them briefly last night, I am so excited to spend the rest of this week with them! We have so much to learn from each other and have so much excitement to share about taking the gospel to the nations. I believe God is going to use them greatly this week in building relationships with the Quichua people of Salasaka.
This week we enter into a place of darkness. A community with very little evangelical presence. Rituals and false hope fills their religious lives. They pray to the Virgin Mary and the Saints. Sure, they’ve heard of Jesus, but they worship the child Jesus or the crucified, dying Jesus. They do not know the victory of the resurrection and the freedom of salvation. Pray that this week the strongholds of Satan will be broken. Pray that some will begin seeking Truth in the Bible and that for some their search will be over and they will be saved by Jesus Christ and experience true victory and freedom.
I cannot believe that 7 or my 8 weeks here are over! The time has gone by so fast. I got a card from my sister Britney back in June that encouraged me to live to the fullest. Elizabeth Elliot said, “Where ever you are, be all there.” Please pray that I will give of myself in service to my Savior this week by pouring into the people and into this team. I don’t want to hold anything back. I want God to use me. Please pray that God will advance our hearts’ desires to live out His love and gospel this week and our lives!
Finally please pray for our friends, Fabian and Gloria’s big evangelistic campaign this Friday, Saturday, & Sunday as they celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the church they helped start. Please pray that the community will see Jesus through them as the Gospel is preached and sung and free meals are served.
This week we enter into a place of darkness. A community with very little evangelical presence. Rituals and false hope fills their religious lives. They pray to the Virgin Mary and the Saints. Sure, they’ve heard of Jesus, but they worship the child Jesus or the crucified, dying Jesus. They do not know the victory of the resurrection and the freedom of salvation. Pray that this week the strongholds of Satan will be broken. Pray that some will begin seeking Truth in the Bible and that for some their search will be over and they will be saved by Jesus Christ and experience true victory and freedom.
I cannot believe that 7 or my 8 weeks here are over! The time has gone by so fast. I got a card from my sister Britney back in June that encouraged me to live to the fullest. Elizabeth Elliot said, “Where ever you are, be all there.” Please pray that I will give of myself in service to my Savior this week by pouring into the people and into this team. I don’t want to hold anything back. I want God to use me. Please pray that God will advance our hearts’ desires to live out His love and gospel this week and our lives!
Finally please pray for our friends, Fabian and Gloria’s big evangelistic campaign this Friday, Saturday, & Sunday as they celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the church they helped start. Please pray that the community will see Jesus through them as the Gospel is preached and sung and free meals are served.
Friday, July 22, 2011
For Such a Time as This
I have been in Quito for the past several weeks. Living life with Ruby & Fletcher has been a JOY, to say the least! I love being a REAP team member and a niece in the house of my Aunt Ruby & Uncle Fletcher! We’ve had major construction going on in their apartment for the past two weeks and today things are beginning to be put back into place. Four years ago when I lived with them and planned to teach English classes, a volcano erupted a week after I got there! My schedule shift to major disaster relief for the next three months! So hey- what’s a little cement dust! (Okay- I know Aunt Ruby- it was more than a little ;) I’m glad to be here…for such a time as this!
My translator project is complete! I presented the re-vamped “Translator Ministry” notebook to Ruby and Fletcher on Wednesday night. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been meeting with small groups of potential translators to share what REAP is, what we believe, and what we expect of them as translators. Now we have updated profiles and pictures ;-) on each of them! I’ve also contacted many through phone calls and e-mails. It has kept me busy and I have loved every minute of it! I love projects that I need a “To Do List” for! I love to organize things and to meet new people so it was a fun job for me. So I am thankful to be here for such a project as this!
I’ve been very thankful for some of the people that I’ve met through this. I made a wonderful new friend with a young woman. Through one of these routine translator meetings, I was drawn to this girl. I knew there was more to know about her beneath the surface. Through reading her profile and a later e-mail from her, I learned of some questions and burdens that she is carrying as a new believer. Since then we’ve been able to meet and talk about these things! It’s been so evident that God orchestrated this whole thing. What a gift this dear friend is to me! Such a reminder that behind every face is a story! Stories of pain and joy. Stories written by God intricate in design and rich in purpose. I know God gave me this translator project for such a friend as this!
Tomorrow morning we leave for the weekend to visit and encourage some friends near Ambato, where I spent a semester with the Dickersons in 2006. We are excited to spend time with these dear friends. They are faithful servants and missionaries to their own people. Just like when I get back to Henderson and Wake Forest, and just like you right where you are right now, God has purpose for us for each day! That purpose never differs from sharing the greatness of our God and living out the Gospel to every person you encounter. God put you exactly where you are for such a time as this. Look for those moments and rejoice in them!!
Please pray for my new friend, for safety as we travel, and for rich encouragement to be exchanged among us and our brothers and sisters-in-Christ this weekend.
My translator project is complete! I presented the re-vamped “Translator Ministry” notebook to Ruby and Fletcher on Wednesday night. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been meeting with small groups of potential translators to share what REAP is, what we believe, and what we expect of them as translators. Now we have updated profiles and pictures ;-) on each of them! I’ve also contacted many through phone calls and e-mails. It has kept me busy and I have loved every minute of it! I love projects that I need a “To Do List” for! I love to organize things and to meet new people so it was a fun job for me. So I am thankful to be here for such a project as this!
I’ve been very thankful for some of the people that I’ve met through this. I made a wonderful new friend with a young woman. Through one of these routine translator meetings, I was drawn to this girl. I knew there was more to know about her beneath the surface. Through reading her profile and a later e-mail from her, I learned of some questions and burdens that she is carrying as a new believer. Since then we’ve been able to meet and talk about these things! It’s been so evident that God orchestrated this whole thing. What a gift this dear friend is to me! Such a reminder that behind every face is a story! Stories of pain and joy. Stories written by God intricate in design and rich in purpose. I know God gave me this translator project for such a friend as this!
Tomorrow morning we leave for the weekend to visit and encourage some friends near Ambato, where I spent a semester with the Dickersons in 2006. We are excited to spend time with these dear friends. They are faithful servants and missionaries to their own people. Just like when I get back to Henderson and Wake Forest, and just like you right where you are right now, God has purpose for us for each day! That purpose never differs from sharing the greatness of our God and living out the Gospel to every person you encounter. God put you exactly where you are for such a time as this. Look for those moments and rejoice in them!!
Please pray for my new friend, for safety as we travel, and for rich encouragement to be exchanged among us and our brothers and sisters-in-Christ this weekend.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Top 10 things I’m thankful for from my 22nd year of life-
1. Ricky Vest officially becoming my brother. (Can’t believe Friday they’ve been married a whole year!)
2. Completing my first year of seminary (including GREEK…with A’s!!!)
3. Family Nights with Britney and John Marks. (What a blessing to be in WF and then in Henderson with them!)
4. C-N-C (aka College-n-Career) @ North Henderson really became a family!
5. Making such incredible, life-long friends at Southeastern. What a gift!!! (Can’t believe this time last year we didn’t even know each others’ names!)
6. The 8 months of the Nikon D-5000 and the first 7 months of the 365 Picture Project!
7. Living only 28 miles from my parents & my home church & being able to serve both again!
8. Another trip to Ecuador- God is so gracious in teaching me and preparing me for the future AND allowing me to serve with Aunt Ruby & Uncle Fletcher plus meeting so many new people!
9. Sunday Nights at the Sanders- Britney and John Marks buying a house in Henderson/the example they are living out for me, other young couple (Cecelia & Tony, Mike & Erica), and the students.
10. Lelia. Enough said :-)
2. Completing my first year of seminary (including GREEK…with A’s!!!)
3. Family Nights with Britney and John Marks. (What a blessing to be in WF and then in Henderson with them!)
4. C-N-C (aka College-n-Career) @ North Henderson really became a family!
5. Making such incredible, life-long friends at Southeastern. What a gift!!! (Can’t believe this time last year we didn’t even know each others’ names!)
6. The 8 months of the Nikon D-5000 and the first 7 months of the 365 Picture Project!
7. Living only 28 miles from my parents & my home church & being able to serve both again!
8. Another trip to Ecuador- God is so gracious in teaching me and preparing me for the future AND allowing me to serve with Aunt Ruby & Uncle Fletcher plus meeting so many new people!
9. Sunday Nights at the Sanders- Britney and John Marks buying a house in Henderson/the example they are living out for me, other young couple (Cecelia & Tony, Mike & Erica), and the students.
10. Lelia. Enough said :-)
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