Geography confusion

Our kids, since we’ve moved around and traveled so much, have always been fascinated by cities, states, counties, and countries.  They are constantly asking questions like, “Is Jeffersonville a city or a county?”  “Is Somerset a state or a country?”  “What is our country?”  “What county does Gertie live in?”  “What language do they speak in Illinois?”

We’ve said for months now that we can’t wait to get to geography in school to try and clear some of this up.  Well, the confusion seems to be growing.  Twice recently, in Paducah and in Evansville, as we were driving down the road, Catherine called up to the front seat and asked, “Hey, Mom!  Is Wal-Mart a city or a state?”

To all my fellow Southern Baptists

Last week our church had the privilege of hosting a missionary to Uganda.  Abigail Tracy, 22, ministers to street children in a village outside of Kampala, Uganda.  She and her colleagues have taken 16 children into their family home so far, and as funds allow and more workers come, they could take in as many as 60.  Abby will head back to Uganda June 1, but for now she is in the States finishing her duties as International Coordinator for her organization, African Hearts.

She was able to come on Saturday and stay until Thursday, speaking seven times while she was here.  She is an amazing young woman who has a clear focus on God’s plan for her life and who is steadfastly setting out to see that plan accomplished.  She teared up several times as she talked of her love for “her” kids, and how much she misses them and can’t wait to see them in few weeks.  Her passion and love for them and for God were obvious to anyone who had the privilege of speaking with her.

However….

…leading up to her visit, and during the course of her time here, there were several comments and questions and concerns that, quite frankly, left a bitter taste in my mouth.  You see, Abby Tracy is not Southern Baptist, and African Hearts is not a Southern Baptist organization.  Therefore, there were some who thought that our Southern Baptist church should not even have her come speak at all.  While she was here, during question and answer times, there were a few who had no questions at all about the children, the work, the needs, but instead asked only questions about the denominational involvement, the church affiliation, the pastor’s nationality.

May I submit that the Southern Baptists are not the only missionaries out there that need our prayers and support?  May I submit that there are some excellent organizations that are doing much to further the kingdom that have no association whatsoever with the IMB?  May I dare to submit that there are even non-Southern Baptist missionaries and organizations out there that are probably more biblical than our own mission board?

Please do not misunderstand.  I am a Southern Baptist.  I am of the opinion that the idea and theory behind our International Mission Board and the excellent support that is given to our missionaries through the Cooperative Program is wonderful.  We as Southern Baptists support many godly men and women who are doing wonderful work in the countries around the globe, and we should by all means continue to pray for them and support them financially.  But they are not the only ones out there!!!

During our “desert time” in Indiana, God was so good to allow us to be part of a church that we loved for the doctrine, the people, the practical application of the Word, and the attitude toward global missions.  This was our first real taste of how a non-Southern Baptist church goes about supporting global missions.  Faith Baptist Church has a surprisingly lengthy list of missionaries that they support, some of which have been sent out or commissioned by Faith.  The church supports each one in varying amounts, but they support them individually.  It’s up close and personal, not generically through a board.  The church votes in each case whether to support a certain missionary or not, and once they are supporting them, they have teams for each missionary to keep the church updated on the work of that missionary.  When the missionaries happen to be in the area, they often come by the church and share what God has been doing in their ministry. Many of them even grew up in that church and were then sent out by that church, so they are viewed as part of the family when they are on the field, having church members take trips to go and visit them.   We were there only 18 months and we had the privilege of meeting personally several of these missionaries, even having one in our home that our kids were able to meet.

This kind of up-close-and-personal contact is often missing in Southern Baptist churches.  Our missionaries are well cared for, but it’s not personal and individual.  You might meet a missionary here and there at a missions fair or something, but usually you will never see or hear from them again.  The next visiting missionary will be someone new.  There is no continuity of contact with any one person, in most cases.  We will read about the featured missionary in the bulletin inserts and missions magazines, and we will pray for the missionaries in the birthday calendar, but when do you ever think of them again?  It’s just some name floating around that you are praying for or talking about, and you have no clue what that person’s work is or what their needs are.

Does God hear and use those prayers?  Absolutely.  Is it wrong to pray for missionaries on their birthday even though you’ve never heard of them and have no idea what they do?  Absolutely not.  But let me share with you something that our pastor said in his sermon last night:  Prayer is a weapon.  A general prayer along the lines of “God, help me today,” or “God, be with Mrs. Smith” is not wrong and is still a valid prayer.  But how much more effectively the weapon of prayer is used when we aim it at specific targets, naming specific names and specific requests or needs.  How much more effectively could we pray for our missionaries if we actually knew them personally, or at least continued hearing about them on a regular basis instead of just once in passing?

My children got to spend quite a bit of time with Abby, as we drove her around, had her in our home, and served as her “hosts” while she was here.  They, in that special way children have, grew to love her even in such a short amount of time.  They were able to ask her questions about her street children.  They learned the names of the children, what they like to do, and even learned a praise song in their language.  As we keep in touch with Abby, they will be able to continue praying for these kids.  As we help her sell the necklaces that bring in the funds to run her ministry, they will be able to work for a cause that’s greater than themselves, all the while having a specific picture in their mind of who they are helping.

Many people in our church were excited to do these same things.  Many people have expressed interest in buying a necklace to support these kids, and there has been talk of other ways that our church might continue to partner with Abby Tracy and African Hearts to reach the street children of one Ugandan city.  The negative attitude against a non-Southern Baptist missionary was in no way representative of the whole, but it was there none-the-less, clear enough that Abby began asking lots of questions about why it even mattered whether she was Southern Baptist.  All we could tell her was that, to us, it didn’t.

There is more bouncing around in my head that I would love to say on missions and Southern Baptists, but I’ll have mercy on my readers and save it for another post.  Let me just end this one by saying:

To all my fellow Southern Baptists,

Be faithful to support missions.  Be faithful to pray for missionaries.  Do this through your local church, through the International Mission Board as you see fit.  But please please please do not fall into the arrogant mindset that the IMB sends out the only worthy missionaries doing the only worthy work.  When you hear of another ministry like African Hearts, embrace it.  (Obviously, investigate any missionary or organization to ensure the soundness of the doctrine and methods to which they hold.)  Take advantage of every opportunity that you have to keep biblically sound missionaries and ministries up close and personal in your life and in the lives of your children, whether they are Southern Baptist or not.

The lesser of two evils

Abigail always sleeps on the very edge of her bed, the edge next to Catherine’s trundle bed.  In my opinion, this is so she and Catherine can play and whisper and all that jazz, but if you ask her, it’s because the other side of the bed is scary.  She always says that she’s afraid there will be crocodiles over there.  Tonight, when her daddy was tucking her in, she expounded on this a little more.  “Dad,” she said, “I know there’s really no crocodiles on that side of the bed.  But I’d rather sleep on this side of the bed anyway.  Catherine’s mean some of the time, but crocodiles are mean all of the time.”

Will I shine? (for those who are heroes in dark times)

Jesus never promised an easy road through life upon following Him.  In fact, He basically promised the opposite–that the way will be difficult and riddled with hardships.  Each of us, in following Christ, will go through experiences that are painful, difficult, life-altering.  In these experiences we have a choice:  how will we respond?  Kick and fight against it, whine and pity ourselves, scramble around breaking our necks to find a way out prematurely, stomp off in anger and tell God we’re not playing if He’s not going to play our way?  Or will we have the grace (God promises the grace, it’s up to us to employ it) to respond with a quiet, steadfast heart that is willing to submit to whatever cup our loving Father will pour for us, trusting Him to know what’s good for us even though in our limited perspective the situation seems very very bad?  Thankfully, we have so many models to look to, people who have gone through tragedy or hardship and come through shining quietly.  I think of people I’ve admired as I’ve heard their stories–Susanna Wesley;  Elizabeth Prentiss;  Joni Eareckson Tada; Alba, a humble, joyful woman in the rural mountains of Ecuador (the only one in this list that I’ve had the privilege of meeting); and of course, my great hero of the faith, Elisabeth Elliot–who lost not only Jim, her famous first husband, but also her second husband to cancer.  Each of these women–and there are many others, countless women everyday whose names and stories never become known–went through extremely difficult situations, tragic situations, and yet remained steadfast and quiet.  Lord, give me grace–as you allow pain and trials in my life–to follow in the footsteps of these women who followed you faithfully even when the way seemed dark, lonely, and too heavy to bear.

When I hear this song, I think of them:

“The Moon”–Kendall Payne

The moon’s worn thin, succombed to the pressure.  Her silver dress hangs in the sky like a rag.  Her coat, her cloak, her cover of darkness fails to hide the tears that she’s cried.  Oh, she cries.  But she still shines, though the night falls around her.  By her light, I find my way.  When I fear the path laid before me, I look to the light of her face and thank her for being so brave.

The moon remains in fullness or frailty.  A faithful climb, and I stand amazed at the way she still shines, though the night falls around her.  By her light, I find my way.  When I fear the path laid before me, I look to the light of her face and thank her for being so brave.

Choose life

Recently I was reading in Deuteronomy and came across the following Scripture:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.  Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”  Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I have read that passage many times before, but for some reason, this time it really stood out.  Most specifically, my mind stuck on the phrase, “that you and your offspring may live.”

I don’t adhere to covenant theology–the teaching that the children of believing parents are also part of the covenant and therefore will be saved by default (in my very limited understanding)–but I cannot argue the fact that the lives of the parents have an effect on the children.  As my kids are growing from babies to toddlers to preschoolers to “big kids” (and I just happen to have one of each!), it becomes more and more apparent to me that I am not living my life solely for myself.  My decisions impact others.  Whether I am diligent in housework or lay around all day.  Whether I am diligent to exercise and eat right or just remain sedentary and unhealthy.  Whether I am wise with finances or spend money carelessly.  What I watch on TV.  What I let my kids watch on TV.  The music I listen to.  The words I speak.  The tone I use when I speak.  Each one of these things is a decision that I make on one level for myself, but deeper than that, they have an impact on my children.  My children are watching me, whether I–or even they–realize it.  I am a model for them.  I’m not the only model they have, but I am one of the two most influential models that they have.

My walk with Christ, my pursuit of holiness, my battle against sin–do not involve just me and God.  The Scripture doesn’t say, as the old Geoff Moore (?) song says, “Choose life, that you may live.”  It says, “that you and your offspring may live.”  You’ve heard people say, “It’s not just about you.”  Well, it’s not.  I have four other little hearts for whom I’m choosing life.  I cannot save my children by living a holy life.  I cannot save them by teaching them and training them in righteousness.  God, in His abundant mercy, is the only One who can save them.  But I can definitely play a part in making the path between their sinful hearts and God’s infinite grace more clear by choosing life and modeling holiness for them.  It may not make them more likely to be saved, but it may make it easier for them to choose life every day once they are, since that’s what was modeled for them.

What an awesome responsibility!  My shoulders feel so heavy sometimes with the weight of the responsibility God has given me in each little baby that was placed in my arms.  Parents, your Christian life is not just about you!  You are the primary discipler of your children, whether you are actively doing anything about that or not.  That is your role.  That is my role for my kids (along with my husband, of course).  Yes, I will stand before God and answer for my own life, my own walk, my own decisions.  But I will also answer for the way my life impacted my kids.  Am I choosing life for them?  Am I clearing off the path to God for them, or am I placing obstacles in their way by the disconnect between what I preach and what I practice?

I know that these words were spoken specifically to the Israelites about the Promised Land, but I believe the application I’ve drawn is definitely valid.  Do I want my children to love the Lord, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him?  Absolutely–it’s my heart’s greatest desire.  Then I must choose life that not only I might live, but my children as well.

**One of my favorite singers speaks to this theme as well:

Sara Groves–”Generations”

“I can taste the fruit of Eve.  I’m aware of sickness, death, and disease.  The results of her choices were vast.  Eve was the first but she wasn’t the last.  If I were honest with myself, had I been standing at that tree, my mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit–things I shouldn’t know, things I shouldn’t see.  Remind of this with every decision, generations will reap what I sow.  I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.

She taught us to fear the serpent; I’m learning to fear myself and all of the things I am capable of in my search for wisdom, acceptance, and wealth.  To say that the devil made me do it, is a cop-out and a lie.  The devil can’t make me do anything when I’m calling on Jesus Christ.  Remind me of this with every decision, generations will reap what I sow.  I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.

To my great-great-great-granddaughter, live in peace.  To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace.  Remind me of this with every decision, generations will reap what I sow.  I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.”

Awesome song, awesome message.  Lord, help me choose life.