Practice what you preach

Psalm 119:11-16 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. 

I think that's the problem with most of us.   We are often very quick to forget His Word.  This time, God wasn't about to let that happen.  When I was preaching my heart out in Portuguese on John 11 on Sunday night in Brazil, I would have never dreamed what He had in mind to burn  those truths into my heart on Monday night back in Humble, TX.

Before leaving the US, I had in mind a message to preach to Congregacao Batista da Ressurecao when given the opportunity, but during my morning time alone with God on Wednesday, the Spirit made it very clear that He wanted me to share from John 11, the story of Lazarus's resurrection from the dead.  As He opened the eyes of my heart to the profound truths in this well known Bible story, I savored each morsel He laid out for me on His banquet table and looked forward to encouraging His people.  

When the time came to preach in Portuguese again, as always, I wondered if the words would come.  Carried on the prayers of His people, they did come and I humbly realized that the Holy Spirit was declaring His Word through His privileged servant.  Considering the distress Mary and Martha were going through with the grave sickness of their beloved brother, Lazarus, God wanted us to remember that, no matter what we are going through, He loves us.  All the time. He loves us so much that He weeps with us when we weep.  He also made very clear that His timing is perfect and that the reason He often waits to answer our prayers is because He loves us and wants to work out the bigger plan.  

John 11:3-4 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 

When the final words were spoken, I thought the sermon was over, but it had only just begun. 

A few hours later, we started our journey back across the ocean which was pretty uneventful save for the fact that we departed at 3:15 am and had a 3 hour layover in Panama.  Back in the US, it was time for a late lunch and my Chickfila salad was delicious but didn't really sit well. I thought that my stomach was just readjusting but the pain got worse through the afternoon.  

As the pain intensified, so did my prayers.  "Why Lord?  Can't this just pass so I can get some sleep?  Oh God, help me."   When my prayers for relief were met with the awkward silence that means "just hold on and trust Me" we knew I needed to see a Dr, so a friend came over to stay with the kids and we headed to the ER around 1 AM.  In extreme pain, Danyel drove me through the silent night and at the hospital, pain medicine came quickly so I was feeling sane again. It was quickly determined that I had appendicitis and needed to have my appendix removed.  My care has been guided by His loving hands and we have taken many opportunities to listen to the stories of our caregivers and to testify to God's grace in our own lives.  The Body of Christ has been at my bedside laying on hands in prayer and laughing with us at the crazy experiences that come with pain meds and anesthesia.

Over and over again I have thanked God that none of this happened in Brazil or especially on the plane, allowing us to be in more comfortable surroundings with the people we love to help care for us.  This all could have gone very differently, and appendixes are removed everyday in Brazil, too, but I am so grateful that He chose to let all of this unfold as it did.  

"This sickness is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

Thanks so much for joining us along the journey in prayer.

This is My Father's World

It's just another day in paradise and it's one of our favorite parts of the trip.  We swam with pink dolphins in the Amazon River, fed monkeys, held a sloth, anaconda and a baby alligator, fished for enormous strong Amazon fish called Pirarucu, saw lily pads that could hold up a small child, ate delicious Brazilian food at a floating restaurant, and had a wonderful day enjoying creation.

I could hardly stop singing one of my favorite hymns:

This is my Father’s world, And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white, Declare their maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong Seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world: The battle is not done:

Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And earth and Heav’n be one.  

Here's my favorite version: Jadon Lavik This is My Father's World

Please pray for us as we head home tonight and I'll send a final update of our last day of service when I get home.

 

How crazy do you have to be to take your kids on an internationalmission trip?

It's day 7 and we've reached a point in the trip that sometimes takes me by surprise........again.  I've had it many times before but it feels so selfish and unspiritual especially with a title like Family Life Pastor and all.  It's that point where you ask yourself, "Why did we bring the kids?"  Yes.  I said it. It's a question that goes through your head when the heat and the exhaustion and the stomach aches and the mosquito bites take your mind where you really "feel" like going.

The thought is fed by the fact that the sibling rivalry, laziness, respect challenges and general messiness that come with taking kids anywhere actually follows you on a mission trip, too.  Don't ever let the pictures deceive you into thinking that our kids have been unstoppable warriors for the gospel all week, never complaining or making faces when the food on their plates was unrecognizable or when other parents let their kids do it so "why don't you let us?"  

This week our kids have been kids.  Nothing magical happened when they stepped on the airplane for a mission trip.  They came just as they were, and just as we all are...works in progress.

But amazing progress we have truly seen.  They have prayed for the sick, boldly shared the gospel and loved the least of these and they will never be the same.  Perhaps the best part is that we have shared these kingdom experiences together. That means that the "God stories" that the rest of our friends and family just won't ever fully understand no matter how hard we try to explain them have become part of our family's shared history.  If taking kids on an international mission trip makes you crazy, then crazy we are.