Confessions of a Missionary Mama

Everyones' alseep except for....
ME!

I really need to be, but I cannot get this scripture out of my head
^{Matt 28-30}"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." -Jesus (the Message)

Ironic right?

So, we went to 2 different churches today, and the kids did not mind, whew!  It was alot to ask of them. 
First up was The Springs Church at 9am.  A little secret about me is that I love organized corporate gatherings of God's people.  I love to learn... and alot, it is a natural fit for me, so I could go to church every day.  So, that shows my western state of mind for ya.  To learn in the head, but not experience or live out holistically, ahhhhh....that's where I am growing these days.  To not be pregnant with the truths of God and then never give birth to it or share it.  Any way, Pastor Gary Wilkerson said something deep today.  'It is easier to go across the ocean to India and love the Indians than it is to love your neighbor right here next to you.'  WOW.  Then he went on to say how romantic it sounds to go off to another country and share God's love.  Now, I personally know the Wilkerson families' story, they are a family of missionary evangelists that started Teen Challenge in the inner city of NYC.  So he said this not to condemn the missionary called by God, but to challenge us all to get out of our boxes and love each other, the 'each others' right under our noses.  I found his teaching to be charmingly corky and over all right on.  We decided to give the Springs Church a try after its members had blessed us so much New Years Eve and New Years day.  So glad that we went.   Matt 11 came from his teaching today. 

At 11am we drove an exit up the highway to New Life Church.  The musical talent there is incredible.  Jared Anderson, musician and song writer hit it out of the park today.   He lead us in worship to a song he wrote called the Great I Am.  (I think)  It spoke deeply to a hurting place in my heart.  I sat next to Dusty (of course) and a fancy dressed, 50ish or so year old woman that praised God like a 6 year old at Disneyland.  It was so encouraging to me.  Pastor Brady has this way of teaching that I have never heard before.  It is exactly what I need right now.  God is so good about placing us where we need to be at just the right time.  He is all about having everyone know that he will not be the pastor of a comfortable church.  He talks about miracles and the early church and how New Life needs to reflect that, not this natural world we live in.  So, what will we, the Northrop Family do this week to reflect the message we heard today?  This is the challenge right?  How to really apply beautifully written sermons to our Monday-Saturdays.  Now that I dropped of a heavy load to JC today I plan to do something adventurous this week.  Not sure yet what it will be, or how I will fit it in, lol.  But I am going to make myself available to God to use me for the strange and wonderful.  It happens over seas, it happened all summer long while on out reach, so why not here.   I lay that at the feet of JC and ask that He uses me this week.   Good food for my soul. 

So, today I take this away, I need to seek him more to reflect him more.  Even when I stumble, I have to get back up and try again.  I have to act more like Jesus did if I want the results in my marriage that I do.  I have to make that choice.  I have to try at the least.  And when my walk turns to a crawl like it did last week, I need to give my heavy burden to Him.  I need to learn from Jesus, watch how he works, and learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  Ah, The unforced rhythms of grace.  That is so not of this world is it?
 'I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you' He says to me.  Why does it feel so heavy sometimes?  Why does it seam like I am running over a wire, 1,000 feet above a rushing river? 
This journey is requiring all of me and all of Him.  I think I forget the part where I call upon all of him.  I am bigger when I am on my knees, not striving to get through to the next day.  This call is not ill-fitting, he has the right warrior princess mama for the job.