A Sunday Morning Run

It is a simple white sign with almost childlike writing on it with 3 crosses clearly depicting the reason for the name of the farm-Grace Farm. It is a turnaround point out in the country for me as I am training for the Chicago Marathon.  That was what my sights were set on this morning as I hit the pavement.

I started out with a friend of mine who only had time to run a couple of the 7 I had to run. Then, the ear buds went in and the volume way up. I stopped to turn around at this quaint farm and headed back into town. I will say at this point I was in my own world and, as my kids would say, at the, "Mom, you need to be medicated" stage. With my hands raised, and singing at the top of my lungs and I am sure out of tune, I put one foot in front of the other down this quiet road. Then out of the corner of my eye I see a car pulling up right beside me. An unmarked police car! He asked if I was OK, and I said I was just fine. He said I looked like I was trying to flag someone down. I laughed and told him I was only raising my hands in worship cause it was a nice Sunday morning to do that. He probably would agree with my kids that I need to be medicated. 

I then thought back to a time when I ran because I was running from something. I was running from my past. I was running from things I did not even remember or understand. Now, I run, not just to that marker out in the country, but to Him whom that farm represents. The One who freed me from my past and my own sin that was dragging me down. He now runs with me and it is His presence that I long for. I do not have to be anyone, do anything or run from anything, I just need to seek His face and run with and for Him who is worthy of my praise regardless if I sound good to the corn fields!
I know I might look like a crazy person when I run with my worship music on but I hope that attitude of abandonment to Him continues, wherever I might be or in whatever I am doing! I guess I was never running by my self anyway...I always have a running partner.

1 Timothy 4:7-"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

INADEQUATE

A cross that sits at the shore of Green Lake

Green Lake, Wisconsin, a quiet, scenic lake surrounded by rolling hills, fir trees and typical Wisconsin landscape. Misty mornings, soulful sunsets and wildlife quieted the minds, hearts and bodies of those of us there. The peacefulness was something you could grab onto, breath deep into. This was the place were workers from all over the world, from every corner, came together to talk about anything but issues that were peaceful, quiet or beautiful. It was a conference on prostitution and sex trafficking. The surroundings were safe and comforting to many tired and burnt out front line workers who came for 5 days of worship, encouragement, prayer and rest.
I attended this conference to gain any little bit of knowledge in this area of ministry as I delve into this world on a deeper level every year I am in Zambia. With the work we intend to do when we move full-time, I am looking for any support in this world of darkness and despair.
What I found was this-HOPE. But not in the form of a plan, a book or a manual.  See, part of me went with a small expectation that upon arrival, I would receive a book, manual or some sort of instruction as to how to "do" this kind of ministry. By the end of the second day, I realized, like the lack of hot water streaming from my shower, it was not going to come my way. This was, for a moment, disappointing. This slight disappointment was quickly replaced by the realized encouragement that I, like everyone else there, did not have all the answers, hadn't a clue as to what the end of the tunnel looks like and was flying by the seat of their pants on shoe string budgets wondering how the heck they ended up in this kind of ministry. That was one of the most consistent themes throughout the conference-the feeling of inadequacy in the ability to do this work. A powerful place to be....for when we are weak, He is strong. From the speakers who stood on stage to the one on one conversations with simple people from all over the world, the message was clear. We were all just servants following the calling of God on our lives to jump into this work regardless of our education, our wealth, our feelings of worthiness or our training. I suddenly felt among friends. Those who argued with God because they were "just" a mom of 3 kids, or "just" an engineer, or "just" a secretary, or "just" a pastor's wife. Those who were willing to be broken by the things that break the heart of God and surrender to Him their lives not knowing where it would lead. The exhale was palpable.
The HOPE was this-that this work is done only in the power of the Holy Spirit through individuals who have emptied themselves of any pride or self dependence. Every country, city, demographic, and girl is a different battle, a different plan. That God will pave the road before you, that you will make mistakes as one speaker shared but that God will still redeem even when we get it wrong. For this is His work and He is in control and is mighty to save. He is already there-in the dark, waiting for us to join Him in defeating the enemy through prayer and in the powerful name of Jesus.
For God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. Feeling inadequate? Don't have a plan? Can't understand why God wants to use you? Lay it all down. The plan will come when we surrender everything to Him.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31-"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God.-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: let him who boasts boast in the Lord."