On Giving Up Our Rights As Foreigners

     The topic of this blog post has been swirling around in my head for years. YEARS. My worldview has been formed based on my personal experiences and how they interact with the God I see in the Bible. And now I need to put these thoughts into words. 

    I have had the distinct privilege of living as a foreigner - many times. And while traveling/living abroad, I never once expected the country, the people, the culture, to change for my sake. Sure, I'd prefer if most countries had better Tex-Mex than they probably do. I wish certain places saw the value of self-check-out, or paying bills online. I wish quality healthcare wasn't only for the wealthy and that return policies always existed and were as easy as Amazon. But I've never expected a culture to change their values so I would feel more at home. I knew it wasn't my home. I knew my value system was different. 

I knew I was visiting.

    This is the part I love most about living abroad: I am constantly reminded that I am not home. My value system doesn't match the values of the world around me, and I must give up certain rights from my culture because I'm not home. And even when I am back in the US, I've changed enough to feel not-quite-at-home there either. I'm thankful God has pushed me out of my comfort zone enough to feel this. 

    But I struggle to understand when I see many of my Christian brothers and sisters (often in the US) fearfully fighting so hard to make society match their values and beliefs. Fighting to make laws comfortable for their belief system and to outlaw the things God calls sin - sin - even for those who don't believe in their God. But why? How confusing is it for the world around us to hear us claim that "this world is not our eternal home," but then fight tooth and nail to make it as comfortable for us and for our children as possible. Is this really our mission on this foreign planet? When I do live in the US, I feel like this is a heavy hinderance in sharing the Gospel with those around me, how to be bold when I see firsthand how this image problem with American Christianity has confused so many.

    The danger in being so comfortable in world is that we will forget we are foreigners who have given up our rights because we are not yet home. As we share stories of God's faithfulness with the next generation, are we also reminding them of their true citizenship? As we instill God's eternal value system into our children, are we also teaching them that there will always be tension in this world until we are home? Or are we more focused on trying to change our world for them? Do we bring our children into this world having fully accepted that they will never be home? They will always be foreigners. This shouldn't cause fear, but a renewed purpose - to teach them how to be light. 

    In living as foreigners, we follow the example of Jesus who gave up his heavenly rights to come to our home (Philippians 2:5-8). The goal cannot be a perfect world and government that makes us feel comfortable and safe in our value system. Otherwise, we won't long for home (Hebrews 12:13-16). The American Evangelical image problem that the world sees is when we claim to look forward to a "better place, a heavenly homeland" while also seeming to take personal offense at the laws and changes in our world based on a different value system. Why are we known for being fearful and going to battle for a "culture war" in a land not our own? 

    Here's my favorite silly example of this idea: Chick-fil-a. It's definitely been in the hot seat over the past decade for pretty strict Biblical beliefs. And yet most people (Christian or not) still regularly consume Chick-fil-a. Why? I certainly haven't not studied this in depth, but I think it might be because Chick-fil-a is very good at what it is made to be good at: consistently quality food, reasonable prices, and considerate customer service. People like this, even if they adamantly disagree with their philosophy and beliefs. Yes, the Gospel is offensive and should not be watered down to excuse what the Bible calls sin. But how many times are we as Christians offensive, and not the Gospel itself? How can we take a page out of Chick-fil-a's book and be so good at representing Jesus that non-believers may choose to reject him, but they cannot deny they are deeply loved by their Christian friend? As we share the good news of Jesus, they may choose to believe Christianity is a farce, but cannot deny the dedication in which we pursue our Savior as we love our neighbor. How would that change the way the world sees us, if we can rest in the knowledge that this world is not our home? What if weren't afraid for the world to see us as the foreigners we are? 

We don't have to move to another country to live as a foreigner (although it certainly helps!). How can we all be content to sit in a space that wasn't created for us? Maybe we can:

• visit a church that worships in a different language or custom 
• serve the homeless population by really sitting and sharing a meal with them and asking them their story 
• visit a local prison and serve the prison community (there's lot of ministries that do this)
• adopt or foster a child, or put yourself in situations to care for those who do, to see a different perspective of the "traditional family"
• make friends (real friends) with people not at all like you - immigrants, people in the LGBTQ+ community, people experiencing poverty etc. 
• have a meal with a close believing friend you know votes differently than you (gulp!) and ask them why they believe and value what they do
• switch jobs to an environment where the other employees or clientele might all believe differently than you do 

I can't imagine how this would change the world's perspective on Jesus and the Church if we were known for regularly doing the things above, and not living in fear of the "other." And it's not a gimmick, it's what Jesus modeled and it's his purpose for his children. Here's some other passages:

Matthew 17:24-27 - Jesus gives up his right as a free citizen, but submits to the law by paying the temple tax so as not to offend anyone (and he is literally God) 

1 Corinthians 9 - Paul talks about the rights he gives up to find common ground with everyone, for the purpose of winning anyone to Christ

1 Peter 2:13-25 - Doing good, showing respect to all, fearing God not man, loving other believers, and submitting to the authority is what silences the talk of foolish people

I'll close with a scene from season 2 of the TV series The Chosen. Jesus tells Matthew that his Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (aka the "blessed are the ____" phrases) are really a map. Jesus says "if someone wants to find me, those are the groups they should look for"

In order to find these groups, we have to give up our rights as Jesus did. 

Friends, are we living as visitors? 

The Cost of Really Seeing

     Throughout my life, I have had two different perspectives of God. Obviously, based on the titles, they're both partially flawed, but I'll explain the dangers of each in a minute. 

1. The Controlling Teacher - God is sovereign and in control. His ways are best and I can trust his goodness and timing. Everything is for my good and I don't need to question him. There is freedom in surrender, and I need to just "let go and let God." He knows all the answers and if I trust him, I shouldn't ask for the answers. He's the teacher I have to listen to and respect, but in my head I sometimes question if he has any idea what he's talking about. 

2. The Passive Comforter - God cares for me and grieves when I grieve as he whispers "it's not supposed to be this way." Sin, brokenness, hurt, unmet desires, suffering etc. are all a result of an imperfect world and God's choice to allow us free will. But after the pain, he promises to redeem it all and bring good out of it. He comforts me in the aftermath, but doesn't have any real control to do anything about it. 

Just a picture of Sammy,
living his best life in the snow 

I saw God in perspective number 1 for a long time in my life. The problem with that perspective shows up suddenly when we first experience real pain. Not the I'm-stressed-because-HEB-ran-out-of-toilet-paper-during-a-pandemic kind of pain, the kind that breaks your heart and keeps you from getting out of bed in the morning. The problem with "just accept this as his plan" is that it makes him seem sooooo cruel in the pain. Why would he allow this to happen? Why isn't he doing anything about this? This can't be his best way. Babies go hungry, parents bury their children, teenagers never get adopted, mass shootings end lives. This cannot be a good God's "best way." 

So once I felt pain, I "subscribed" to perspective 2 because I needed a God who saw the suffering and truly cared. 

I believe the Bible, so God must be good. But since he allowed us free will, the answer must be that he can't really make his best happen. He's constantly having to respond to things and turn them into being for my good, but he really doesn't have full control. He's passive, but caring. Reactive, not proactive. At least, I decided, he's not cruel. 

Ultimately, 

Perspective 1 forces me ignore the cost of pain because then he's not good. 

Perspective 2 forces me to wallow in the pain because then he's not powerful.

But both of these perspectives left me longing for a better view. God was too small for me and was therefore either not good or not powerful, two things I have always been told he is. I needed to experience him, see him fresh. But would I be ok with just seeing him? Would I be ok if he didn't answer any of my questions? 

I'm reading through the Gospels this year - the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible. And I'm asking God to show himself in a fresh way. I don't want to just "merge" these 2 perspectives together for a more "wholistic" view of God, I want new eyes to see him. And so far he has shown me how he doesn't care about the things we care about as humans. I mean, I always knew that, but he flips our world upside down with the things he says and does. He chases after the marginalized, the poor, the misunderstood, and least-likely. 

In John 5, Jesus heals a crippled man. The man had been crippled for 38 years and sat waiting by a pool known for its healing powers. Most translations remove verse 4, but I recently read it in a different translation. It gives a new meaning to verse 7 and the story as a whole. Verse 4 says "from time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had." Both the pool and the God's angel were unfair. The system was unjust. It seemed to play into the lie that "God helps those who help themselves." So this poor, disabled man tells Jesus that when the waters are stirred, he gets passed by others who are quicker to get to the water than he is (verse 7). 

As I was reading, I asked God, "why would you allow for that? It's so unfair and hurtful for this man and anyone else with the disadvantage of being able to see or jump up and run when the angel came!"

And God asked me, "what would that man have missed if he was able to find healing when the angel stirred up the pool?"

The answer is humbling and honestly frustrating. Had the man never been crippled, or had he made it to the pool to be healed easily or early on he ... 

... w a i t - f o r - i t ...

N E V E R    W O U L D    H A V E    S E E N    J E S U S. 

Now of course, you saw this coming. It's obvious. There's a long list of people in the Bible, way before you and me, who experienced this:

• 
  Mary and Martha would not have seen Jesus' resurrection power had Lazarus not died. At that point the world had only seen him as healer, not resurrector. (John 11)
• Job never would not have seen God had he not allowed him to suffer. (Job 42:5)
• The Roman centurion would not have met Jesus had he his servant not been sick. (Matthew 8) 
• Hagar would not have seen God if she had not been mistreated and in the wilderness. (Genesis 16:13)
• Jarius would not have met Jesus has he daughter not been sick. (Mark 5)
• Jeremiah would not have written a book of hope in the midst of lament had he not experience the pain and loneliness of being a prophet of God. (Lamentations) 

...the list goes on and on. 

So the question is, is the pain worth it to see Jesus? Ugh. Paul encourages believers in 2 Corinthians 4:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

The cost is high in human, earthly terms. Is this pain worth the joy that is to come? We can't just whimsically say "sure" and not confront the reality of our present suffering. We can only accept the cost when we've truly counted it and when we see Jesus walking in it with us. 

Often times I have more questions than answers. But I'm still asking for new eyes because I know that he is good and I know that he is powerful. And seeing him is enough. 

For more info on this topic, I encourage you to read Tim Keller's book Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. It has challenged a lot of my own perceptions of pain (specifically how we see it in our Western Culture) and how God sees it, with his eternal perspective.

When Your Credits Don't Transfer

     My debriefing counselor called it "ambiguous loss." But I love metaphors. So that's what I'm calling this season: When Your Credits Don't Transfer. You've heard of the frustration the loss of credits can cause, maybe even experienced it yourself. When you invest time, energy, money, and more into a university and you gain a wealth of knowledge and life experience, but then you transfer to another university. And they don't see your credits as valuable. What they're working toward isn't what you've been working towards. And you're left with all these seemingly worthless credits. 

     I think about this quote from Gloria in the show Modern Family. She's Colombian and tired of having to translate from Spanish to English in every conversation, and wants to be able to speak to someone in her own language in her own home. She finally yells "do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?" While I am definitely NOT that smart in Spanish, I think the concept still applies. She's frustrated that her life experience isn't appreciated in the world that she's living in, and she's tired of being misunderstood because of it. 

     I spent the majority of my 20s living in another country, and coming back to Texas, I feel super behind. I have credits - spiritual/emotional, professional, cultural - that haven't all transferred back. I'm not sure how to get "credit" for them in a world that seems to follow a clear-cut, linear timeline. North American, Jesus-following believers, we MUST stop affirming life only by one trajectory of events. College degrees, careers, marriage, promotions, vacation plans, birth / adoption of children, a new house, a new car, the remodeling of said house....etc. These are ALL blessings that should be celebrated, but they cannot be the only things we celebrate. After all, while he was on this earth, Jesus experienced almost none of the things we celebrate today, and you know he probably wanted to scream "do you even know how worshipped and recognized I am in heaven!?!?" Just kidding, he was too humble for that. He knew his "heaven-credits" would never transfer. 

     I think that's why he went after the poor, the broken, marginalized outsiders. Because he knew they didn't fit in in this world. That's so comforting to me when I look at the injustice in our world. We are citizens of heaven and our earthly credits won't transfer to our eternal home. 

     So let's celebrate those whose credits aren't seeming to transfer. Let's ask them what life credits they have earned and what pieces of himself God has given them through it. He always gives us something: 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

 

Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

 

Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

 

Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

 

Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.

 

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

- Matthew 5

There and Back Again

The other day I was listening to a sermon when I accidentally typed "sacrifice" instead of "surrender" in my notes. Oops. "Easy mistake," I thought. "They're basically synonyms." But as I continued to think about it, they're not. Not even close. 

A sacrifice is a check for $500. It might hurt. But I know how much I'm giving and can choose if I'm ready and willing to make that sacrifice. I can look around at others and compare my sacrifice to theirs, coming up with a specific amount, just more than theirs, that makes me feel just a bit more holy. I can ask God what he needs and sacrifice that much from my own pile. The sacrifice is about me and what I think God needs from me. And I (sometimes subconsciously) say "hey look over here," so he'll notice all I'm giving. I expect him to act on my behalf, or at the very least, thank me. I mean, come on, I sacrificed. 

But surrender is a blank check. I offer it, not knowing what it will cost, not seeing what others have paid. I can only offer it when I trust the recipient. When else would you give someone a blank check? Surrender is about the one I surrender to, it's humility, and there's nothing flashy to draw attention or praise to it. It is hidden.

Living in Bogotá, Colombia the past 5 years has been a sacrifice. I have missed out on countless events, opportunities, highs and lows in my hometown with my Texas family and friends. I have grown up and finished my 20s in Bogotá. I have embraced a new language and culture that sees the person before the task and the present before the efficient. I've fallen in love with my wonderful students and been blessed to see the Holy Spirit working in their lives. I've stumbled into a role that fully uses my theater major, proving that God uses our obedience over logic.

But now I'm being torn from that life. Asked to surrender and come home.

I'm coming back to Texas feeling like I'm 23 again, returning from England full of unexplainable experiences that I can't fully communicate. All the while everyone else has continued on with their lives, most in completely new seasons since the last time we shared our lives side-by-side. 

So who am I now if I'm not "that friend who lives in Colombia" or a "cousin/daughter/sister/tia who's a missionary?" What if my identity isn't in being a servant? 

The perspective of the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son has become a new favorite for me during my time in Colombia. I've always heard sermons that condemn the older brother for not being excited for the runaway's return, so I've felt guilty for relating to him more than any other character in the Bible. The book The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen has helped me see God's heart is not to condemn his older son; he sees the burden the older son has placed upon himself and has compassion for him. He sees his pain in slaving away, trying to earn a place in his father's house, and he desires for both of his sons to come home.

I have never doubted that I am at work for his glory. I am fully confident that me 'n' Jesus will have much to celebrate one day in eternity when we look back on this season. 

But is he at work for my good?While I've been busy being a good older brother to the prodigal son, a useful tool out in the field, have I neglected celebrating my own inheritance, or investing in my own life? In things that will be around next year or (dare I say!) in 5 years? My own life has been on pause so that I can give to others. But isn't that what he wants? My sacrifice? 

For the older brother in the Prodigal Son parable, he is hurt that the father eagerly gives the prodigal food and clothes, when he's been slaving away for years and the father "never once gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends!" The father understands this frustration and so do we! If what the older brother said was actually true, the father would be a really terrible Dad. But he's not. 'Cause here's the catch: it was actually always all the older brother's to begin with. The goat, the clothes, the house. ALL OF IT. He was a son. An heir. And he missed the chance to enjoy it because he was too busy trying to earn it. 

Imagine winning the lottery and instead of walking in to claim your winnings, you stand outside begging for the money to pay for it. It's already yours. You just have to claim it.

In Isaiah 1, God tells his people that their sacrifices actually burden him. He desires to heal them, but they're bent on giving him their sacrifices and gifts to earn his favor. It grieves him to see us work to earn our inheritance when it's already ours as his children!

It seems so simple. But it's anything but easy, at least for me. 

Surrender isn't giving anything up, but giving everything up. 

And accepting that it was all mine to begin with. 

Weird. 

So I'm a hobbit coming home. From sacrifice to surrender.

There and Back Again. 

The end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The hobbits return home from their grand adventures, looking around at each other like, "what do we do with all that?"
It's so heavy. 
Yup, I get this vibe big time.
Welcome back to the Shire.

All I Have is Yours

by Rachel Jeske in April 2020

I was numb. 

I felt nothing. 

But I wanted to want Him. 

So I thought I had to go somewhere else and figure it out. 

My grace is sufficient.

That means that’s all you need.

And it works best when you feel weak.

But I needed to earn it. 

So I left.

The pain broke me. 

When you try your best but you can’t succeed, 

and you’re left picking up the pieces of the life you built.

Trying to salvage the story. The dreams.

All the while He whispered, “daughter.”

Stop doing and just be loved. 

But that made me uncomfortable.

So I left again. 

The holiest option is always the hardest, right?

Well, look what I can do for you.

A heart that feels like it never received what it was due. 

Seems so easy for others but so elusive to you. 

I have to trust that I’m wanted home, as the father urged his son to come inside.

He called me “beloved.” 

But I still felt more comfortable out in the fields. 

Look at how I’ve been slaving for you.

I asked him when would it all be enough.

When could I stop?

Have I not shown you that I love you? 

I screamed up to him.

I'm so lonely.

Why? All I have is yours.

Just ask.

The little sheep, with legs broken, will rest closer to the shepherd.

The shepherd will bring his flock back to the pasture. 

Which do I love more? The dream giver or the dream?

He’s not impressed with the sacrifice.

Just surrender.

Take what I have for you.

It was always yours to begin with.

All I have is yours. 

So the sheep came home to look.

"You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"

-Gandalf to Bilbo in The Hobbit

He Stands With Us in the Rain

     Hey, party people? How's being grounded at home feeling? :) Shortly after moving to Colombia in 2016, I wrote a blog post about resting and remaining close to our Shepherd. 
Read it here: Blog - The Lord is my Shepherd

Sammy loves isolation
with his humans!

     In that post, I talked about The Karate Kid movie, which has meant a lot to me spiritually over the years. In the original film, Mr. Miyagi teaches a kid karate in a very non-traditional way, by having him do seemingly useless small chores and tasks for a long, long time. When Daniel is about to quit, Mr. Miyagi finally reveals the purpose of the training and shows Daniel that the menial chores were all part of preparation for a real opponent. None of it was worthless work and suddenly the karate kid is ready to enter the game. This is an encouragement for me in my walk with Jesus. There are so many moments that I feel time is wasted, and that I'm not doing "as much for God" as I could be, as if he even needs me. Ha! There are seasons I feel like I'm repeating things I've already learned - multiple times over. There are days I feel unseen, like God's just messing with me, and I'll never get to advance. But this movie shows us God's patient kindness by giving us seasons to grow and prepare. This time of preparation is not wasted, although it often feels like it during the waiting. 

Karate Kid (2010)

     This past week has reminded me of this film, as all of us are locked up at home for a while, thanks to COVID-19. So I watched the re-make film with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. And this picture really stuck out to me (to the right). The Mr. Han is training his mentee to "pick up and hang up his jacket," as physical movement of Kung Fu move later in the film. And as the kid trains, Mr. Han stands with him in the rain, holding an umbrella. He's not asking him to do anything that he won't stand with him to do. He is there and he cares for him by protecting him from the rain. This is the Holy Spirit in our lives! If you're reading this and you don't know a god who loves you and walks with you like this, I'm praying that you'll meet him soon. This is how Jesus loves!! He stands with us in the rain. 

me and the roomies celebrating
1 week in quarantine!

     Throughout the whole movie, the kid (Daniel or Dre, depending on which version you watch) is so anxious to learn to fight, to defend himself. He cares more about what his instructor can teach him than learning from him just by being with him. This is much less important in the movie, but I think it can also translate to our walk with God. I, for one, am often so much more concerned with the answers and the final result than spending time with my Lord in the process. Would I rather spend time with him, or do I just want the quick fix, the answers, and the final product? Would I rather have his wonders and his blessings, or would I rather have him? Do I truly believe that he alone is enough? Lots to think about. 

Spring Play: rehearsals 2 weeks ago

Spring Play: lines practice today 

     In other news! We are 11 days into the nation-wide quarantine here in Colombia, and the hope is that it will be over on April 13th. Things are weird, days are long, but I'm thankful for plenty of rest and time to spend with Jesus and catch up with friends. Life these days has definitely looked differently. 

middle school youth group last month

middle school youth group today

     We still have virtual classes for the students and my roomies and I have kept busy with sunbathing on the balcony, walking Samwise, doing Jazzercise videos, and planning weekly celebrations of the quarantine. I've also been getting more involved in my church and serving in the middle school youth group. It's been a great challenge for my Spanish and I'm loving being a part of youth ministry again! 


     Let's continue to pray for the COVID-19 virus to end quickly and for God to absolutely use this in the lives of his creation around the world. 

"Being still and doing nothing are two very different things." 

- Mr. Han in The Karate Kid (2010)

Jesus Stopped.

El Camino Academy Staff Retreat 2019

Before Jesus ever started his public ministry, God had created a pain, but he also created a path to healing. Luke 8 tells the story of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. And during all those years, God was working. At the same time the woman began to bleed, God created Jarius' daughter who, 12 years later would need to be raised to life, causing Jarius to look for Jesus. And as Jesus was in route to heal the little girl, he encountered the woman who started it all, and who, by faith, called out for redemption. 

So Jesus stopped. 

Sunset View from Apartment 1604

He could have felt the power leave him but continued on his way to heal the girl, but he chose to stop, and from Jarius' perspective, delay. 

He cared deeply for this woman who reached out in faith. He cared because his father had created this journey, this route, more than 12 years ago, hoping that she would reach out in faith to be healed. 

And so Jesus stopped.

Bible project - mobile of priorities with Jesus at center

When he stopped, he turned his back to Jarius and looked around. And he used this woman's pain to show Jarius that he has enough power to heal both sorrows. 

Yet how often do I feel personally hurt when he turns to answer another prayer or heals or saves someone else while I am begging for his help. But the truth is that his choice to stop for another does nothing to take away from the power in my story. There is always more compassion and more time.

His time is not our time. Why did he let her bleed for 12 years? We'll never know this side of heaven. But while she waited, she was not forgotten. He was working. 

In English we say "God is working" or "God is at work." But in Spanish there's another word - "obrando." It goes beyond the idea of working or managing or operating. It implies more of a "creating" or "designing" and the word "obra" can be used to talk about a work of art or a play. I love this because it better portrays the process of God in us. It's a photograph being developed in a dark room, a story being dreamed up, or a seed planted but not buried forever. It is not finished. 


Jesus does not delay. But he does stop. 

none of it is worthless.

me with my 12th grade homeroom class

I've been thinking a lot about suffering as it fits into the Gospel. Lately I've had several conversations with teachers and students about a new documentary called American Gospel. Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU75EzbdNEc

American Gospel highlights US church leaders who are falsely preaching a Gospel of prosperity: God desires for you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. When you're not one of these things, the philosophy argues, you need to name and claim the better, easier things you want from God. 

B U T   W H E R E   I S   T H I S   I N   T H E    B I B L E ?

me speaking at our high school retreat

Old Testament - Noah, Joseph, Job, Hosea, Ruth...etc. All people who suffered. They were mocked, sold, tortured, broken, and alone. Yet God used them to re-populate the world, save all of Israel from famine, be examples to God's people, carry on the family line to Jesus...just stuff like that. 

New Testament - Literally all the the disciples tortured, killed, exiled for their faith in Jesus. Paul, who repeatedly asked God to remove a "thorn from his flesh" (2 Corinthians 12) and who delighted in weaknesses and hardships, so that the power of Christ may be evident in His life. 

S O    W E    M A D E    I T    U P.

As I've discussed this "prosperity gospel" with my students, I've realized that this North American mentality has made its way to South America too. Many churches here preach a message that says do ___________ and God will give you __________. I believe this sets people up for 2 different responses:

RESPONSE 1 - Distraction from depth in relationship with God due to all his "blessings." Constantly thinking that more has to be done in order to "keep up," or worse, thinking that somehow you really do deserve all the blessings.  

RESPONSE 2 - Disappointment when you're working hard, and God doesn't seem to live up to his end of the "bargain" because life is painful or hard. Disappointment stems from thinking we are owed more that we are given. 

ankle sprain doesn't stop me from coaching woman's staff team

Here is a true promise straight from the mouth of Jesus: "In this world you will have troubles, but take heart I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). So why are we surprised when pain comes? Why do we immediately try to avoid or repair it? I think we're actually missing out on this incredible steadfast strength that Paul mentions. 

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times that our sin and poor choices make life more difficult for us. There are absolutely consequences for going our own way and it is often painful. But what I'm talking about here is the truth that God desire for us to be holy, not just happy. He is using the pain to stretch us in extremely uncomfortable ways. For those of us who have truly surrendered our story to God, our lives are not our own. "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" (Job 2)

I've started reading a book called It's Not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst. This book is about how we have fallen from God's original design, but that we live on this side of eternity, where God is still in the process of redeeming all stories for his glory. She describes an addiction to comfort and the fear of being "touched" by God like this: 

"Being lulled into a false sense of security is worse than going through the process of suffering."

My dog Sammy and I in our apartment in Bogotá

In other words, it is far better to walk through the path of pain holding hands with Jesus, than it is to miss out on the growth that can only happen in these seasons of life. 

B  R  O  K  E  N      S  E  A  S  O  N  S

• When you've continuously waited for God's promises but you feel like maybe He forgot and you're tempted to try it your way. 
• When you did the right thing and now your friend won't talk to you.
• When your loved one fought hard the first time, but now the cancer is back. 
• When you spoke up for the right thing at work and you got fired. 
• When you have been begging God for a child while you struggle to celebrate with others who are getting pregnant so easily. 
• When you thought you heard from the Lord so you took the risk and followed, but now you question His goodness and your own ability to hear His voice. 
• When God takes away your child. 
• When the person you trusted the most rips your heart out and not even time can fix it. 
• When you're still not healing and you're tired of fighting.

I'll never get tired of soccer or mountains

Life is hard. It is painful. It is unfair. But we can take courage knowing that we are in good company and that we're not "doing something wrong." Just like Noah, Joseph, Job, Hosea, Ruth, Paul, at all the others, God is more interested in my holiness than my happiness. And he is doing something! with all of it! it's not over! Jesus is the lead example to say "not my will, but yours" God, be done in my life. But these struggles are what remind us that our hope is directly anchored to an unchanging promise of God's goodness and the eternal weight of glory. Don't run from him, let the hurt draw you to scream, and poor out your heart to him. Instead of trying to escape the pain, let God use it. 

N  O  N  E     O  F     I  T     I  S     W  O  R  T  H  L  E  S  S.