Wet Feet

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua 3:6

“Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.” Joshua 3:8

That is how Mark Batterson opened a session last week.  When I opened my Bible to follow along I saw notes that I wrote in the margin long ago about “taking the first step” and was encouraged by the reminder he gave us that day.

In Joshua 3, the Lord gives Joshua the above message for the priests.  Even though the river was at flood stage, they were instructed to go and stand in the water.  I wonder if they had any idea what “amazing things” would happen next?  As soon as their feet touched the water’s edge the water from upstream stopped flowing and was piled up in a great heap and the water flowing down was completely cut off.  The people crossed over and the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan.  In chapter four, after the priests came out of the river, the waters returned to their place and ran at flood stage once again.

God knew He was about to do something amazing, but the priests had to obey Him before they would see the miracle. 

He still wants to do that kind of work in our lives and through us.

Mark talked about a recent trip he took with his son where they went paragliding.  He thought it sounded like a great idea until he got to the top of where he would be required to run off the cliff as fast as he could so he could catch the updraft.  In a split second his thoughts turned to “This is crazy!”  But he ran as fast as he could off of the cliff, caught the updraft and looked down.  What he thought was crazy became awesome.

“If you aren’t willing to have a “this is crazy moment”, you will never get to “this is awesome.”

Years ago I sent an email to a friend that said something like, “I feel like I just jumped off of a cliff and I am free falling…”  I did not know what I was doing then and will probably always be able to admit to not always knowing what to do now.  It feels like I jump off of a cliff again every time I say yes to the Lord about something else.  And the rest of the time I am just free falling.  It is scary at times (ok…most of the time), but it is an incredibly exciting life to live.  Following Jesus is never boring.

We spend so much time asking God to move.  What if He is asking us to do the same?  What if He is telling us to just take the first step?  What if He is telling us to step into the river and get our feet wet before He parts it? 

I have heard it so many times.  “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”

It may sound crazy (what God idea doesn’t?), but stop waiting to do what you know He is calling you to do just because you don’t know how to do it.  Don’t wait until you have the resources.  Don’t base your vision on your budget.  Don’t wait until you have enough volunteers.

If we wait until we have it all figured out we will never do anything.

All He wants is for us to say yes and to keep saying yes.

Sadly, a lot of us do not have that kind of faith.  We are too dependent on what we can do and hung up on what we cannot.  We pray hoping that our prayers will be heard and answered, but preparing ourselves for a let down just in case God doesn’t come through the way we want Him to.  I’m like that sometimes.  As recently as two months ago I was praying for a way to get to Uganda while trying to figure out how to make it happen myself just in case God didn’t provide the way.  By now I should know that because this trip was His idea, He would make sure I would be on it and He used so many people to make sure it would happen.  And when that last donation came in that put me at 100% I cried tears of joy and tears of shame because how could I doubt Him again?

In the last couple of weeks several people have talked to me about things that they believe the Lord is calling them to do.  Some of these people I have known for a long time and others I have only met in the last month or so.  Some of their passions are for local outreach and others for international missions.  A few have asked for advice on getting started in the area of ministry they feel they need to be in and even though I do not have experience in all of these areas I do have advice for getting started.

It is very simple.

Stop thinking about doing something.  Keep praying, but stop praying for things to line up according to your plan before you become willing to move.

Step into the river.  Get your feet wet.  And just watch what God does.  If you expect Him to move, be willing to move yourself.  If we consecrate ourselves to Him, amazing things will happen.

The Ordinary Heart

I have to give credit where credit is due even though I said I was not going to name names from the conference last week.  I won’t name names of those that disturbed me, but most were great and I can’t help but share their words.

Christine Caine is the founder of A21, a ministry with the mission of ending human trafficking.  (If there was one reason I feel like God had me at this particular conference, I am convinced it was to hear her heart because I have silently been overwhelmed and burdened by this global injustice issue for the last year at least and have had no idea what to do about it or if I should even consider tackling something other than poverty alleviation.  It is something I have been praying about for just as long.  It’s so cool when things become crystal clear.)  But her message was not about human trafficking or slavery.  (I attended a Q&A breakout session with her later that day on that topic.)  Instead she spoke about “The Ordinary Heart”.  About her heart and my heart and yours.

She began by explaining that the only reason darkness is on the earth is because there is an absence of light.  And WE are the reason for it because we allow darkness to reign in some places when we refuse to shine the light of Jesus into those areas. 

“We have hearts that lead us to do nothing.  We do not deliberately withhold compassion, but we do not think beyond our personal worlds.”

Isn’t that the truth even though it’s hard to admit?  Most people that I know are not deliberately withholding compassion and add myself to that group.  I want to love others with all of my heart.  I do not want to judge.  I don’t want to ignore a need.  And sometimes I do not.  Sometimes I am as compassionate as one can be.  But there are more times than not when I would rather not inconvenience myself and I turn away from what could be a life changing moment.  Life changing for another person and life changing for myself.

“If I am not loving my neighbor, I am not loving God.” 

OUCH.

“When good people do nothing, injustice strives.”

Being good is just not good enough though.  It isn’t “good enough” to get to Heaven or “good enough” to impact the world. 

“It is not the unredeemed (the rapist, the murderer), nor the broken (the abused, the poor) that do not do enough, it is the ORDINARY HEART, people like you and me, that do not do enough or nothing at all because we think that the problems are too big to solve so why do anything at all?”

“The church has confused compassion with emotion.”

She spoke about how we see a video on one of the big global issues (human trafficking, extreme poverty, etc.) and it makes us sad for a moment.  We may even shed a tear or two.  We are moved, sometimes to action for a short time.  But then life goes on, we get wrapped back up in our own little worlds and we forget that there is an entire world of injustice out there.  That is not compassion.  That is emotion.  And emotion is not is what is needed to make a change.

The story of the good Samaritan is always talked about during conferences like this.  We know two passed by without caring enough to show any compassion.  They were probably in a hurry to get to the synagogue and had no time to stop to help.  Crossing the street and showing compassion to this man would have been an inconvenience.  Chris said, “Until we are willing to cross the street and be inconvenienced, nothing will ever change.”

“It is Billy Graham AND Mother Theresa.  Not either/or.”  We cannot focus on only sharing the Gospel verbally while ignoring the physical needs of others and we cannot be just humanitarians while neglecting to share the Gospel.  Jesus did both and we have to do the same.

“When we have to hold a conference like this to remind the Church to be compassionate, something is fundamentally wrong.”

Amen!  As I sat there throughout the conference I realized that it’s always the same people at these type of events.  The same pastors, the same ministry leaders, the same people from the Church that are pumped up about local and international missions.  And yet we are still having conferences to learn how to get people involved, whether within our churches or in the general public.  Something is seriously wrong.  Do we have churches full of people that are not willing to deny themselves convenience in order to show compassion to those in need?  The answer saddens me.  I have heard excuse after excuse as to why people cannot or will not become involved in local or global missions.  And that is really all it is.  Excuses.  And Christine addressed that.

“Until our hearts are engaged, we will always find an excuse as to why we cannot “cross the street.”

Why is there still so much injustice in the world?  Some blame God.  They ask why He hasn’t done something.  Why He allows it to continue.  It isn’t God’s fault.  It is ours.

“It is our silence that allows people to remain in unjust situations.”

I wonder if we will ever see an end or even a significant change in the right direction to some of the big global issues?  And I still wonder why do more people not care?  Is it because so many have not seen it first hand or because it is easy to ignore from the comfortable lives we lead?

For me, it is hard to shut off the images that race through my mind every day and I cannot possibly turn my back on those that I do not even know that are suffering injustice around the world.  The Lord created in me a heart that longs to go beyond faceless statistics and to not only know their names, but to see their lives changed both now and for eternity.  It took far too long for me to give in to the Spirit’s leading to GO.  And even now I tend to pull back and resist at every nudge to do something new or out of my comfort zone that I know will be hard and uncomfortable.  I have the God given passion, but I still have that human nature that doesn’t always want to be as compassionate as I need to be.  So I pray for myself and the rest of us, that we will remove ourselves from the equation and be willing to follow Him with every part of ourselves despite the cost.  We may be ordinary, but He created each of us to make an extraordinary impact for the Kingdom.

The Country Club Church

Last week I attended a conference at a local church.  Many of the main sessions and breakout sessions related to local outreach, but a lot of it could (and should) be applied to international ministries as well.  Just like any other conference, there was good and there was bad.  There were speakers that I like(d) and those I think must be from another planet (and no, I won’t be naming names either way here).  I had no preconceived notion about some of the speakers and that made it a little easier to really pay attention to what they had to say.  (What’s the point in blogging if you can’t be honest, right?)

So on the second day of the conference I listened as a guy talked about “The Country Club Church” and I thought,sadly, “Right on, dude!”  (Because at this point we should not be having to have conferences to tell us to have compassion and to start loving like Jesus and, well, start doing what the Bible says.)

He talked about the lepers in Luke 17 and how, as they walked away from Jesus on their way to the priests, He healed them.  He didn’t require that they make it to the synagogue and sit through a sermon in order to be healed.  He saw their need and met it, right where they were.

It’s a never-ending debate in the world of ministry, I know.  And it’s something that I struggle with. 

“Bring the people to the church.”  “Grow the Church.”  You get the picture.

I know the importance of going to church and I believe in growing the Church (I’m talking about the body of Christ here).  And I absolutely believe that we should work to bring people into the fellowship that is the local church body.  But church isn’t what’s on the inside of the building.  It isn’t the pews or carpet or big screen tvs or drums and guitars or huge gyms.  It is the people.  And if we, as the Church, do not get out of our buildings and do something that is going to appear to be ridiculously bold, we aren’t going to reach anyone for the Kingdom.  And if we aren’t doing that, we have no right to call ourselves a church.

This guy said, “We’re letting demons have free reign in the alleys, in the strip clubs, etc. while we drive by on Sunday mornings trying to get to our country club church on time just to pray for them when we get there.”

DEMONS.  You know, evil.

And pray we do.  We pray that lives will be changed and souls will be saved and that we will be used to make a difference on this side of Heaven for eternity’s sake and I think that somehow we truly mean it because surely we aren’t intentionally praying for something that we do not mean, but then something happens.

God tells us to GO.

Go INTO the world.  That includes those places that we ride by on Sunday mornings on our way to church.  It includes those places that make us uncomfortable and freak us out.  It includes places in our own backyards and on the other side of the world.  He wants us to go INTO those places gripped by darkness, shine His light and help lead the people we’ve been praying for out.

It’s time to stop praying only from our pews and occasionally on our knees and start praying as we go INTO the world to reach the lost and hurting. 

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I’m not sure how to title this post.  I thought about:

He Did It Again or Call It What It Is or just I’m Fully Funded!

Basically, that’s what it boils down to.  The Lord did it again.  He totally blew my mind.  I am fully funded for my mission trip to Uganda.  He used some precious people to provide the way and I am so incredibly thankful.  If you were one of the anonymous donors that I can’t thank personally, please know how much I appreciate you.  I have no idea what God has in store for me (or this team) during our time in Uganda, but if I ever had a doubt in my mind that I needed to go (I didn’t, but still…), I certainly do not have any doubt now. 

Here’s the sad thing.  (I can’t believe I’m going to admit this here.)  I didn’t believe that it was going to happen.

Years ago I told a sweet friend that I had to go to Africa.  I didn’t know where exactly, but in addition to that never ending longing to get to Cambodia and working in Guatemala, I was starting to feel like the Lord was calling me to something in that part of the world.  Specifically Uganda.  I struggled for a long time with it.  Maybe I was supposed to go to Rwanda or Ghana or maybe I wasn’t supposed to go at all. Maybe we were supposed to adopt from one of these countries or maybe we were supposed to do some type of ministry there.  Maybe I was supposed to go just once in my life or maybe time and time again.  I had no idea, but it didn’t matter.   The door never opened and I really didn’t even wonder if it ever would.  The heart tug was still there, but I pushed it aside.  Until last year when our church missions guy mentioned to me (only mentioned once and didn’t bring it up again for a long time) that he felt like we needed to be working somewhere in Africa.  Just at the mention of it my heart leaped, but again I pushed the thought aside and for once didn’t ask him (the missions guy that I know I drive crazy with my many questions) any questions. 

A couple of months ago the same missions guy let me know that we (our church) would begin working with a missionary in Uganda and Mumbai.  Granted, India isn’t Cambodia, but after so many years of knowing, without a doubt, that I have something to see or do or just learn in southeast Asia, I jumped at the chance to travel to Mumbai with people that I trust later this year.  And I wanted to jump at the chance to travel to Uganda, but I couldn’t.  I had to make a choice and it wasn’t a hard decision to pick the part of the world that has been on my heart since I was a child (even though it isn’t Cambodia).  Still, I desperately wanted to go to Uganda, too.  But how would I make multiple trips to Guatemala, go to India for 10 days in the fall AND go to Uganda in the spring?  There was simply now way to swing it.

Every time the Uganda trip was mentioned, I felt sick.  Literally.  And I said over and over how much I wanted to go, but I just couldn’t.  I couldn’t work it out.  I don’t know what happened in December, but it became really clear that I had to stop saying that I could not go to Uganda.  I also could not skip more than one trip to Guatemala and there was NO WAY that I could back out of Mumbai.  I didn’t know what would happen, but I told the missions guy that I had to go with them to Uganda, but basically not to count on it because I had no idea how I was going to pay for it and if God really wanted me on the trip, He was going to have to do something big.

Let me just pause to say now that yes, sometimes I am an idiot.  And a hypocrite.  Because I walked around for a couple of weeks saying that I was going to Uganda and even though I had no idea how I would get there, God would provide the way.  It sounded good, but to be honest, I didn’t fully believe it.  Don’t get me wrong.  I know God is capable of anything and $2500 is a drop in the bucket for Him.  I’ve been on the receiving end of His mind blowing provision time and time again, but obviously had never learned from it.  Secretly I prayed for just 50% because there is no way that I would make it to 100%.  If I could just get to 50% we would figure out a way to make it happen.  Somehow.  Someway.  I set a deadline of January 31 and started a contest that ended today.  But the contest isn’t what He used to bring the funding.

No, He decided to go all out and beat my timeline by weeks.  His provision came so quickly.  In less than 2 weeks, 100% of my trip was paid for by friends, family and strangers.  And along with that I have received the most encouraging notes and emails that I have ever received.

I joke sometimes that I hope we are allowed to ask questions in heaven because after a thousand years or so of Jesus time, I would love to spend some time asking questions about all kinds of stuff.  Last week, I decided that if it’s allowed, I really want to know how many times God has shaken His head at me while saying, “I told you so.”  Because again, He said, “Go,” and then made the way despite my doubt, proving again that I cannot stop praying, “Lord, increase my faith.”

I am beyond blessed and so humbled.

So here we go.  In just over two months I will be in Uganda.  Eight weeks later, Guatemala.  Twelve weeks later, Mumbai.  And 10 days later, back to Guatemala.  And those are just the international trips.  In between are Spanish classes and Bible study, conferences and a much needed family vacation.  And always just being a wife and mom.  My life is so full and even though some think I should be becoming just slightly overwhelmed with this year’s schedule, I have never been happier and at such peace.  Life is good because He is good.  Always.

Want to win $250 while helping me get to Uganda??

It’s that time of the year.  You know…post Christmas and pre-tax refund.  The time of year when many of us are just barely making ends meets after spending too much on Christmas gifts and  getting ready to watch our mailboxes closely for that long awaited W2 (unless you usually owe, in that case, I am SO SORRY!)  The last thing you want right now is someone asking you for money for their cause.  I get it.  Really, I do. 

Too bad I’m going to ask anyway, but at least I have a little incentive (thanks to a generous supporter).

In case you haven’t heard me shouting it from the rooftops yet, I’m going to Uganda in March.  In just 12 weeks.  (Give me a moment while I recover from that statement.  As if I’m not freaked out enough by flying to Guatemala often, yes, now I’m going to get on a plane and go to east Africa….deep breaths…..).  Want to know the crazy thing?  I have NO IDEA how I’m going to get there.  I just know I will…somehow, someway.  And that’s where I hope you come in.  I need sponsors in a BAD way.  One to sponsor the whole trip or lots to sponsor small portions of it.  Either way works for me, but whatever it is, I need $2500 for this trip and I need it pronto. 

I’ve been praying and thinking and praying and thinking some more of how to raise the cash.  I’ve gone through every option that I tell people to try when raising money for Guatemala mission trips.  (I may have to rethink some of my suggestions because when it comes down to it, some of them have just been dumb and I would never even try it….sorry past AAB team members who have been on the receiving end of bad suggestions!)

A bake sale won’t work.  My cookies always come out as crispy as potato chips, my cakes always split and (not to share their secrets or anything), but most of my local friends just aren’t the baking kind.  I can’t have a yard sale because I’m yard-saled out.  If you’ve been in my house lately, you’d see that I really just don’t have anything left to sell except my really old TV and I better hold on to it because Danny needs entertainment while I’m in Uganda (not to mention it would only get me five bucks.)  I thought about doing a raffle, but I don’t have anything big enough to raffle off and really, does anyone want to see another person standing in front of Wal-Mart selling raffle tickets?  So here’s what I came up….

We’ll give away money (ok, really a Visa gift card, but if it works like cash, it’s really the same, right?).  Anyone that helps me get to Uganda by sponsoring me with a $10 donation will be entered to win.  For every $10 donated, you get another entry. $10=1 chance, $20=2 chances, $100=10 chances….you get the idea.  We will announce the winner at 5pm CST on January 15th.  If you can’t donate $10, can you sponsor me with $5, even $1?  Seriously, any amount will help.  And PLEASE PRAY.  And again, if by some chance more is raised than what is needed for the trip, all remaining donations will be turned over to AAB to be used for programs to assist families in Guatemala.  So by all means, if we make it to 100% and you still want a chance to win, keep donating.

It’s easy to donate.  You can ChipIn on the top right of the blog using your credit card, you can send it directly through PayPal to terry dot bracey at gmail dot com (be sure to say it’s a donation for Uganda, please) or you can mail me a check or money order (let me know if you need my address).

Now, you have until January 15th, but don’t wait until then to get it done.  Go ahead and do it now before you forget (like I usually do in situations like this).

In all seriousness, I really need your help.  Without sponsors, this trip will not happen.  I can’t wait to see how God is going to work this out.

OK….enough babbling…thanks in advance for helping me finally get to Uganda!

ChipIn for Uganda

This is a super weird place for me.  Usually I’m the one trying to help people come up with ways to fund their mission trips to Guatemala (or wherever).  It’s hard for me to ask for help, even when I’m asking people for money to support families in Guatemala.  It’s doubly hard for me to ask for personal help, like I’m doing right now.

So everyone knows that I know that for now we have been called to work in Guatemala and most know that I know that I also need to get to Asia (who knows if it’s really Cambodia, Thailand, India…only time will tell) and I’m going to India on a mission trip in September.  Some know that several years ago I also began feeling that familiar tug on my heart for Uganda specifically.  I tried to ignore it, but it hasn’t gone away and now I have the opportunity to possibly begin realizing what it’s all about.  I don’t think these heart tugs to these very specific areas in the world are coincidence so if God opens the door for me to get there (like with India later this year), I have to take it because obviously there is something I am supposed to see or do there.  I didn’t expect 2012 to be full of open doors, but that’s what has happened.  Now I also have the chance to travel to Uganda in March and I am trusting that even though I do not know how I am going to get there, He does and will provide the way.  Both the India and Uganda trips are with our church, with people that we know and trust, so again I do not think it is coincidental.  I am so thankful that after years of praying the doors have swung wide open to these areas of the world that have been on my heart for so long and I do not have to travel on my own or with a group that I do not know to either the first time.

Here’s the deal.  I need help to get to Uganda.  Again, I hate to ask for help, but I keep hearing in the back of my mind, “You have not because you ask not,” and I know that the Lord so often uses others to help people get to where He wants them to be.  I’ve seen it so many times with AAB team members and in the ministry itself.  So I’m asking for your help.  Would you consider donating any amount to help me get to Uganda?  Time is running short and I know it’s right after Christmas when everyone is strapped after all the usual holiday expenses, but if you can donate even the smallest amount, it will be a huge help and I will be forever grateful.  This is one of those times when literally every dollar counts.  You can donate online by clicking on the ChipIn button on the top right of the blog or by check or money order (let me know if you need my address).  Even if you cannot contribute financially, would you join me in praying for this trip…for funding and for the trip itself?

If, by chance, more than enough if raised to cover the trip, all remaining money will be donated to AAB to support families in Guatemala.

What’s In A Name?

Like so many, I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas.  Focusing on what it is truly about is important to me and I am spending time this week reading Scripture that is all too familiar, but still so fresh and new.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

I am slightly obsessed with names.  It may take me a while to remember a name, but once I get it, I rarely forget it.  And I would much rather put faces with names in ministry…like in Guatemala…or anywhere else in the world…where I believe with all that I am that people are more than statistics and projects.  Each person has a name and a story. 

Perhaps that is why I so love the many names of Jesus.  Because he is more than just someone that was born and died.  Because he has the best story and it is never ending.  As if I had never read it before, what “he will be called” has stirred my heart in a new way tonight and I can’t help but speak his name which describes so much of what he is to me.

He IS called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and by me he is called Savior, Almighty, Healer, King of Kings, Bread of Life and Living Water, Messiah, Holy One, Emmanuel, Comforter, Redeemer.  Jesus. And this is just what I find myself saying.  A quick google search reveals hundreds of names by which he is called (whether they are accurate or inaccurate I do not know). Oh how I love to speak his name…the one name that has more power than any other…the one that I live and would die for…the one who left his throne to save sinners like me. 

With such a powerful meaning, how could I lose sight of what Christmas if really about?

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.  May you be filled with peace, love and joy during this most beautiful season.