Deep Thoughts with the White Stallion..

Some of you know that we have been experiencing some transportation troubles lately. Over a week and a half ago, as we were making our way from Princeton, NJ to New York City, our beloved van (white stallion) unexpectedly broke down on the turnpike. What we thought would be a simple tow and quick fix has turned into quite the ordeal. While in NYC we had our van towed 4-5 times, and it turned out that the van needed some serious time with a mechanic. We had to completely reconfigure our time in the Big Apple and roll with the punches so to speak. As of right now, Kevin is still in NYC dealing with the van, while Robin and I are in Pennsylvania waiting to be reunited with our male counterpart.

In times like these there are lots of things one can learn when circumstances quickly change and you are forced to improvise with plan B. Here are a few…

1. Being stranded on the side of the road, and waiting for a tow truck, makes for great bonding time. Or nap time.

2. Driving a rental car in NYC is a MILLION times better than a 12 passenger van in NYC. Taking the subway…even better.

3. Maybe you can get towed by AARP, sometimes you can’t…depends on who answers the phone.

4. Being missionaries CAN get you free dental care…

5. Community is key. When things go awry on the road, community is key. There is no way we would have made it to NYC without the help of the Rouse’s picking us up at the Shell station and making trips to haul our stuff out of the van and make sure we got to where we were staying. Again, the Rouse’s helped us when our van broke down the second time and spent a large chunk of their day attending to us. Community is letting go of our “independence” and really leaning on those around us to help us, even if it’s small. It’s also about being in community with God and depending on him to provide for us and placing people in our lives to help us along our journey. Today, Robin and I had to drive our rental car back from Hershey, PA to Allentown, PA because the van wasn’t ready today like it was supposed to be. Since the van wasn’t ready, we weren’t sure where we were going to be sleeping, we had to rely on God to provide and rely on others. We called the pastor of the church we met with on Sunday and asked if she knew anyone who could take us in for the evening or if we could crash at the church. She was more than gracious and set us up with a place to stay and even picked us up after we returned our car. This is community. Relying on God and each other to take care of our brothers and sisters. Like Jesus reminds us, God takes care of the lillies of the field and the birds of the air, and He will take care of us.

So, hopefully our van will be ready tomorrow and we can continue to Pittsburgh, PA. But, in case it’s not we will remember that God is taking care of us wherever we are and we will rely on Him and the help of those he places in our midst.

Stories...

A large part of the ministry and mission of Pray With Africa is sharing stories. I can't even tell you how many times I have seen our film, but every time it's different. I see something new or it provokes a new thought in my mind, or even pulls at my heart strings in a new way. I still cry during some parts too. Stories have a way of doing that, they tether themselves to our hearts and leave us forever changed. It makes me think of Jesus. I can imagine him sitting in a field talking to folks, telling parables, sharing stories and people leaving changed, transformed, tethered to Him and going and changing the world from a new perspective. And all those people listening to him tethered to each other, and I can envision small groups forming after Jesus had spoke (whether sitting in the grass or walking back to their homes) discussing what they'd just heard and how they can apply it in their life. All of us are woven together in a beautiful tapestry of story, and our tapestry stretches all around the earth.

Our stories are important and powerful and you never know how you may be changed by taking the time to know someone's story. Can you imagine being present at the Sermon on the Mount? Hearing words that didn't quite make sense to you in your head but resonated with your heart in such a way that left you almost dumbfounded, fumbling to grasp their meaning, but making an effort to know what those words meant for your life from that moment on. Knowledge of a life which defies the ordinary, and is intertwined in community, sacrifice, prayer, faith and action leaves you thirsting to make those qualities a reality. It gives me goosebumps even imagining hearing that firsthand in a world where no one had considered such things. I can hear the buzz among the crowd as they have just listened to everything Jesus has said...

You mean "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth? Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?...Forgive, Reconcile...Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth? but rather store up treasures in heaven? Seek first the kingdom of heaven?" This was a radical way of thinking and it left people stunned, but I think it also pulled at their hearts in the exact way it is pulling at my heart right now. it even says that the crowds were amazed by his teaching, because He had authority. It's funny to me how many times you can read something and think you know what it means and then you read it unsuspecting one day and it changes your life, changes how you approach things, changes how you live. It has definitely taken hold of me in a totally new way this week.

It has taken me just about a week to finish this post. One because of time, but also because I really wanted a chance to let the scripture sink in. This post was originally intended for sharing stories from the road, from Pray With Africa screenings, but I think God had a better story he wanted me to share, His story. Enter in to His story...you won't be disappointed, but be prepared to be radically changed. Amen!