I am at work today. I am a working mom. I am a 5^th grade public school teacher and the children’s pastor at my church. These titles are both new to me. I have a schedule and responsibilities and people who depend on me for things to run smoothly. I don’t mind change really, but coming in as the new girl, I am more hesitant to jump in and switch everything up. I don’t want to be known as the pot stirrer man. I want to come in and be known as the girl who fixed the things that were inefficient and made great the things that were good. Also, I want my uniform to involve a cape.

 

After thinking it through with the brain God assigned me, I figured the best way to do my job is through love. If my goal as an educator is to love others, and my goal as a children’s pastor is to love others, and my goal as someone who shares an office with others is to love, and my goal in every relationship is to love first, I am golden. Jesus said so.

 

He came into a situation where everyone was on the defense because they didn’t understand what he was about. And when they realized what he was about, most people were convinced he was going about it all the wrong way. My work is nothing compared to what Jesus came to accomplish, but the approach has to be the same. Love God, Love others.

 

On the surface, it looks differently in each situation, but not really. It means being full of grace for each person no matter their status in our eyes. Removing our expectations and only having the conviction that God is going to be glorified in our every word, step, and thought.

 

Really it looks like what Paul talked about in Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s Jesus’ LAW that we bear with one another. When I start my day and ask my coworkers to bear with me while I get familiar with our rules and procedures and policies, I am actually asking them to carry my burdens and mistakes until I can stand on my own. Then, I have to do it back. I have to bear with them while we are learning to work together.

 

In other situations, it acts differently, but it is the same. Team mom? Bearing with your parents and realizing that there are more important things in the big picture than bringing snack on time. Mentoring girls who sometimes make the same mistake and then hit “replay for days” (who doesn’t?) In ministry at church or at a fundraiser for a great cause? Sometimes moms need to show up late because their child or children needed some real face time before rushing off to church. Bearing with them in grace. Covering their responsibilities WITH A SMILE. Ooh, that last part is often the part where I stumble.

 

I left Costco the other day, and as I approached the light at the top of a pretty steep hill, I saw a big brother riding beside his younger brother on their bikes. They looked to be about eight and 12. Big Brother had his hand on Little Brother’s back, pushing him as he struggled to make it up the hill. It was at the height of the hottest part of the day, and he was literally bearing this physical burden. Their bikes had to be very close to one another, which implies a level of trust between the two of them, not just one way. The best part? They were both laughing. Big Brother was smiling and happy to help.

 

I want to be this kid when I grow up. I want to bear with others and smile while I walk along side them or fill in or carry their burdens. I want to pour out so much grace that I catch myself laughing as I serve alongside others. This won’t be easy, but if a 12 year old can set this example, just maybe I can make some steps in the right direction.

Ever notice Christians have a checklist along their progression of time: get saved, serve some people, join a Bible study, volunteer with a ministry, go on a mission trip, maybe go to Bible college, get married, join the young married couples small group, have babies, volunteer in the nursery, have more babies, join M.O.P.s, teach Sunday school, lead a Bible study, go to women’s retreat, join a prayer group, and. And. And.

 

Sometimes being a Christian woman is just all too predictable. I saw myself plotting points on an imaginary plane, and I was bored out of my mind. Is this mediocrity what God set before me? Is this what he meant when he said he planned for me, “life to the fullest”? It all seemed so meh.

 

When I read through stories in the Old Testament, I was struck by these testimonies that would even bring a wide-glazed-eye to people in Hollywood. You know the one I mean? Shock and awe. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t plan to add drama and sin to my life for the sake of excitement. What I want is a story that leaves a wake and points to Jesus. But I was going about it all wrong.

 

I realized I made everything cookie cutter. That life was NOT what God asked of me. I was putting one foot in front of the other in an order that seemed to make logical sense. Sure, God wants me to be in a Bible study. I’ll sign up to bring treats, and I will write my leader an encouraging note. These are totally noble activities. Right? Wait. I know! I’ll go on a mission trip and serve people even if I am uncomfortable. Clearly God wants me jumping out there and sharing his love. I don’t even need to ASK if this is God’s will; he said love, so I am going to love the people in this world. My children and my husband will just have to figure out how to live without me while I go serve God. Or, maybe I am missing the point of all of this. Maybe what I see as Busy Acts of Nobility (B.A.N?) are not what God wants for me.

 

We are not called to be noble. We are called to love others as much as we love ourselves. Bible studies, mission trips, M.O.P.s groups, small groups, a Christ loving spouse, women’s retreat and. And. And.

 

Even if these end up being God’s will for you, these were never meant to be the focus. Each of these experiences was intended to get us within reach.

HIS reach.

 

If our gaze is down or even centered at our own flawed eyelevel, that means we have taken our eyes from his; we are no longer standing resolute on who Christ is and his true calling on our life. Talk about missing opportunities.

 

I lose track of who needs love most when I change my focus to the noble acts. I have trouble discerning which words to tuck away and which ones to shout from the rooftops. I lack discernment, and I find myself running in circles hoping to hear from God.

 

What does a girl need to do to be within God’s reach? How about prayer?

 

Yep.

 

How about accountability from godly men and women?

 

Yes.

 

What if I started reading my Bible so regularly it hurt when I missed a morning?

 

Heck yes.

 

What if I got on my knees, turned off all of my electronic devices, and sought the face of Jesus with my hands stretched high just hoping to brush the hem of his garment? What if my very life depended upon that touch?

 

Oh that I could even grasp how much I need all of those things in my life. Then. THEN I would feel what it’s like to be within his reach.

 

God isn’t looking for well spoken, politically correct leaders. He is looking for someone willing to stand. Stand on his promises. Stand for others. Stand for his glory. Stand within His reach.

 

Where are you? Are you within his reach? It’s not too late. It’s never too late.

There’s so much business about us. Some people are in the car business. I am in the teaching business. I know a guy in the singing business. My kids are in everyone’s business. We visit people in the doctor and dentist business. But none of that compares to God’s business. He dabbles in miracles. Well, more than dabbles. Frankly, it’s a miracle we get to wake up every morning, breathe deeply when we desire, and sit in the sunshine. That’s all because God deemed it a good day for miracles.

Corrie Ten Boom lived in a crazy and chaotic time. She believed God is who he says he is. And when she was sent to a Nazi concentration camp for harboring Jews behind her bookshelf in a make shift closet, she knew for sure she believed in miracles. After being traded into this new camp, Ravensbruck, she and her sister stood in line with countless others to be processed. The welcome wagon. This included being stripped of their blanket and pillow, forced to strip to nothing to be sure they weren’t smuggling anything in, and sent in to shower one group at a time.

Ten Boom knew she needed a miracle for she had a Bible tied in a pouch around her neck. It was miraculous that she managed to hang on to this precious book through her previous camp, and to lose it now would be devastating. As the guard approached, stopping at each woman to thoroughly search their bodies, Corrie prayed fervently. The guard halted- intrusive. Invading. The guard frisked the woman to her left and her sister to her right but simply walked right past Corrie Ten Boom. Right past her Bible. Right past evidence that would surely have cost her life.

Corrie Ten Boom wasn’t magical. She was audacious. She lived like she believed God is mighty. She hung a Bible around her neck and prayed that God would bring a miracle.

We are seeing that same audacity in everyday people volunteering with Awaken. Artists are stepping up and using their gift of creativity. College journalism majors are writing articles of awareness. Men are joining a movement that stands for women’s freedom rather than contributing to their captivity. Small church women’s groups are volunteering their hands to assemble gifts and flyers and help with not so menial tasks for upcoming events. Teenagers are standing up in their high schools and saying, “We aren’t going to take it.” Mothers are praying quietly in their bedrooms. Mothers are taking to the streets and praying boldly in the face of evil. One teenage boy spent a Tuesday night writing notes of encouragement to girls in the industry.

In a world so focus on the business about us, people across Reno and Sparks, Nevada, from every background, are awakening their hearts and opening their eyes to say, “We believe in miracles. Use me, Lord.” And while they may face hardships, they also face a fundamental truth. God is in the miracle business.

 

<3 Does this seem like an outreach you could be part of? Do you feel called to the front lines with our team of Corrie Ten Booms? Would it change your mind if I said there are so many seemingly small jobs that make our hands more successful? It’s OK to start small. Jesus suggested beginning with faith the size of a mustard seed. Contact us through our GET INVOLVED tab to find the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. Stand on your chair and give a little shout; you may be amazed who joins you.

-S.