Africa Love // ::be you::

People joke sometimes about Christians assuming that if they're "called to the nations" they're automatically going to Africa.

I dated a guy who grew up as a missionary kid in Nigeria.  He and his roommates had a house with African art and photos on the walls.  In America, there's something trendy about decor from other world cultures, specifically Africa and Asia.  See:  Pier 1.  World Market.  As a young professional, it says, "I care about the world."  "I'm well-traveled."  "I enjoy not being ignorant, but instead being educated about how other people think and live, and I accept that my way is not the only way."

It's easy to see something trendy, and resist just for the sake of resisting the trendy thing.  I know from experience.  Maybe its an over-acted version of "walking to the beat of your own drummer," ie., being yourself.  Which, ironically, results in not being yourself, because the trend is still controlling your behavior.  But in light of the joke I heard the other day, implying that Africa was something of a "trendy" place to go be a missionary, I wanted to just stop a moment.

True, not everyone is called to go to Africa to spread the Good News.  But I would hate to see those who are actually called to Africa, resist for fear of just doing what's trending in Christian America.  Could it be, that in this hour, so many are drawn to be missionaries in Africa because God is actually calling them, in a beautiful way, in this time and season, and He has great plans for this continent?  Could it be that there is more there He wants to do than just convert believers?  Could it be that Africa is ready for more of something we haven't even imagined yet?



. . . What could it be?



In summary:  There's no shame in loving Africa, even if lots of other people do.  Love what you love, be you, and give Africa a kiss for me.

What we See

I live in a world where what I see is not all there is.  

The battle that is raging has already been won.

The battle is real, but the outcome is pre-determined.

The Creator has already ensured that in the end, there is Victory for the righteous.

 This isn't what I see.  

But what I see isn't all there is...         

Because I have faith in God's reality

because He's shown me He is real and He is there

And He's proven He knows me  .   .   .         and is With me in His Word . . .

 

 

And is With-In Me.

He gave me grace to Believe  .   .   .   

and has confirmed at every milestone,

and stones in between,

and through the words of others who know His love;

 And together we are the Beloved.

I live in a world where the unseen riches are the greatest ones,

Where my greatest lover is not physically here with me,

.

.

.

 
but is with me.

Where the one whom I don't see, is the one who never leaves me.

and never stops     loving   

 
me.

                                                                                                                    

                                                             

                                

It is so hard not to believe what you see.  But we really don't believe in the madness of what we see--- the darkness, the hate, the death.  We know it is happening, but it is not the whole story.  It is not the truth.  The truth is in the hope that beats these things.  Flips them on their head.  The darkest hate is not beyond the redeeming blood of Jesus.  The redeeming blood of the Anointed One is for precisely this kind of darkness.  It's His power that transforms this into light.  The hope is eternal life in Jesus.  The hope is spiritual wealth, peace, joy, the blessing of God.  We live for heaven, not for this world.  We cannot let what our eyes behold deceive us.  We are called to walk by faith, and not by sight.  

He loves us.



:)