“You cannot be My disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me…” (Luke 14:27)
Truth? I did have some concerns.
My concerns pre-Senegal about community came out during a conversation with Jenny at the Grace Klein Memorial Day camping trip this year. We realized we both live in this deep reality and Truth that the BEST people we know are those that together advance the Kingdom of God every single day, BUT… yes, there’s a but… God has sent us out to every corner of the earth so that we can do ALL He’s asked us to do for His glory. There are some sweet faces I don’t get to see every day. And I was scared what that would look like in Dakar.
As I was anticipating meeting many new people upon my arrival here in Senegal, my naivety and skepticism wanted to connect with only the locals. (I have this still growing grace towards America.) Yet a friend of mine told me that they’ll pray I just meet “my people,” Yes, those that have that shared kindred Spirit. And though I’ve received that a hundred fold, in more ways than I expected, this new community is still very… different.
So, if Christ is the head of the Church and we are the Body… well, then I think I’m the butt.
I can be critical. Sure. I’m curious. I doubt the first thing that comes along. I question everything. In the busy day-to-day of a teacher, please add the role of neighbor, friend, aunt and church/community member to the list. We basically do everything together here within our small workforce. Work, home and church. It’s a lot of people doing a lot of nice things. (Most of which I have no clue what’s going on or why we do it.) And in the “go go go” of the “do do do” I was reminded:
“Proximity and activity don’t always equal connectivity.”
That made me think more. But I would never be critical for critical sake. I just tend to think things can be better, more efficient, more fun, more. Just more. More Lord. More for my community. More for the people I do life with. More grace. More love. More unity.
“In the missionary society to which I belong (CMA), I have noticed that the power of God has always hovered over our frontiers. Miracles have accompanied our advances and have ceased when and where we have allowed ourselves to become satisfied and ceased to advance. The creed of power cannot save a movement from barrenness. There must also be a work of power.” -AW Tozer
More unity. More power.
Just today I was reading in John and looking for Jesus’ promises. In John 17 He is praying to His Father. Jesus Himself asks that we are cared for SO THAT we will be united just as Jesus and God are unity. And then, Jesus lets us know that through that unity the world will see two things. One, through our unity the world will know God sent Jesus. Two, the world will know God loves them like God loves Jesus.
I do miss my people. I miss my reckless loving people. The ones who have walked and prayed through hell with me. I miss those that “get” me. The ones who push and challenge and weep and celebrate with me. The people who know me with a look. You know who you are. Thank you. Thank you for letting me go. For letting me leave the safety of life near you to further the Kingdom exactly where I need to be. With others. With my other people. New people. New community. New Church. New Body. I still get to be a piece of that. Even if it is the butt.