Strangely Dim

I've been known for saying that I think God lives in Africa more than any other place in the world! While it's probably not very theologically correct, there is some theological truth to it. Scripture is clear to note that God's close to the brokenhearted, and I don't know of another continent with more basic brokenness, loss, and pain than Africa. It's simply unlike any other place I've been to. When I'm in Africa I see God, people, and the world differently.

Last night I heard the old song "Turn your Eyes upon Jesus". I love the simple, profound lyrics:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

There's something about being among the poorest of the poor and having "the things of earth" put into perspective. The truth is: we don't need all this stuff. Far too often I love the stuff. I love fashion, beauty, comfort, and pleasure. But I love Jesus more. Africa teaches me this. It helps me look full into the face of Jesus by looking into the face of the poor, hungry, thirsty, sick, and needy. And the things of earth grow strangely dim!

If you haven't traveled much, go! See how the rest of the world lives. Look into the face of Jesus by looking into the face of the poor, hungry, thirsty, sick, and needy. I guarantee you the menial things you think you care about will grow strangely dim in the process.

I Am...Beyond Labels

I'm in D.C. this week teaching 1000 middle schoolers about who God says they are:

What God says about you is the most important and truest thing about you.

Honestly, I still regularly struggle with this truth. A lot of times I define myself by what I do or what others say about me, not what God says about me. I am a wife. I am a daughter. I am a friend. I am a pastor. I am a mama-in-waiting. I am a girly girl. But those are really roles I play or things I do - it's not who I am.

For many months after my infertility diagnosis, I struggled to let diagnosis that define me:

I am the infertile one. I am a woman with PCOS. I am unable to get pregnant. I am broken at the core of my womanhood. I am less than other women.

Identifying those false messages was a huge part of my grieving process. Become aware of those lies ultimately led to the acceptance of my diagnosis, but not accepting those words as my identity.

Yes, I have PCOS. No, I am not the infertile one. I am loved beyond measure by God of the Universe. I am a new life. I am worth far more than my ability to conceive a child. I am being restored day by day to be more of who I was created to be. I am chosen by God for a divine purpose to change the world. I am created very good. I am an inheritor of everything that is Christ's. That's the truth about me.

And it's the truth about you. I pray that you & I would see ourselves beyond the labels that we place on ourselves or that others place on us. I pray those labels - true or false - would not become our identity, but they would be used redemptively by God. I pray that God's voice we would be clearer and stronger than any other voice. I pray God's labels would be the strongest of all.

And I pray that these middle schoolers at DCLA would "get this" early on in their lives...what different lives they could live!

Abolishing Poverty - yes we can!

A few days ago I read on my friend's, Andrew Marin, Facebook the following quote:

"You cannot abolish poverty unless you also abolish affluence."

Ouch. I hated that quote as soon as a finished reading it, yet something inside me resonated with a deeper "yes". I hate that quote - truth? - because I am a person of affluence. I can often fool myself into thinking I am not because I'm a pastor living in Orange County, CA, but the truth is I am very affluent compared to the world's standards. If you're reading this blog, you are affluent too. Don't believe me? Check out: http://www.globalrichlist.com/ for the proof.

I know I'm affluent because I'm typing this on a laptop, watching TV, have a few dollars in a savings account, own 2 cars, have a mortgage, am not worrying what's for dinner, and will sleep tonight in a king-size bed. And the honest truth is: I like my life. Thinking about abolishing my poverty is beyond challenging because it means that a lot of how I live would have to change! Of course, we 2 kids in Africa with World Vision. We live on less than we earn. We tithe more than 10%. For the love, we're adopting a baby. But that doesn't make me superior...it's only the beginning of loosening the hold on affluence in order to bring more equality to this world.

We can't abolish poverty and maintain our own standards of living.
It just won't work like this, but I wish it did.

I was talking to my 18 year old brother today, and he was sharing about his recent mission's trip to Mexico. His greatest take-away and frustration is how complacent we are. The truth is that abundance breeds complacency. It just does. I wish that abundance produced a passionate movement toward giving more away, helping the poor, saying "no" to the things we really do not need, but it doesn't. It lulls us into believing we need more, risk less, and maybe care a little bit about the need around.

Agh...I'm not calling you out. I'm calling me out. And I'm praying that this Baby Ethiopia journey propels us into less and less complacency. Any thoughts on what you've learned about this? How are you combatting complacency and abolishing poverty?