today, i am most thankful for radicality. that is not a word, but it ought well should be. as 'ought well should' should be a phrase. radicalness. radiful. okay, you get the picture. i'm not talking about being radical in the sense of pouring water on an ant hill, dying your hair pink, or bungee jumping off the empire state building. i'm talking about a Luke 17, mountain-moving, radical faith.
okay, i confess. i haven't seen any of the himalayas shift as of late. but, i will tell you what i have seen in my life: lives transformed by the power of the Lord; gifts of the Holy Spirit being poured out onto SO many receptive hearts; the gift of healing for my neck in high school; speaking of tongues and receiving of prophetic words; financial miracles; the opening up of heaven and singing along with the angels; spiritual warfare so apparent that it was almost tangible and visible; strongholds broken; ravaged hearts and lives repaired; the restoration and redemption of many. i think the only thing i have YET to see is a demon being cast out of a person, but with where my faith is headed, i'm not worried that i won't see it in this life time (i have seen someone i believed to be possessed, in Ethiopia. i could feel it within my spirit the moment she tore through the door and into that one-room home). and friends: each of these are mountains in the eyes and souls of many.
i'm thankful for radical faith of others: that brings them half-way around the world from Australia, to lead a group of 20-somethings into revival. that opens its mouth to speak the heart and words of God over a person they don't even know from Adam. that stands in the gap, interceding for friends and family and believing that God is faithful to complete the work He has begun. for radical faith that drives you from being completely self-sufficient, fine on your own without the Lord and doubting His spirit, to speaking in tongues, to being baptized in a freezing cold swimming pool after a house-church service.
for radical faith lived out in my own life: hearing from God to move to Nashville, and then to do it. in 10 days. to go to Africa. to go to grad school. to go teach in Haiti. these were all very specific things God spoke to me, and they all are HUGE, and require great time and investment! and talk about a change of comfort! I am not attributing any of these things to my own strength, direction, or even desire at the time; but rather to the faith that the Lord has developed in me, and His persistent voice that does not lead me one step to the left or to the right of where I need to be.
for radical faith that will lead me towards things prophesied over me this weekend: influential in the realm of academics (doctorate??), in a place of dirt, with little children all around, being lead with joy to the Lord (haiti!?), a sailboat filled with the spirit, destination unknown, but it doesn't matter because God is with me wherever I go (can we go back to my own vision of the merry-go-round, AND Joe's word about God-ideas!?!?!); a strong, beautiful, and well-dressed might i add, woman of authority, surrounded by a group of young women that view me as a sister or mother (women's ministry, via Jasen Chung?!!?) good freaking gracious, it took a lot of courage for those people to step out in faith and declare what God was speaking to them over me. a lot of radical courage, and radical faith. and it will take radical amounts of each of those to walk into the fulfillment of each of these.
for radical faith that will lead me towards things prophesied over me this weekend: influential in the realm of academics (doctorate??), in a place of dirt, with little children all around, being lead with joy to the Lord (haiti!?), a sailboat filled with the spirit, destination unknown, but it doesn't matter because God is with me wherever I go (can we go back to my own vision of the merry-go-round, AND Joe's word about God-ideas!?!?!); a strong, beautiful, and well-dressed might i add, woman of authority, surrounded by a group of young women that view me as a sister or mother (women's ministry, via Jasen Chung?!!?) good freaking gracious, it took a lot of courage for those people to step out in faith and declare what God was speaking to them over me. a lot of radical courage, and radical faith. and it will take radical amounts of each of those to walk into the fulfillment of each of these.
i also want to applaud a radical church here in Nashville that i fully believe did the right thing today. the pastor got a call from an inner-city ministry saying that many families were in desperate need of food. so, instead of preaching, he decided to be jesus, and send the congregation back out; to not simply go to church, but rather, to be the church. they had u-hauls waiting at 3 different groceries, to collect and deliver the food to those in need. wow. that is RADICAL! people don't do well with change. i'd be jaded if i showed up to church and no one was there! he decided to have RADICAL LOVE for these people, and i am fully convinced that Jesus would've done the same.
comfortable, complacent, and safe does not change the world; radical living, giving and serving will. join me in becoming a radical woman of God.
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