Compels

I am reading a great book called "Chasing God" by Angie Smith. In her book, Smith talks discusses how Christ's love compels us. The word compels means "to hold together; to press on every side; to hold completely." Smith talks about farm animals and how they are pressed together in a small pen when the farmer wants to tag them to treat them. The farmer knows each animal and loves them.

I want to think about "compels" like a crowd at a sporting event. They are pressed together cheering for their team. They may not know the people next to them, but by the end to the game they will have rubbed up against them multiple times as they yell on their team to hopefully a victory. Another example comes from my day today. I took a taxi into town to get some groceries. I was put in the middle of the back seat of the small car sandwiched in between to people I had know idea who they were, but each of us needed a ride to town.

Today is Saturday, the day between the cross and the empty tomb. While hanging on the cross, Jesus was put in between two people that He did not know. All three were receiving punishment, but not all three deserved it. Christ in between two people heard the crowd calling His name. They were chanting and cheering on the pain.

crucify...

Crucify...

CRUCIFY!!!!!

The crowd like one of a sporting event, may not have know the person next to them, but that didn't matter, they were yelling for a victory. They were yelling for defeat.

And then Jesus, sandwiched in between two criminals, looks at the crowd and asks God to forgive them. Forgive them for sin. Forgive them for cheering for the wrong team.

Friends, it was you and I who were cheering for the wrong team. We didn't care who was next to us. We didn't care what they looked like, smelled like or what they were wearing. We were cheering on the defeat of the One who was cheering for us.

Christ's love compels us. It pushes us up to people we don't know and desires us to show them what team to cheer for. I am grateful that the story doesn't end at the cross. The story doesn't end on Friday. We have Easter, because Christ loved us so much He was willing to listen to our cheers for His death. Through those cheers He looked at our hearts and still saw the good. Through the cheers He heard the cries of people who once loved Him turn their back on Him.

Friends, we were cheering for the wrong team. While we were cheering for His death, He through His pain was cheering for our life.

I'm Still Alive

So many things have happened the past few weeks, I am not even sure how to update you all. Life has been so full. Here are a few...

Haven Team...BG was blessed to have a team from my home church serving here. It was so good to see 21 people from my Michigan home, serving in my Lesotho home. It was the first time my two worlds collided. What a joy it was to introduce them to my kids and see their hearts become softened to Lesotho. While they were here they experienced the reality of the job that is hard to explain. We had a child dropped off at BG and then picked up a few days later by the same person that abandoned him. We also had 2 of our children reunited with their family and we were forced to say goodbye. My heart was not ready to say goodbye to them, even though I know having them in a family is the goal. Even though they saw the reality of the "hellos and goodbyes" it was great having people here that can now better grasp our daily comings and goings.

Weekend Away...The morning the Haven team left, the Geurinks and I went to South Africa for the weekend. We joined friends and fellow missionaries for a peaceful weekend away. What a joy it was to sit on the side of the mountain and simply take in God. In the evening we shared a meal and laughed A LOT over many games of euchre. Each day I am blown away that I get to serve God in a beautiful place with beautiful people. I can't imagine doing this without Bryan and Anita. We are a team. Meeting and getting to know the hearts of other servants of God also a treat. The Danforth family, who we hung out with, have become great friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. No matter where God leads us, we will all be connected through the cross of Jesus.

Strategic Planning...Wednesday and Thursday, the management team of BG got off campus and went to dream, discuss and pray for the future of BG. It was humbled to be a part of these meetings. The team opened up their hearts and minds and came up with a plan for where we feel God is leading BG. I pray that He still uses me to allow His vision to be carried out.

Mountain Time...The past month flew by. I literally have no idea what happen to the month of March and it is already April 11. The strategic planning meeting happened off campus in the mountains. It was great to drive through God's beauty in the mountains that we don't see in Maseru and take in His majesty. Thursday morning I woke up early and sat on a bench to watch the sunrise over the mountain tops. What a peaceful thing. The second the sun hit the top peak, it's rays out stretched out and every inch of the mountain was covered with it's light. It reminded me how every square inch of this world is covered by the SON. Wherever I go, and wherever the Lord leads, I will be with Him.