Meeting God in Banana Republic

It's been a normal summer, and by normal I mean the kind where you think it's going to be slow and laid back, but it's actually crazy.  Because of the craziness and the taking care/keeping alive/entertaining 2 kids all day, I needed a break!  Plus, my mind has been very full because we are starting to enter into the adoption process again, so I've been worrying, uh, I mean thinking about that a lot . . . So, my friend, Kristina, and I decided to take a trip to the mall to shop around and have dinner.

It was almost time to go home, but we made a last stop in Banana Republic where I love to go and look, never buy things full price/if I buy something, it comes from the sale section (preferably if there's an additional 40% off).  As we walked into the store, an hour before closing, Geoff (sales associate) has 5 cards in his hand; he tells us that 1 of them is a $500 shopping spree.  I said, "bummer Blair isn't here because he always wins things."  Kristina opened her card, and I put 1 finger on each card to see if I could get a vibe from it.  The one in the middle had the vibe, but I thought - no, that's too obvious.  It's never the one in the middle, but nevertheless, I went with my gut.  I opened it up and I saw "$500 shopping spree."  I thought it had to be a joke.  I felt certain I was part of a psychological experiment where they tell you, you won something and then tell you it's a joke just to see how you'll respond.  Well, it wasn't a joke.  I won a $500 shopping spree . . .

It had to be spent right then!  I felt frantic.  I was shaking, sweating profusely, and disoriented.  Kristina was helping me and all the sales associates seemed really happy for me and they were helping too.  They pulled things they thought would look good.  I felt like someone featured on "What Not to Wear."  This sweet guy, Louis, pulled out the nice jewelry that I would never in a million years look at because it's so expensive.  He talked about complementary colors on the color wheel, and I was thinking - Sarah, you need to take this all in because it's a once in a lifetime experience.  The store did close, but they let us stay because they were all staying until midnight anyway, so it felt extra behind the scenes and VIP.

It was seriously a dream come true – literally.  I would never in a million years have expected that to happen.  It was truly amazing, fun, memorable, special.  I kept searching for the right word to describe the whole experience, and the word I came up with was "lavish." It's one of my favorite words.  I've always loved in Ephesians where it talks about how God has lavished His love on us.  I always think of lavishing as . . . to go completely and utterly above and beyond to show love.  The dictionary says it’s “bestowing profusely.”  It felt like love and care was being "bestowed profusely" on me.  I felt seen by God and desired and special to Him.  I struggle with feeling unworthy a lot.  I always have.  In that moment, that day, I felt worthy of love and lavishing.  I will never forget it. 

The other great aspect of it all is you know how I mentioned before that I've been worrying, uh, I mean thinking about adoption lately.  A lot of it is about the money.  I don't know about you, but we don’t have $30,000 laying around.  When I got home, I felt like God was saying, “I can provide you a $500 shopping spree out of thin air.  I can also provide the money you need to bring your 3rd child into your family . . .”

Just for fun - here are a couple of pics.  This one is me as we were leaving.  I couldn't take the card with me, so here I am in all my glory with the card i.e., this is what someone with curly hair looks like after trying on clothes all day . . .

 

 Here is  my biggest splurge.  I would never have otherwise bought it, but when do you get $500 for free at one of your favorite stores???

I Am Sending You

The first thing Jesus told the disciples after He resurrected was, "Peace be with you."  After He showed them His scars, He said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you" (John 20:21).  I can only imagine their need for peace in that moment.  Their Lord has just been killed, they were hiding in fear of their lives, then Jesus appears in a room with the doors bolted shut.  I could have used a double-dose of peace in that moment as well!  But Jesus doesn't leave them there, he tells them what is next in His plan - He is sending them.  They will need His peace for this mission even more.  But this message wasn't only intended for the 11 disciples in the room.  It was a commissioning for all who love Jesus, an invitation to  follow Him. 

So what was Jesus sent to do?  He tells us very early in His ministry.  He enters the synagogue in Nazareth and reads from Isaiah 61:1-2, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).  It couldn't get any clearer.  This is Jesus' mission.  It is what He has been sent to do and it is what He is sending us to do as well.

This begs the question, what does it mean to proclaim liberty to the captives and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor?  I can't give the blind their sight so what does this mean for me?

This passage speaks to us on two levels - the vertical and the horizontal.  Vertically, it is about our relationship with God.  It is spiritual.  We are the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed.  We need to be set free from our sin, and Jesus did just that when He paid the penalty for our sin on the cross.  Now, we are sent to proclaim the message of the Gospel to those around us who need to hear the good news that Jesus wants to set them free as well.  But this is not all.  If we watch His earthly ministry, we see this passage lived out horizontally to the people around Him as He demonstrated the good news in their lives.

Jesus fed the poor with real food, not just spiritual food.  He healed people's physical ailments - blindness, leprosy, even death.  Jesus met people where they were and met their needs.  This drew others to Him because they saw what He offered was tangible and real, not some mystical, hyper spiritual dialogue.  Jesus was a God who they could touch and now as His ambassadors, He is sending us as God sent Him so we also need to demonstrate the good news of the Gospel in addition to proclaiming it.  We need to meet the needs of others around us.  Does your neighbor need help with a project on his house?  Help him out.  Do you have a friend struggling emotionally?  Listen to them.  Is there an organization in town that helps serve those in need?  The poor, widows, orphans, victims of domestic violence or human trafficking?  What time, abilities, and money could you give to an organization who is carrying out Jesus' loving work of proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor to people in your community? 

I believe that this is the abundant life that Jesus spoke of.  Going to church is wonderful, but if the love of God does not move you to follow Jesus in doing what He did - both demonstrating and proclaiming His message of love - then we're missing out.  As we demonstrate the gospel through acts of love, it opens the door for us to discuss the message of the gospel with those we are loving.  Will it be easy?  No.  Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

So you're probably thinking, "Enough preaching Blair, what does this look like in your life? Do you practice what you preach?"  The simple answer is, I'm learning to.  Since we work at Cru headquarters, all our co-workers are Christians, so we have to meet people who don't know Christ in other places.  We're getting to know our neighbors, although not doing a great job at that.  Why?  Because it's hard and it takes time.  But God is opening up some relationships for us with people in the community in other ways.  So we're trusting God will continue to lead us to the people we should invest in and taking the opportunities He gives us.  We're also both very passionate about the issue of modern-day slavery so I volunteer with Florida Abolitionist, a local group who is raising awareness and facilitating victim services here in Orlando.  (If you're in Orlando and want to check it out, please let me know!) We don't pretend to be perfect but are just trying to be real and follow after Jesus.  It's a Beautiful Mess... 

To dig into this more, grab a group of friends and read The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay.  After you finish that read Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker.  Both of these books have rocked my world and have opened my eyes to living a 'sent' life by following Jesus.  Put into practice just some of the things they write about and you will begin to experience the Gospel more fully in your own life and in the lives of those around you.

July Prayer Update - Looking Back and Praising God

This month, we are taking some time to look back on all the things the Lord has done in our ministry over the years.  We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary so it seemed appropriate to celebrate our ministry anniversary as well.  Please join us in praising the Lord for these memories, but also leave a comment to let us know your favorite memories so we can join with you in praising God as well!  If you want to see the printable version, go here, otherwise the body of the letter is below:

Anniversary

12 years ago, two kids from SW VA met, fell in love, and followed God in the great adventure of serving Him in vocational ministry.  We’d like to invite you to join with us in reflecting back on all the Lord has done in our midst since then.  Here are just a few memories.  You may have your own as you’ve walked with us along the way.  If so, please send us a message or give us a call so that we can praise the Lord together for all He has done in your lives and ours through the years!

 

In the Fall of 2000 Sarah began her internship with Cru at Virginia Tech and joined staff the following year.  Then, in the Summer of 2002, we got married and I joined staff as well.  We reported to VT in the fall excited to reach students for Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to reach others.
 

We helped launch the first Bridges International student ministry at VT and shared the gospel with many who had never heard it from around the world.  Anderson (middle) was one student who received Jesus as Savior through this ministry.
 

We spent the summer of 2003 in Australia leading the first summer project to the University of Melbourne where we helped start the ministry on that campus that continues today.  
 

Sarah gave overall leadership to the women’s ministry and was the co-director of the movement for a few years. One fun memory was the powder-puff football league she started in order to give women a place to build relationships with their non-believing friends.
 

On May 10, 2006 Aiden was born!
 

Blair led a group of students from VT to East Asia for Spring Break in 2007.  It was an incredible experience to share God’s love with many who have never heard it and open American students’ eyes to God’s heart for the world!
 

April 16, 2007 is a sad day we will never forget.  The massacre at Virginia Tech is far from a highlight, but we want to thank you for all the support and prayers that flooded in for us and our students during the days and weeks that followed.
 

In the Fall of 2007 we moved to Orlando.  The Lake Hart Stint was a wonderful time of growth in the Lord.  The next year we began working to help develop our leaders around the nation and reach students from around the world at Disney.  
 

On April 29, 2009 Addy was born!
 

We joined the 100% Sent national team in the Fall of 2010 and that is where we continue to serve.  It has  been a privilege to give leadership to one of the most important initiatives in the campus ministry ever.  As we equip our students more effectively to impact the world around them upon graduation, our world will truly be changed by these followers of Jesus.  Thank you for your partnership in the journey!