A few days ago I got an e-mail from my big sister (spiritual) that she was stopping by here in Tally to visit Lauren, Sam & I before she left next week for the Middle East. She is going for two years, preaching the imperishing Word of God to the Muslims there in her region, and we won't see her until she returns (or I come up with $1500 for the plan ticket, kinda unlikely). We had an amazing time, catching up, sharing each others minds, sipping coffee and tea at All Saints Cafe, and buying Flair pens for journaling to Jesus. It was a 21 hour visit (stupid sleep wasting that time) and almost the entire time I was at a loss for words. What this woman has taught me, how she encourages me, challenges the home group, and goes after Jesus in the Middle East with complete reckless abandon, I have never seen or known anything like it before. A few months ago, she left to go to orientation for her trip, where she was gathered with "some of the most hardcore people after Jesus ever" (that was more of a paraphrase...whoops!), so we got to talk about those people too, and how they affected her life. She left at 1:15 p.m. (How do I describe these emotions? Please forgive me for stumbling through this) She left the parking lot, she left America, she left my heart so it seems. I've never really hurt like this before, I've never cried over someone leaving like this before, I've never had someone that has spoken so much Truth into my life before, and I/we won't get to see her for two years. What can happen in two years? To any of us?!? Only the Lord knows. She is in the middle (Middle?) of His will, which is good and safe, more than I could know. As the car pulled out of the parking lot, I was thankful that I was wearing sunglasses, cause man here came the tears. I went around the corner where Lauren couldn't see me, and just wept to God, thanking Him for everything that He has done in her life, in my brothers and sisters lifes through her, in homegroup through her, everything. I will never know anyone like her. But she is safe, in the palm of His hand, and I know He has it all under control, so what is to worry? Probably my selfishness that I won't be able to see her again for a long long time. Unlike last night, I know I will rest tonight knowing that she is running as hard and fast as she can after Him, in a way I haven't known before which completely inspires me and challenges me to look bigger, look broader, set the bar higher, and challenge people to get mixed up for Jesus, to not waste this life on our 401(k)'s and retirement plans. In the words of Peter Marvin, a good friend of mine up here, "Working for someone else's glory has got to be the greatest job on the face of the Earth."
At Faithwalkers, Doug Patterson quoted Jim Elliot: "Christ needs some young fellows to sell out to Him, and recklessly toss their lives into His work. It seems to me like you ought to be one of them." Yes, we ought to be one of them. She decided to be a part of that, I have too, will you?
