Monday's postings are longer, more in-depth thoughts or stories that I feel the need to share. If you don't have time to read this now, you can look at the cliff notes versions in the bullet points at the beginning of the posts.. When you have the time, please feel encouraged by the stories God is telling, and musings that he brings to my mind.
HAPPY MONDAY :D
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* For those of you who've labored (birthed a child):
Thoughts about the "round yon virgin"..
* It's not about the $$, its about the ministry (yours AND mine):
Thoughts on year-end appeals, and monetary giving and motive..
* "Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hinderance to our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do." - Oswald Chambers
MOTHER AND CHILD
As we are in the season of Advent - I being in my own personal season of waiting on this baby inside of me to "finish cooking" - I was struck by a wonderment the other day during a conversation with my midwife. I experience "toning or practice contractions" (also known as "Braxton-Hicks") for two months or so before my baby is actually born. They started daily in June with Jaelyn, and she was born the first week of August. With this baby, it was about the beginning of November that I've daily had partial or full-uterine contractions. I know this is not common for everyone, as I have a friend (who has birthed 6 kids) tell me she only has contractions on the day she delivers.
On social media there is a trend now to "tell the birth story" of your child's entrance into the world but I suspect it's been a word-of-mouth tradition shared for ages past.. However, the gospel writers, being men, left out that part of Mary's story, only telling us that "she brought forth her first born son" .. and so it causes me to wonder.. Did Mary have "practice contractions" leading up to the birth of Jesus? As she rode on the donkey, did she sometimes have to catch her breath at the intensity of her body "preparing room" for Jesus's entrance? Hollywood would like us to believe it was a dramatic arrival to Bethlehem with her in transition as Joseph frantically searches for a place for her to give birth.. But still, I wonder.. Maybe they got to Bethlehem, found a place, then her water broke the next day and Joseph had time to track down a local midwife to come help with the birth. It being her first child, I don't know all the Jewish customs, but I have to assume that there was help from a local midwife.. How long was Mary's labor? A short 5 hours? or a taxing 24 hours?
As I wait for this second child of ours to come into our arms, these are my ponderings of late.. :)
JOYFUL GIVING
From November 29th to December 31st it seems as though we've entered the era of social media pressured giving. As much as I want to take advantage of the social media trend, I also feel a tinge of remorse. I want to be an outlet for God to use your gifts, talents and resources to meet a need that I feel is very blaring, but I don't want to do it at the expense of you spending time with our Abba and asking Him where it is He wants you to invest those things. I am not a "one-man-team" and can't do it all on my own - so I need you to partner with me to accomplish the things that He's given me the vision to do. But I also don't want it to only be a check-mark on your financial duty to "give". I want you to want to be generous because you realize that you've been given much - and in that "much" you want to be blessing to others. I want to be a conduit of blessing for you, not a sieve of gilt on you.
So I wax and wane in my support-raising efforts during this time. I did try to capitalize on the #GivingTuesday wave, as I keep hearing the saying, "People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves".. but I struggle to keep the fundraising side of things at the front of what I do, because I don't want you to give out of obligation - I want you to give because you see the vision, you can feel the need, and you want to be a part of the bigger picture too..
And maybe that's where I've failed you in the past.. I've not painted you that picture, given you those stories - the Evidences of Glory - that are happening on the college campus with Deaf students right now. I've neglected to broaden your horizon's about the Deaf community and the lack of understanding they possess when it comes to Christian things *mainly* because of the lack of information available to them. I hope to do a better job in the coming year of raising awareness regarding a Deaf individuals access to Christian resources as well as introduce you to some of the key players who are working alongside me in this fledgling ministry. Thank you for your time and patience as I learn how best to bring these things to your attention. And thank you for those of you who have been joining me on this journey from the beginning. I truly do value your partnership, and am grateful for the team that our Heavenly Father has provided thus far. May we continue the journey together, further up and further in! :)
MAKING MASTERPIECES IN THE MUNDANE
And it's that quote from Oswald Chambers that has me thinking about the state of the ministry - where I find myself currently - two years in and still trying to figure out all that I should be doing. I actually prefer the "behind the scenes" work of a conference or event to the "stand in the spot light" side of interpreting. However, in doing the behind the scenes work, I don't always take time to consider that the work I'm doing will be of any real value to anyone other than myself, and those it immediately impacts - ie: attendees, conference planners, etc.. As I've been taking some courses provided by Cru on leadership, I've found myself realizing that in pioneering this trail within the larger organization of Cru, I'm actually leaving blue-prints along the way for those who will come after me. I'm laying foundation that others will build upon. And in doing so, I need to not only look to the here and now, but also to think about the others that will come after me, and how what I establish now will either be the "norms/best practices" for the future or the "draft that gets thrown away for faulty planning".. I long to be the former in my current role. I want to not get stuck in the "drudgery" of establishing a ministry, but I want to make sure I'm laying a solid foundation for the next generation of workers in Deaf ministry to follow. What about you? What do you see as mundane in your current situation that could actually be the formation of Christian character with in you?
Praying that you find this holiday season full of rest and time to reflect. In whatever way our Adonai is prompting you - to do, to give, to rest, to be - I hope you heed His advice and dwell there for a bit. :)
Soli Deo Gloria
:D
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