Faith and Rearview Mirrors

Last night at small group we talked about faith.  It got me thinking about the times in my life that have required the most faith, the times that I’ve had it and didn’t know how, the ways I can look back now and see what God was doing even though it didn’t make sense at the time.

Like that one time we consciously gave up 2 steady salaries and started raising support.

And that one time we moved to a continent we’d never been to, to do a job that (still) doesn’t really have a clear job description.  And most likely never will.

And then there’s that one time I asked a stranger to backpack with us for 5 weeks, just because he was really hot, spoke Spanish, and I just "had a feeling" he wasn't  a creeper.

Or the time when I was ready to be married when I was 20, and God said nope, not for a while actually.

I look in my rearview mirror and see so many ways that God has saved me from myself and my own misdirected desires, ones that would have probably led to a good life, but definitely not the best.  Not the one I have been created to live.

I’ve also been blessed to witness others’ stories of

“Wow this doesn’t make sense at all God, 

but I know it’s from You…”

and watch the amazing, could-only-be-God results that follow.

The question isn’t whether or not you have those moments, it’s whether or not we take the time to look in the rearview mirror and acknowledge where God has worked in our lives.

So what about YOU???  

What are some of those faith-filled turning points from your past?   

Please share :)

Jesus vs. Batman

I need to be more honest with you guys.

Someone wrote a comment on our survey that said something like “If you guys ever have problems, we’d never know – You always look so happy in your videos.”

I was like “BBAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!”

I knew it wasn’t meant to question our character or honesty, neither did we receive it that way.  On one hand, we get 3-5 minutes a month to “talk” to you guys and there really are way too many positive things to squeeze in that tiny time slot.  God has worked more powerfully in our lives this last year and a half than I could have ever imagined.  But it’s also been crazy hard.  And it’s always easier to wait around for something “good” or inspiring or at least positive to write about instead of being a Negative Nancy.

So I want to be more honest with you – One, because it’s only fair to paint the entire picture.  And two, because God is and will continue to be ridiculously faithful to us, and you won’t be able to be as amazed as we are unless you know the whole story.

A few weeks ago I blogged about “Faith and Rearview Mirrors.”  Now here’s the follow up – We’re always looking back to remember and recognize God’s hand in our lives, but what about when we have to look forward in uncertainty?  This is about 13,486 times harder.

I didn’t realize how pathetic my faith really was until we saw The Dark Knight Rises.  Like any great movie (as this one definitely is) you get to the point where you get a little stressed because you just don’t know how the good guy is going to possibly win.  But not too stressed, because you know the good guy has to win or it would be a horrible movie that no one would ever see.  You don’t know how, but the end will always come out right.  And that, you are sure of.

My moment of shame came the next morning as I was journaling and had this simple thought:  

“Do I really trust Batman more than Jesus?!?”

In a pathetic word, yes.

I know the ending of my story.  I know the battle has already been won, my ransom already paid, my fate with the Father sealed.  I know my life has a happy ending, happier than even the best ending Christopher Nolan could create.  But I don’t always act like I know.  It’s like I get stuck in these tiny points in the plot and forget that the conclusion’s already been written.

If I can’t see a clear future, or if the present doesn’t make sense, I start to question.

     
     Lord, are we ever going to have close friends again in the                   same country?

Lord, why are we even here if we could be doing good things in our own country and it would be so much less complicated?

Lord, how can I not be pregnant yet?

Funny that I pray “Lord” – because what I’m really indirectly asking with all these questions is 
“Are you sure you actually know what you’re doing here?”  

How is it so easy to forget 

the end of the story?!?

I’m so thankful for a God that doesn’t give up on me, who waits patiently while I remember over and over and over again the ending of the story and chill out about the parts that don’t make sense yet.  And I’m thankful for friends who help remind me when I get too stuck in my tiny points in the plot.  They may not all be resolved, they may never make sense to me, but they don’t have to. 

Because Jesus is so much more reliable than Batman.

(I’m not giving up on this interactive blog thing…)

Do you need help remembering the end of the story?  Got any uncertainties to share?  Comment or email us – For real, we would love to pray with you and help you remember :)  as you guys have helped to remind us!