Ebeneezers

I spoke with my parents over the phone today. I related to them the struggles of our past year, the hopefulness we’d found in the past few months, and the discouragement our recent car accident and subsequent financial troubles has brought us.

My parents spent approximately 10 years in missions and have experienced God’s love and provision countless times. My father is a collector and purveyor of stories. He has so many stories to tell that sometimes it feels as if he’s not really hearing what you’re saying to him.

But today, as we talked and he shared his stories of the ways God has provided for them in similar circumstances, I realized what was happening… Whenever God acts in the life of my parents, my dad erects a mental ebenezer, And just as in the Old Testament, as his son passed by the same way, he pointed out the ebenezer and related to me the story of God’s provision. This gave me a new appreciation for the concept but even more importantly, gave me a new appreciation for my father who loves God and cares for me deeply.

I don’t know how God will provide for us next, but I know that at some point we’ll look back and see what God has done and erect an ebenezer of our own.

Car fund

We are very grateful that neither Lily nor I (Gail) were hurt in the car accident we experienced on August 9. It made the following week pretty crazy trying to see to all the details along with the three missionary families on campus during the same time. The other driver’s insurance is not holding liability for the accident which means it’s up to our insurance to pay but we only carry liability. Darrel and I have not been in a wreck for over 25 years and we drive cars that are reasonably-priced, so we’ve taken a calculated risk but are now left with the problem of replacing our vehicle. For the last six years, Darrel and I have worked mainly from home or the office up the hill from our house, so taking time to replace a vehicle would be inconvenient but manageable, but we’ve got some changes coming that are exciting but challenging being short a vehicle.

New ministry!

For the past couple of months, Darrel and I have been working with our executive director, Eric Guthrie, on dreaming how the next phase in our ministry toward unreached people groups might look. We always intended on going overseas but doors haven’t opened when we’ve pushed, so we’ve waited and continued to be obedient to the task God placed before us. I have had the desire to use my giftings to directly engage unreached peoples. After speaking with Kaitlyn at The Spero Project, a long-time ministry partner of Beautiful Feet, doors have opened up in just the last month for me to partner with them to meet the needs of resettled refugees here in the OKC area. I am still with Beautiful Feet but serving through Spero three days a week. This allows me to help and teach in retreats and during Boot Camp, as well as acting as liaison between Beautiful Feet and Spero. This also means I spend a lot of time in our car!

I have been serving resettled refugees for about a month now through Spero. Already, I’ve been in the homes of people from the Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, and Russia. I’ve helped families register children for school and taken them to doctor and dental appointments. They’re working hard on learning English but it takes time and having a friend there to help is so meaningful. I’ve just met with the ESL instructor to talk about helping with tutoring. I am also dreaming with Kaitlyn at Spero of ways to use my psychology degree, my experience and education with trauma, and my desire to see communities realize their full potential. All of this to say: I feel like God is bringing together many areas of my life and tying them together in a way to show the nations that He loves them right here in OKC!

We’ve been anxious to share this exciting news about the refugee ministry with you but are disheartened by the accident which is trying to derail the ministry and steal our joy. We know we’ll get through it, but it’s discouraging and complicated for a while.

 

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Today I realize with urgency the absolute seriousness of my need to study and practice non-violence. Hitherto, I have “liked” non-violence as an idea. I have “approved” it, looked with benignity on it, have praised it, even earnestly.

But I have not practiced it fully. My thoughts and words retaliate. I condemn and resist adversaries when I think I am unjustly treated. I revile them; even treat them with open (but polite) contempt to their face.

It is necessary to realize that I am a monk consecrated to God and this restricting non-retaliation merely to physical non-retaliation is not enough—on the contrary, it is in some sense a greater evil.

At the same time, the energy wasted in contempt, criticism and resentment is thus diverted from its true function, insistence on truth. Hence, loss of clarity, loss of focus, confusion, and finally frustration. So that half the time “I don’t know what I am doing” (or thinking).

I need to set myself to the study of non-violence, with thoroughness. The complete, integral practice of it in community life. Eventually teaching it to others by word and example. Short of this, the monastic life will remain a mockery in my life.

Thomas Merton, personal journal entry, August 21, 1962