Mend the nets
Hello from the lovely (and remote) Camp Tadmor. The wifi’s not working so I’m thumbing out these thoughts on my phone and while I’m tempted to apologize for the brevity, it strikes me that you’re probably grateful for a refreshingly short tidbit today, as I’m usually a bit long-winded. 🙂 just an hour ago I said goodbye to my littles and my man, his myself in my room, and cried my eyes out. I hate leaving them, always, I miss them so much.
But I’m here and right HERE is where He, the Father, has me, and what am I doing?
Mending nets.
I have the joy of teaching on Courageous Community, the call to be ONE as Jesus prayed we would be in John 17, and as I’ve prayed and prepared for this, I keep seeing this picture of mending nets.
I spent the week on Lake Foster and thought a bit about fishing. We mostly fish with hooks, for fun, but Jesus’ disciples, true fishermen by trade, fished with nets.
And Jesus calls us fishers of men.
We are called to catch people with the power and love of Jesus Christ and gather them into the fabulous family if God. This is our vocation, all of us, together.
But sadly, often our nets are torn.
Every broken relationship, every division, every unforgiveness, each one snaps a single cord in the net. Add those all up and you have a ratty, ineffective net that’s not much use at all.
But how do we mend nets?
One string at a time. Each broken cord must be repaired, reconnected.
Reconnected one by one.
Large-scale moves of unity are only as effective as our small-scale acts of reconciliation, forgiveness, kindness, grace.
One at a time we mend Christian Community’s ragged net.
Who can you reconnect with today? Who can you pursue? Forgive? Prefer? Who can you love?
Whether someone in your home, your work, your present or your past, consider this weekend how you can mend nets, one relationship at a time, so we can fish hearts for the glory of God.
{happy weekend; thanks for reading.}
Coming Home
Ah….home. Tonight I came home from the women’s retreat where I had the amazing privilege of speaking and sharing life with some amazing women. First of all, I have to say THANK YOU to you ladies from the retreat. You were the most honest, vulnerable, encouraging, open, receptive, sweet group I could ever imagine! What a blessing and privilege it was to be with you and how you ENCOURAGED my heart by all your kind words and prayer (and lunch at Applebees!). Wow. All I can say is wow. God truly showed up beyond our wildest expectations, did He not? I’m excited to hear from many of you as you check out this little world that is my blog. Enjoy! 🙂
Coming home tonight was so amazingly sweet. While my time was incredible (and pampered–no cooking, cleaning, or laundry for 3 days! And on Saturday I slept in and enjoyed complete silence until 10am!), I was SO ready to see my boys. I snuck in the house and crept up behind the couch to see Dutch. But, toddler boy that he is, he ran into my arms and then seconds later was done “cuddling” and jumped back down to keep playing with his toys. Obviously he was just fine without me. My sweet husband spent the ENTIRE evening listening to me–nonstop overflowing chatter about the dozens of amazing stories and people and the surprise wedding we witnessed for Jon Courson’s son down at Applegate’s morning service. What a weekend.
But the treat came when Dutch’s bedtime arrived. I really didn’t even think he had missed me. But when I put him down to bed, instead of doing the usual lie down and roll around like a wild animal and talk and laugh and goof off, he just stood at the side of the crib, with his little arms wrapped around my waist and his head buried in my chest–and wouldn’t let go. I’d try to lie him down and he wouldn’t cry but he’d just immediately get back and up and wrap his little arms around me and bury his head and just stand there, totally still (stillness does not happen with this child!). How could I pass this up? So finally I pulled him up, and lay down on the floor on my back and laid him on top of me, resting his little head on my chest and letting him stretch out on me. Normally this would last a split second before he’d be out the door. He lay there, for almost a 1/2 hour, totally still, wide awake, just resting his sweet little body on mine. Oh Lord Jesus, I thought–for how glorious this amazing retreat was, for the lives changed and committed to You, for the glorious encounters with Your Spirit, I must admit this little sweet moment with my son was right up there in terms of sacred moments. How sweet He is to give me that blessing.
So now I lay my head down to sleep. Sweet Jeff is asleep at my side, having spent his entire evening listening to me. I’m exhausted, thankful, my life enriched and blessed by our glorious King and by His beautiful daughters who blessed my life this weekend. Thank you, God for this weekend, and thank You for coming home.
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PS Retreat Ladies: The Road to Santa Clara, When God Broke My Heart, and The Love Nest are the stories I mentioned this past weekend that many of you said you’d like to read. They are listed to the right under “Featured.” If you would like to say hi you can click “Contact” to your left. Happy reading! I”d love to hear from you!