Life After Missions

I pulled up to my new home at the farm
here in Redding, CA March 1^st. It is finally feeling like
I am settled-almost a month later. I found a bed (I heart
craigslist), new sheets and comforter, and have finally put away the
last box into the garage. Learning the ins and outs of our little
farm life here has been such a treat to me. I have now become quite
the successful chicken farmer-even though I thought we had vultures
for baby chicks as they attacked me every time I came into the barn
to feed them. Turns out I wasn’t giving them enough food. Oops.

My days have been filled with lots of
walks with the dogs, reading in the hammock and digging in the dirt.  I also spent the day yesterday shoveling horse and chicken poop into our veggie garden-we made a pretty big one because we are doing a
little community garden with some BSSM students. Throw in a little
Haiti work for AIM and some job searching (found out yesterday I got
a Crew Leader position with the census-woot!) and you have my life.
I am loving it so far. I see beautiful snow capped mountains every
time I step out the door. I have a great community of people
surrounding me and am hoping to expand that more as I get more
involved here. It HAS been an adjustment from my former life of
“missions” and “ministry”. I have absolutely no
obligation-no team to disciple, no children’s program to help plan,
no Thai bar/strip club to go hang out in. Honestly, I had gotten
used to the structure of it all. “Bringing the Kingdom” was part
of my job description. Over the last couple of months I have
realized how quickly intentionality can go out the window when life
just starts happening. And my structure is pulled out from
underneath me.

This is a really great place for me to
be in, though. Heck, it is where most of the world is. I think the
real lesson for me in this next season is that whole ordinary radical
thing twenty somethings in Christian circles love to wax on about.
When the trips to impoverished nations cease (at least for a little
bit-NOT forever-please, Jesus), when programs and organizations are
gone. And it’s just me and the Holy Spirit and the great big world
out there called my back yard.

As I have been asking Jesus about all
this over the last week, a little life lesson came to me in the form
of a young dude sitting out in front of Walgreens holding a sign. I
was going into Walgreens to use the ATM. Hot on the trail of a patio
set for our backyard, I was hurrying to a moving sale I saw one
posted in. I passed by him and he called out to me. “Hey, could
you help me out? I just want to get home.” I stopped and sat down
on the sidewalk to talk to him. I got a bit of his story: name’s
Ryan, lives near San Diego, car quit on him and he just needed 20
more dollars for repairs. “I don’t drink or do drugs-that’s not
why I am asking, promise” he kept saying. “I can do something
for you…uh..maybe wash your car?” I told him I had to go inside,
but I might see him when I came back out. As I headed to the back,
looking for the restroom, I said, “OK God, what’s the deal with
this guy? How are you wanting me to respond?” As I finished my
business, I felt like as I got 100 dollars out of the ATM, I was
supposed to give him 20 of it. Now, I NEVER give money to people as
a general rule. Especially young guys. Just not my style. As I
threw up another quick prayer for this, I was reminded of his
offer to do something for me.

“I am trying to talk to him right
now. Tell him if he wants to do something for you, he can listen to
Me.”

                                

“Look, dude,” I said. “I never
give money to people. But God told me to give you this” I pulled
out the 20 dollar bill and handed it over. He was elated. “Oh,
man! God told you to give this to me? Did he tell you I was good?”
“No, I replied. Honestly, I don’t really care if you are good or
not. He told me to give it to you, so I am. I don’t even care what
you do with it. He just wants you to have it.” That kind of
quieted him for a minute. “So”, I said briskly. ” You said you
could do something for me?” “Um, yeah,” he said hesitantly,
probably wondering what my catch was. Well, I think God is trying to
talk to you about some things right now. And He is just wanting you
to listen. He really loves you, ya know. So, I just want you
to take some time to listen. You have a long drive ahead of you and I
know it’s a beautiful one. He may give you a picture, or a thought
in your head, or use the scenery around you to tell you something.
Just be open to Him.” “Let’s do it right now!” he said
excitedly, turning to face me.  “OK”, I said, a little surprised at
his tenacity. I prayed a blessing over him and asked God to come
down and touch him, to open his ears to hear. After a bit, I got up
and wished him the best. He asked for a hug and then I went on about
my day. It was nothing earth-shattering, but I heard God’s voice and
was obedient. And that is all He is asking of us. Those kind of
opportunities are in every minute, every breath. No program or title
needed.

I’m learning. Slowly, but surely….