Stepping Into my Imperfectly Brave Place
Sometimes life is hard… it just is. Sometimes it is shocking, sometimes discomfiting, sometimes scary, and sometimes even what those of us prone to dramatics in our speech would call fraught with distress. Thank goodness that sometimes it is also precious and passion-filled, and full of inspiration… and also good, because the Maker of life is good.
Today I want to talk about the goodness of our God. I will admit that it hasn’t always been easy for me to talk about the goodness of God. Not because I doubt it (although that unfortunately has happened), but because I don’t know the words to use. It seems mundane and cliche to say the same things over again, to say things like how much the Lord has blessed us through such and such situation, or how He has been so good to us, or how He showed up in this or that way. Every single one of those things is usually true, He did do that, He has blessed us by taking care of us, He is good, He did “show up” that day. Why then does it feel so uncomfortable to say such things, and in some ways, to hear them? Why does it feel awkward?
In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby talks about every invitation of the Lord to join in His work resulting in a crisis of belief. Each time the God calls us to do something, we have a choice to make… are we going to belie
ve that He is going to do what He said? Are we even going to be believe that He really said it, or that we heard Him clearly? This is a crisis of belief.
A week and a half ago my friend Whitney saw the fruition of a call the Lord had placed on her life many years ago. She stepped out in faith and followed Him in everything He asked her to do, saying yes, despite the many crisis’ of belief she faced along the way. Our prayer group had the privilege of seeing her walk throughthat process, and sharing in watching God’s goodness unfurl. What we noticed, though, was that the amazing weekend we were able to participate in was not the greatest demonstration of God’s goodness, being reminded of everything He had done to lead up to it was. I watched my friend Chrystan turn into the precious jewel of the Father we knew she always was, my friend Andrea be strengthened into a beautiful woman of faith, my friend Sandra let go and embrace everything that the Lord has for her, and my friend Leesa step up with courage and boldness to follow the Lord’s lead. All because of one woman’s obedience… all because of God’s GOODNESS. He was good through the mess, good through the ugly, good through the doubt, good through the unbelief, good through the fire, and good through what seemed like defeat. He is good even now.
“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you,” Psalm 116:7
The title ofthis blog might seem strange for talking about God’s goodness, but the subject of the book Whitney just had published was being imperfectly brave (imperfectlybrave.com)… choosing to believe in God’s goodness no matter what is happening in your life, or what He asks you to do. Believing, and acting upon it. I am leaving for Romania in two months (for those of you who haven’t heard yet, I am still going to Italy, but I have committed to going to Romania for two years first). I am not fully funded. In fact, I still need 3/4 ($1500) of my monthly support to come in, but I am going. I am going, and while the plan is to come home after a month to raise the rest of the funds if they are not fully in, I am stepping out in faith and buying a one-way ticket. I do not know the Lord’s timing, but I know that it is always perfect.
Please pray with me simply for a heart of obedience and watchfulness to see what He is doing and step into it bravely.
This Is Christian’s Aunt Linda. I want to share with all some interesting observations about Christiana when she was a child. (Christiana, you may want to scroll past these tidbits of information that I am going to share with the world ; ))
Christiana was an anomoly. She did not seem to respond to the parenting style that most of us know , Discipline or even encouragement did not produce the results that her parents expected or hoped for at that time.
Christiana was not a rebellious child. In truth she was very clingy and extremely self obsorbed. (Sorry Christiana) Her Mother was at “wits end” at times trying to help her see what someone else’s point of view or what they might need. Now this was not when Christiana was a teenager but Grammer school age.
I know…you are thinking: “why am I doing this?” Hang in there the answer to your question is coming up next.
Christiana has grown up in the Lord from her early teens to become the selfless, independent, fiercely brave Woman of Faith that we all see today. She is the first to offer to help someone needs her. How did this happen?
Yet, she is still unique isn’t she? She doesn’t fit in to any mold. She is not pretentious, pompas, nor does she care to meet anyone’s expectations of her except those of her Lord. What you see is what you get and you will always get an honest response. So…never ask her: “Do I look fat in this?”
I remember the first time I heard that Christiana took a missionary trip when she was 19 or 20 to the Bahamas and camped in rugged conditions and drove a school bus. Drove a school bus?!!!Who is this?! I knew then she must be called because she transforms on the field.
As most of you know she is called. Her vision is the same.”Follow the Lord where He leads.”
Most of us cannot do what she does. I cannot. But then I am not called to go. But what I am called to do is to support those that are. Those people with the unique ability (Grace) to sacrifice their future, comfort and lives to spread the Gospel to a dying world.
It is diificult and really unfair, don’t you think, to require that personality to become a sales person and have to raise $ for support to be able to go where God has called her..Yet the visas do not allow the missionaries to get a job in those countries so they must have support to reside there and spread the Gospel.
Christiana despises asking her friends and relatives for $ and is not a good sales person (she is too polite).
So I hope to encourage her folllowers, friends and family members to commit to a monthly gift. One time gifts are appreciated and if you have given that way…thank you so much! If you will inquire that God may allow you to give a monthly gift and if you already do inquire if God will allow you to increase it. I have decided to double my gift.
I can’t be on the mission field and God hasn’t gifted me with that unique gift but I can see to it to do my best to help others get there and stay there and reach the spiritually blind and deaf by doing so.
God Bless all of you. Thank you for your love and friendship, your prayers and support of Christiana. I thank God for you. (BTW Christiana did not know I wrote this. I guess she will know soon). Your Sister in Christ, Linda