a
little picture of fall as we drove by.
I REALLY want to be somewhere
outside
where it's beautiful fall right now, this is close enough.
snapped this candid shot as we drove down the road. pure joy!
he's so stoic. and so beautiful.
and i am so okay calling my boy beautiful because that's what he is.
Isaac and his sweet friends.
Mr. Billy McGruff
Just petting a sheep.
Making friends.
Refusing to take a picture.
Hay fights (with love).
Climbing. Climbing. Always climbing.
Family love.
Friends.
Saturday was rather un-eventful. And yet productive at the same time. Just picking up, cleaning up, packing up, simplifying it up. Ya know, that kinda Saturday.
Then....
Boom! Bacone College Sunday was tremendous. TREMENDOUS. I can't think of a better word. These young men and women who bravely testified to the goodness, faithfulness of our God (in front of our entire body of believers). These brave kids who come from such different places than those of us that belong more to the "white-privilege" sector, they boldly (well, some what timidly at times) shared their past, their hurts, their sins, their struggles, their wounds...and gave God all the glory for the way He has brought reconciliation and redemption to their lives.
Several of the young guys stood at the door as we entered, warmly and enthusiastically welcomed people to service. Kendall Dean and another guy led worship. Malcolm, Cameron, Bright and Tempest sat on stage as Kendall asked them questions about where they've each come from, where they are, how God is working in their lives. I believe I speak for everyone today when I say I was filled with so much compassion for each of them. The hurts and heart-aches they have endured. Losing a mother to lukemia at age 16, being raised by a great-grandmother, depression, suicidal thoughts, paying child-support, drugs, pills, looking for love in all the wrong places. Until God "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God."
Sharod, who professed to be shy and more introverted, came to the stage, wearing white paint on his face, white gloves, a black shirt and black pants and a red tie. He did an interpretative dance to a song called Stand by Donnie McClurkin. It was beautiful. To say the least. He got a standing ovation. He brought this song to life in such a powerful way. I cried. Ok, I cried all service long. I'm so emotional lately. Jesus is doing this to me. But, Sharod travels to churches and does this, because he wants to use his body for God and feels he is gifted in dancing, so does this interpretative dancing to glorify God.
Tyrone. Oh dear God, Tyrone. This man of God, came before our church body, and laid it all down. He had written out his story in a spiralbound notebook with an icecream cone on the front cover. His story was not an easy one to tell. FULL of pain, self-destruction, emptiness, shame, deep deep deep wounds. He confessed it all freely. Knowing that confession brings healing, and relinquishes the hold the devil has on us. His addictions and sins, no worse than mine. They all separate us from our Father. But praise be to God, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Jesus Christ. For the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
This service, as powerful as it was, wasn't about me, or any of the kids from Bacone. It was all about the power of Jesus. The beautiful work of redemption and reconciliation that God is doing all over the place. How He draws us to him. How he rescues us from ourselves, from evil. How he loves. How he loves. How he loves. Over and over and over and over again. Diego came forward and put on Christ, dying to himself through baptism, raised to a new life through Jesus. Glory!
We had a great connection group at our house, ate soups outside on the deck, in the warmth of the sun but the coolness of the fall, sitting inside to eat ice cream while we shared some joys and heart-aches with one another.
Oh yeah, trunk-or-treat tonight was so much fun. And I'm glad to say Isaac didn't even care about the candy or sugary drinks they were servin' up. He only cared about the bounce house, which he did for two hours! The few pieces of candy he collected while waiting for the inflatable to be inflated were quickly passed out to a few college aged friends, and he didn't even know. Thanks for (unintentionally) sharing my boy! So proud!
One final note, tomorrow, Monday October 28th is the interview with an important man in our daughter's case at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, at 1pm Ethiopia time. 5AM our time. Please God let him be there, let it go smoothly, let it be all that is left for our case's investigation. Let us hear tomorrow or Tuesday that we are clear to travel. Let us be there SOON!!! We are READY! Lord, tell us to go and we will be there! We trust you and wait. Be with her now. As she sleeps, as she grows, let her little mind and heart be at peace, prepare her for us, and us for her! We are yours, Lord!
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