Driving with Boldness

Boldness.

"Can you remember the last time you prayed for boldness? True boldness. Do we say: “Let’s talk about God, not Jesus; the things Jesus taught, not the Resurrection. In fact, maybe we should sneak out of the city and take our message somewhere else.”  Or do we pray “American” prayers? “Let’s pray for safety, for a blessing, for protection, for better grades on our tests, for a safe trip, for traveling mercy, let’s thank God for our food, but let’s not ask for BOLDNESS….BOLDNESS just got us thrown in jail.” If the 1^st century Christians prayed prayers like the 21^st century Christians, American Christians, the message of Jesus may have never gotten out of the 1^st century. Our prayers are kind of pathetic. We live in the safest country in the world and most of us live in the safest part of the safest country in the world. We live in a country where if you are bold about your faith, about the worst thing that can happen is that you might lose a friend, or a golf partner, or a bridge companion, or your work may tell you to tone it down a bit, or you may even lose your job, but that’s about it.

We have more freedom to be bold than any other country in the world, yet we are some of the least bold people in the world.

When was the last time you prayed for boldness?

One of the greatest mysteries in all of history is how did the church survive Rome, 70 AD, when all of ancient Judaism basically went away, which is the foundation of all of Christian thought and Christian teaching? How did the 1^st century church even survive? Part of the answer is that they understand their message was so important that they did not pray for protection, they did not dumb down the message, but instead, they actually prayed for GREATER BOLDNESS." (Andy Stanley)

The above text was taken in part from a sermon by Andy Stanley. I do not know how his words strike you, but they hit me HARD. I’m guilty; guilty of praying small, insignificant prayers. Now don’t get me wrong. I think praying for traveling mercies, a sick child, a work situation is good. It teaches us to rely on the power of prayer and God. But, my walk with God is not about safety, about comfort, or about the “easy” road (although I really wish it were a lot of times!). My walk with God is about Honoring Him, becoming more Like Him, and making Disciples throughout the world. So, if that’s the case, then my prayers need to change. And with my prayers changing, my actions will change as well. I pray I can become a person who proclaims His message with BOLDNESS, without hinderance, without being scared of what might be, without dumbing down the message. I pray you are stirred to join me in this effort.

Acts 28:31: He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance!

   With only His Grace,

Why this Road?

My journey on this road involves more than myself. This blog is about me, yes, but also about what my God has taught me and my husband along the way (and is still teaching us). The beginning of this blog was to write about our experiences the past 3 years….experiences that only we can give the account of, but ones in hope that can be used in order to be a light to others. But to talk about the last 3 years, I have to take you on a trip with me starting before that. A trip that I will not retell every turn and bump along the way, but one that is important in developing our desires, our passions, and all the road in between.

To say the last 3 years has been difficult would be a vast understatement. 13 years ago, my husband had graduated with his Ph.D. from a well-known university and had moved across the country to take a Post-Doctoral fellowship in the SAME town as I had just moved. Unknowingly, we moved the same month to apartments that were 1 mile from each other, and choose to attend the same large church. Well, as the story usually goes, we met, dated, fell in love, and married within 2 years. I was in awe of my husband. I thought I had “hit the jackpot” with him. Not only was he intelligent and handsome, he had such a desire to know the Lord so intimately that it permeated every facet of his being. It was contagious! Little did I know, God was working miracles in his mind and soul. Miracles that would take 7 or 8 years to come to fruition.

Speed up and fast forward many years…..God placed us in a church with people who encouraged my husband and his desires, in particular one close friend. My husband desired to spend all his time studying the Bible and telling others about Christ and showing them in real, personal ways what it meant to be a disciple of Christ. At the same time, I was feeling pulled into that area as well, and I knew my husband was, without him even telling me. So, with humbled hearts and nervous stomachs, we stepped out in faith and accepted God’s call to be in full-time vocational ministry. Particularly since my husband did not know what area of ministry he was being called to, he felt led to pursue theological studies. He began that process through on-line courses, but eventually felt led to move our family.

3 years ago my husband and I prayerfully made the decision to leave EVERYTHING we knew and felt comfortable with to move across the United States to attend seminary. The decision was not one that we took lightly. We endured harsh criticism from Christians and church leaders whom we loved dearly. Encouraging words were spoken few and far between. My husband was told he would never be more than an administrator, or that he would only be an “intellectual” minister. Self-doubt and fear were the open doors to Satan’s continual attacks that followed us to seminary. But, despite all that, God was with us every mile of the way. He opened doors to get here that only can be explained supernaturally. He has provided for us in ways that can only be explained supernaturally. And, he has given my husband the strength, endurance, and His favor that can ONLY be explained supernaturally.

But, even with God’s blessings, life in seminary has been challenging. I have given up a life that we believe is biblical to do what we believe God has enabled me to do in order to provide for our family during this transition. Our children have given up extracurricular activities, extravagant birthday parties, best friends, and other opportunities in order to help contribute to and support our family. My husband has given up sleep,(yes, he only gets 4 hours a night most times), position, and space in order to follow God’s call.

But, the most important part to catch is here: my husband is a changed man, I am a changed woman, and my children are all changed and growing in the Lord’s ways. We are not who we were 13 years ago, 3 years ago, or even 1 year ago. God continues to bless us. He blesses my husband with boldness, with gifts and talents he thought were reserved for others, with an even deeper passion and desire for His people, with ministry opportunities to stretch and grow him, and with genuine friends who seek to build him up instead of tear him down. God has kept our children safe, protected from the evils of the world, and has given them a heart and spirit for those who still do not know the Lord. And God continually blesses me through my husband, my children, and my close friends.

This blog is about our journey. There will be times I will write about something from the past that God has laid on my heart to share. There will often be times I will write more than normal because I want you to feel you know me, us, our family, and to do so means explaining a bit. Mostly, I want to use this blog to bring glory and honor to my Creator. I pray you are able to find connection and resonation with something He says through me.

 Matthew 6:25-26: "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

                                                                   

My "Jill"

I had a friend at my last highway home who had a “Jill” friendship. I was always so envious of their friendship….finishing each other’s sentences, spending the night with one another like they were sisters, keeping each other’s secrets safe without judging one another, yet also being able to be brutally honest with each other without the fear of losing one another. Well, eventually one friend moved far away, while the other stayed behind. I always wondered what happened to the closeness among the 2 friends, but I never asked. I heard a report on a local Christian radio station recently that a new study showed Christian adults do not have many close friendships aside from their spouse, if any at all. The commentator continued to talk about how important it was for us to feel connected to someone, other than our spouse, with whom we could feel close, talk to, and help out when needed (or something to that effect). I started thinking about the friendships I have had over my adult years. My family and I have moved around a lot, and although I yearn for close girl friendships, they are hard to make when dealing with other “life” situations at the time. For men, it’s even harder. Women, or at least this woman, tends to hold back more, to be more surface than deep, and just plain not have time or energy or money to invest in one more “thing”. And then while I was recently feeling sorry for myself over moving yet AGAIN and leaving behind a couple of really close friends, the radio program from above came on…..that started me thinking…..why do friendships, particularly close ones, fall apart when someone moves? My mind quickly went to someone whom I call “My Jill”. This person has A LOT in common with me. She can finish my sentences, she can understand my trials and tribulations because she has nearly had all the same ones, and she “gets” my husband and doesn’t criticize who he is (one of my biggest pet peeves). The thing that I love the most though, is SHE GETS ME! I can be me, no facad, and she is still my friend. I can tell her something I disagree with, and she is still my friend, and not calling me to say “Are we okay?”. But most of all, she shares my deep love for reaching the world for Jesus. I know “my Jill” would walk across fire for me, and I would defend her to my death. And that, my friends, is NOTHING compared to what my Jesus would do for me, and you. If you have a “Jill” friend today, tell her how much she is appreciated.