An ache, a crazy prayer, and the joy of giving

One upon a time, a young girl prayed,

“Break my heart for what breaks yours.”

And she ended up in Africa.  She has an amazing story to tell, and I encourage you to read it.

One of Katie's kids, nursed back to health.
read more here

It is not a calm story, or a safe story, or a tame story. It is a story of the love of Christ poured out on to others in Uganda.  It is a story of being unsettled and uprooted.  It is a story of love.

Love is not stable. it is not calm and placid.  It is not predictable.  Love suffers, love upsets the normal order of things. Love is passion--love is dancing with those who dance, and aching with those who ache. Love gets hurt. Love gets wounded.

Love is vulnerable. 

Love often looks like weakness.

Yet it is so much more dynamic and beautiful and alive than a life of soma, a life of worldly, selfish happiness. 

Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours.

I read Katie's story this summer, and it refuses to leave me. Reading her words led to more reading, and learning, and aching for those in this world who have so little.

And I look around here, at our abundance, the blessings that fill our home and our house so full that they spill over, get in our way, and even drive me crazy. 

Jesus, can I do something?  I know I can't fix it all, but can you use me to help, even just a little?

I thought about my vocation, and how there seems to be nothing left over of me for anything outside this house.  How can a person with nothing left give something?

Then, I thought about our home, and how well we are provided for by my husband and those who love us.  Then, I thought about my hobby- the writing I do in this place, and I thought about my husband who encourages me to write, yet refuses to kill the joy of it by pressuring me to turn this hobby into a career.

Words. I can give my words.

I can donate the profits from my new book.

And like a little girl asking her dad for permission to buy a puppy, I asked my husband what he thought of that idea. He thought it was wonderful.

I get to give. 

It may not be much, but it is something.

(I chose Project 24 in Kenya. Click here to find out why)

Maybe I can help just one.

Photo from childrenwithnoone.org

Perhaps you'd like to join me?

Read more about Project 24 here.

Tend to Me: Devotions for Mothers

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Advent Plans

I always get overly excited for advent. I make BIG plans, and I put them all in our little advent calendar tree. And then, next year when I get the tree out? I laugh because half of the little doors still have stuff in them.  

I know life is going to happen. I know we are going to be down with illness or chaos. And still, I plan.

This year, I have been prayerfully considering what and how to plan. I'm trying hard to keep it simple so that we can stay focused on what is important. And so, it's is now December 5, and I have my plans finalized.  

And you know what else? I'm giving myself permission to ignore any other great ideas that come my way from here on out. Yes there are other fun things we could do. But, enough. It is enough.

(And I hope you will say that about these ideas, if they are more than you need. You can ignore them! Or, you can always pin them for next year!)

What is needful?

Simply, Jesus.

I want us to soak up His grace and His Word. I want us to wallow in it.

Our plans

(As I said above, don't let these ideas distract you! If you already have a full list of great plans, you have permission to ignore these, or pin it away until next year.)

First, we receive

Daddy leads nightly devotions.  This time of year, devotions include more singing and even candles. The kids (and I) just love that.  The change in the lighting makes for a (slightly) more serious mood.

The Story Bible- Recommended

We are also trying to memorize Luke 2 as a family. (Click here for a free downloadable copywork book to use with your kids!)

We give thanks

I loved this idea.  We are started a journal of "gifts we already have," and we are thanking God for them. I wonder how many we can list?  Our first attempt stopped at 157!

I'm not a fancy, scrapbooking type girl, so our journal isn't exactly pretty. It's an old notebook from college, plus a sticker, and a Christmas card, and a ribbon I found in one of our Christmas boxes. This is as fancy as I get.

It is enough.

We've done a gratitude journal before, and I love how it helps all of us change our perspective, and see God's hand of mercy in the things around us- from the blessings of family and friends, to hot water, and technology, and milk for breakfast.

Feel free to use this label if you like.

Finally, we give stuff.

We are making our lists, for family and friends and teachers and so forth.
It is a joy to give to our loved ones, and  those close to home.  

We keep giving

The children have been putting money in a special jar to give away to those in need. They receive an allowance, and additional money for extra jobs. We tell them to give part to our local church. Then they have the choice of saving, spending, or putting some in our giving jar.

The giving jar

Confession: I have offered them a small incentive for writing in the gratitude journal. For every 25 gifts they list, I donate a quarter to their giving jar.

They write, and again and again they see it, and we see it:
We are blessed.

Inspired by Ann, I'm working on compiling and assembling our own giving catalog so that they can choose how to give their money from a host of good things.  Gifts for the least of these

(Childrenwithnoone.org)

The joy in it

Having counted our blessings, wallowed in His grace, we can hear His joyful invitation to us:

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

Is all this giving sucking the fun out of the joy of Christmas for these little kids?  No, on the contrary. Their eagerness and delight spills over into my heart, and all good things in this house are increasing.

We don't have to, but we get to

we get to

give gifts to God for Christmas,

as we see Him in our loved ones,

and in the least of these.

Now, don't forget to read the post that inspired this one: The Grateful Christmas Project. It's beautiful.

Advent Ache

There has long been an ache in me for those in impoverished countries, but I have done my best to fight it. 

Those thoughts seem like they could lead to scary places, and I just feel more comfortable keeping that box shut.

I mean, if I open it, God might make me do something about it.

He might ask me to give something.

He might make me uncomfortable with what I have.

He might ask me to given even more. 

He might ask me to give too much.

He might ask for everything.

And everyone knows, I already have enough to do, and the things I have to do right now, I don’t even do them that well—God knows I require a heaping mound of grace each day, each week, to soothe myself after I have failed to love those around me, again.  I am spread thin already, just loving and serving the people in my own home, and doing church stuff, and managing our abundance.

I can’t handle another thing.

Besides, I can’t fix it. I can’t really do anything substantial to ease the suffering of people thousands of miles away. 

photo from childrenwithnoone.org

So what’s the point of looking beyond my home, or beyond  my country, and aching for the things that go on there? Can’t I just hide from the headlines, from the mission work, and keep on gasping my way through the work in front of me, just  doing what I do in my tiny corner of the world?

But, God said no. I am not allowed to hide, he said.

I must pray.

And praying?

That led to thinking. And reading. And learning.

And I feel my heart getting achingly bigger.

Do you feel this ache?

What do you do with it?

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Coming Soon: 

Tend to Me: Devotions for Mothers

by Emily Cook

Read more here