This is an excerpt from a post that my beautiful wife wrote on her new blog about a week ago. It honestly made me cry when I read it the first time. She just amazes me beyond my minds ability to comprehend it, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she will rub off on me and teach me how to write. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:
1 John 2.8 “the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”
“The Kingdom is to me…
Amazing Grace read aloud as it slowly softens my heart. “Jesus Paid It All” resonating against the walls of a huge building where my Midtown family worships one God all together. A tent in the mountains of Guatemala representing God’s church and the beauty of English and Spanish singing together God’s praises. Small children singing “Jesus loves me this I know” with hand signals and all. The hearts of college students that love people, love our church family, love our God. My lifegroups pushing each other to love Jesus more. The beauty of the homeless of Columbia eating nachos and salsa, playing card games, getting their hair cut, winning prizes with ticket stubs, and the wives picking things for their husbands upon winning, all the while smiling from ear to ear. A young man opening up to ask advice and prayer to seek Christ in his relationship while on the other side of town someone is asking advice for how to deal with the loss of their husband.
The parks in Columbia that hold so many different people—the young, the old; the dog-walkers, the ones terrified of dogs; the small children playing on the monkey bars, the old ladies walking with their fanny packs; the college kids playing ultimate, the high-schooler’s playing football; the couples, the loners; the energetic, the tired; the strong, the weak; the happy, the sad; the lost, the found…..
It is random days during the week where my Columbia family eats, discusses, and laughs. It is Beth’s hilarious self that knows me more than I do and talks to me about any and every thing, it’s Courtney’s sweet voice that I can barely hear on the phone, yet so much love, concern, and joy comes from that small voice. It is Renie’s heart for the lost, her passion to see them know her Savior, Megan’s love for little children—knowing exactly what to say, Beth V’s drive to be a strong mother and wife, Erica’s zeal that lights up every room, C-gib’s ability to speak it truthful and keep it focused on Jesus, Jennifer’s hospitality. It is Bailey’s wisdom that quiets a room, Jay’s humbleness that shows Christ’s love in him, Beau’s funny character that makes you smile no matter what, Grubb’s hard work that shows me it’s okay to be a grown-up, Garrett’s artistic abilities that display God in all kinds of different ways, Allen’s kind heart that I’ll never, ever have, Dustin’s way of encouraging everyone to do what God’s called them and helping them to accomplish their goals…My friends have Christ leading their life…they know the Kingdom.
It’s the sunset in Liberty, the heartbeat of childhood in Easley, the best of times in Anderson, the renewal in Columbia. It’s the remembrance of family in Arial Methodist, the finding of Jesus in Brushy Creek, the change in Potter’s Clay, the growth in Midtown. It’s the sweet faces, hurting souls, and helping hands at the Parenting Place; it’s the openness and need for love at Pizza Buffet; it’s the excitement, peacefulness, and happiness of being a children’s minister; it’s the tears, growth, and finding of my gifts at Richland ED; it’s the copies, stapling, praying, and planning of Collegiate Ministry that leads people to Jesus. It’s every church—every job—every part of life.
It is part of every, single day… it is every, single day. It’s walking, talking, moving, breathing, eating, sleeping, seeing, reading, listening, hearing, pushing, pulling, working, resting. The Kingdom is in me—it’s in you. It is here and it is now. It is love. It is beauty. It is renewal. It is beauty. It is setting the captives free. It is raising the dead. It is loving on the unloved. It is praying for the ones needing prayer. It is Truth. It is life. It is everything. It is all. It is all around us—surpassing all we can say or feel. It is God’s heartbeat.”
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