I’ve been “home” in the states for 3 days now.
So far, I’ve been blessed with hours to enjoy relationships with friends and family. Wednesday night I was able to reconnect with my church family at the weekly gathering of our junior/senior high youth group. It’s been a constant flood of coffee dates, movies, drinks at the bar, and chance meetings every since. I praise God for the wealth of relationships here and in the Dominican Republic.
It’s hard not to judge American culture. Today, while waiting for staff to show up at the COTN Seattle office, I spent some time (and $$) at Westlake Center. The contrast of wealth and poverty is excruciating. Homeless beggars sit outside the high-end boutiques, alternately grinning and swearing, all asking for food, smokes, and spare change. The situation is eerily similar to the “3rd world” or “extreme” poverty of Barahona. And yet, none of the shoppers or tourists today seemed to notice.
In a few days, I’ll head back to the classroom to prepare for the new school year. My experience this summer reaffirmed the call that God’s placed on my heart to teach junior high in Silverdale. But, it’s also revealed a deep need to rest, first. Right now, I’m tempted to feel guilty about these few days “for myself.” Today, for instance, I’ve spent driving around Seattle drinking coffee and running into old friends. It’s part of the bigger picture. Before I can prepare my classroom, I have to let God prepare my heart.
Friday, August 14, 2009
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Ephesians 5
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:
“Awake, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I know. I stopped in to hang curtains in my classroom and prayed that the Holy Spirit would fill every corner even now, days before the kids return. It's a holy place. Almost every day of the last five years, as I'm walking out at the end of the day, before I turn out the light, I turn around and say, "Thank you, Lord, for what happened here today. Thank you for the privilege of speaking into kids' lives." It's almost as if I can hear the voices and feel their concerns, long after they've hopped on the bus. My last day before going back is Monday. I'm wondering how to spend that day.
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