celebration

THIS is very near and dear to my heart. Maybe I mentioned it last year around my birthday as well. I follow and support these amazing people too, who are also working alongside the Sudanese people to protect, restore, and heal their land, their bodies, their precious hearts. May peace continue to come to them. May we stand with them, believe with them.

I was grieving a bit last night, as I stared into the sky with wonder, watching the fireworks. My dear Kip mentioned how amazing it is that we were able to have the day that we did-- a day filled with ease & ending in such a sweet time with family and hundreds of others who were gathered to simply sit and enjoy the night, enjoy the freedom. My empathetic, tender heart (or that of the Spirit in me) was still, but is rarely forgetful.


There are so many who will never experience this kind of sweetness-- the richness of ease, wealth, and happiness. Don't forget. 


My thoughts wandered to those at war. Those in the middle of extremes, sharing in the goal to protect but lacking the peace. Not sure how to restore or heal when their job is to tear down, destroy, and remove the enemy. Those living every day in the midst of conflict; the equally precious people who had to spend yesterday's holiday away from the joys of family and close friends, burgers and fireworks, boats and fun.

It's not my intention to ruin a celebration. These thoughts of mine increase my gratitude greatly. And they also move me to live from that gratitude, to live from the reality of what's happening in our world and move towards a better world-- to pursue the peace my heart desires, to help restore in others what I desire to see restored in me, and to trust that His protection is strong, His love is stronger, and the healing that He brings is happening all around me on levels far beyond what I could see or know.

Whether it's my brothers and sisters in Sudan, or my brothers and sisters in Iraq, or my brothers and sisters on the streets of Minneapolis:
sweet Savior of mine... let me be moved with your amazing compassion; moved to powerful action. Let my eyes see, my ears hear, my heart feel, my feet go, my hands serve, my life love.


dream through us, Abba.
recreate in us so that we may recreate our world with you.

"and since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here."