When God Builds a Wall (revisited)

When God Builds a Wall (Revisited)

I received a comment yesterday on a blog I posted a year ago which caused me to re-read and remember what was happening at that time in my life. I then talked with a couple of people today who are facing walls of sorts in their lives right now and so thought I'd re-post this.

You may have heard the saying, 'When God closes a door, He opens a window.' It sounds nice and is something we like to read in our little box of promises, but in my experience, sometimes the door closes and there is no window in sight. In fact, sometimes it seems as if God closes a door and builds a wall! I think the difficult thing for us to understand (at least for me) is that our circumstances (and by that I mean our comfort) are really not the way we determine if God is at work or not. I mean, imagine if Mary and Joseph used their circumstances to determine if God was at work in their lives or not. Here they are on their way to Bethlehem in the last days of Mary's pregnancy (riding on a donkey, no less) all because some hedonistic king wants to take a census so he can get more money. Do you think that maybe they were feeling a little stressed out? I know in that circumstance I would be wondering, "Ok God, where's the window that my promise book talked about?"
It is only in retrospect that we understand God was orchestrating all of mankind to bring about the most incredible event that would ever take place in human history, that the Word would become flesh and dwell among us, but I bet you a million to one Joseph and Mary weren't feeling the love at that moment.

What drives people to keep moving forward in faith? It's definitely not circumstances. Maybe it's perseverance in spite of what we see, or fail to see. In 1 Samuel 14:13 it speaks of Jonathan and his armor bearer climbing up, using their hands and feet to engage the Philistine army who severely outnumbered them. Now why is that verse in the Scriptures? If he was climbing, what else would he use besides his hands and feet? Maybe the same way Jonathan climbed the mountain and Joseph & Mary made their way to Bethlehem is also the way we get past the walls in front of us.
So when it seems like God has closed the door and put up a wall, you can wait for a window, or you can use your hands and feet

...and get over it

Bread Dough & Restoring the Streets

Tonight, Corinne made these little bread snack things from Trader Joe’s and before she put them in the oven I ate one of the bread dough squares raw. I know some of you are disgusted right now, but when I was younger, I used to love eating raw dough (especially those little Pillsbury biscuits). I had forgotten how much I used to love those things and it made me think how easily time can erase what once meant so much to us.

Years ago, I had a desire to reach my community with the good news of Jesus so badly I could taste it. It affected the places that I chose to worship, the jobs that I took and the things I thought and dreamed. Even when I would travel to various places with mission teams, this theme would come up over and over again, whether in Mississippi, China or Wales. At some point in a time of prayer or in comments shared as a group, someone would say “let’s take what we’re doing here back home with us” and each time I came home I would think, “ok, how can we do something with this?”

Some of this resulted in throwing block parties that gave backpacks filled with school supplies to the kids in a local neighborhood, or taking food and making breakfast in that same neighborhood, also in playing music and speaking at a local club/pizza place where a band would play and people would sit at the bar drinking beer and listen to what I talked about concerning my faith in Christ.

That was then, but what about now? I have always felt it important to not live on the events of the past. If there are no new or fresh things happening in my life, then I am like a car that has run out of gas and is only moving on the momentum of yesterday… it’s just a matter of time before I stop.

So what about now? Glad you asked…

We are helping to establish two of the ladies in our community into an apartment where we will begin reaching out in a very tangible way right in the midst of those to whom we desire to show the love of Christ. We are building relationships (I’m already bringing one man to our Sunday gatherings) and we plan to have Bible studies there and so much more. We have also connected with a state funded organization here in Upland and it seems that a door wide enough to fly a cargo plane through has opened up for us to work with them. And get this, we are not only going to be able to help with the social needs, but the way things are working out, we will also have the opportunity and freedom to share our faith in Jesus and share how He still changes lives with these people!

All these things have recharged my soul and like the taste of raw dough, have rekindled my spirit with an endeavor to reach our local community. I am excited, encouraged and truth be told, a bit scared as a lot is happening very, very quickly.

Please pray for us at Genesis and these opportunities before us; that Jesus would continue to set before us an open door that no one can shut. (Revelation 3).

Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. -Isaiah 58:12 (NKJV)