Many years ago I was introduced to the band Mute Math. They quickly became one of my favorite groups to listen to, and not just because of their music. More than anything, I am in love with their lyrics. So many of the songs have lyrics that just speak to my heart. I immediately latched on to a lyric in the song Control: "surrender has somehow become so beautiful..." For some reason, that line stuck me, and has every time I listen to the song.
I began thinking about surrender and what negativity it often carries. But I realized, that in the Christian life, surrender is what we do. We surrender our lives to a God who loves us, knows us better than we know ourselves, and wants the best for us. This is rarely an easy thing to do - at least for me. I like to think that I know what would be best for me and be in control of my life. But in giving up control, I find that God's plans are better than I could have ever imagined.
Thinking back on the lyric of the Mute Math song, I decided to see how the dictionary defines the words "surrender" and "beautiful". Below is what I found.
"BEAUTIFUL": having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind.
"SURRENDER": To give up in favor of another.
And that sums up what I want my life to be about. Having the qualities that give pleasure and satisfaction to my Jesus as I give up my ideas for the future in favor of what he has in store.
I want to be beautifully surrendered.
Monday, June 30, 2008
One of the most Memorable Experiences of my life
As I sit at my desk beginning to write about my most recent mission trip to the orphanage in Mexico, I realize that my brain has not fully engaged this week. It is an odd thing to be gone for 8 days. No cell phone, no tv, no radio, no internet or email, no need to keep track of what day it is. Only the need to be ready for meals, work, or ministry when you are told. Re-entering my life here in Colorado has proven to be something more difficult than I had planned.
We left a group of 21 bleary-eyed individuals at 7:30am on the 14th of June. Little did we know what God had in store for us in the upcoming 8 days.
Ministry started the very first day we were there with a trip to "The Rock" - a youth center and school in Tijuana. We played with the kids for a couple of hours. The heat was almost beyond bearable. As we would find out in the upcoming days, it was one of the first heat waves of the year. Sweat poured down our backs just standing in the shade. We had a long week of heat ahead of us.
The next day we were able to enjoy a service at the orphanage with the kiddos. It was so fun to sing familiar worship songs in Spanish. And to hear Denny give a Father's Day message at an orphanage - amazing. Truly, he is blessed with the teaching gift. We were all moved by what he had to say.
The days following were full. We woke early for breakfast and then headed outside for work. Our group did four days of mixing concrete by hand, and moving dirt to the top of an amphitheatre so they can plant trees. By the end of the fourth day, my body was one big painful muscle. It was easier to list what didn't hurt than what did. Mixing wet, heavy cement is the hardest physical job I have ever done. And I don't care to think about doing it again.
After work and lunch with the kids each day, we had a few hours to rest, shower, and get ready for ministry. The showers consisted of half-buckets filled with water. It's amazing how you can make a half-bucket of water stretch to clean your hair and body.
What a strange mix of ministry opportunities we had. Two days we headed into a colonia to help with a church service. How dramatically different those two experiences were. At the first church we witnessed spiritual warfare unlike anything else we saw on the trip. There was an oppressive feeling we all picked up on when we walked into the church. We made a quick departure after that service and had a great time of discussing what was going in that church. We took the opportunity to pray for them and their pastors. It was a good experience for our students and leaders to understand that spiritual warfare is very much alive and kicking all around the world.
The second church came at the end our week. As soon as we walked into the church at Las Palmas, outside of Tecate, we could tell there was a different spirit here. The church was filled with people, and new families were attending. The music was inspiring and uplifting, even with the language barrier. The message was passionate and responsive. But the most exciting part for us was that this church has a youth group. Of all the churches the orphanage planted, this is the only one with active youth. It was great for our group of high school students to see so many students their age active in their church, getting ready for a national conference next month.
Ministry during the days between these two extreme experiences was great. We had a chance to do our program for the orphanage kids. Building relationships there was amazing, yet again. I had a chance to sit with and enjoy meals with the sisters I sponsor. The changes I saw in them from the beginning of the week to the end was great. Shy and timid at first, they were crying and hugging me when I left. There was a connection there I pray last until I see them again.
We finished out time with some down time in San Diego. Taking in a Padres game and then some time on the beach was a great way to cap off our week. There were moments shared that no one else would understand. There were stories told that would break your heart. There were conversations had that uplift the spirit. Throughout the entire week we saw God work again and again the hearts and lives of everyone on the trip.
God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
We left a group of 21 bleary-eyed individuals at 7:30am on the 14th of June. Little did we know what God had in store for us in the upcoming 8 days.
Ministry started the very first day we were there with a trip to "The Rock" - a youth center and school in Tijuana. We played with the kids for a couple of hours. The heat was almost beyond bearable. As we would find out in the upcoming days, it was one of the first heat waves of the year. Sweat poured down our backs just standing in the shade. We had a long week of heat ahead of us.
The next day we were able to enjoy a service at the orphanage with the kiddos. It was so fun to sing familiar worship songs in Spanish. And to hear Denny give a Father's Day message at an orphanage - amazing. Truly, he is blessed with the teaching gift. We were all moved by what he had to say.
The days following were full. We woke early for breakfast and then headed outside for work. Our group did four days of mixing concrete by hand, and moving dirt to the top of an amphitheatre so they can plant trees. By the end of the fourth day, my body was one big painful muscle. It was easier to list what didn't hurt than what did. Mixing wet, heavy cement is the hardest physical job I have ever done. And I don't care to think about doing it again.
After work and lunch with the kids each day, we had a few hours to rest, shower, and get ready for ministry. The showers consisted of half-buckets filled with water. It's amazing how you can make a half-bucket of water stretch to clean your hair and body.
What a strange mix of ministry opportunities we had. Two days we headed into a colonia to help with a church service. How dramatically different those two experiences were. At the first church we witnessed spiritual warfare unlike anything else we saw on the trip. There was an oppressive feeling we all picked up on when we walked into the church. We made a quick departure after that service and had a great time of discussing what was going in that church. We took the opportunity to pray for them and their pastors. It was a good experience for our students and leaders to understand that spiritual warfare is very much alive and kicking all around the world.
The second church came at the end our week. As soon as we walked into the church at Las Palmas, outside of Tecate, we could tell there was a different spirit here. The church was filled with people, and new families were attending. The music was inspiring and uplifting, even with the language barrier. The message was passionate and responsive. But the most exciting part for us was that this church has a youth group. Of all the churches the orphanage planted, this is the only one with active youth. It was great for our group of high school students to see so many students their age active in their church, getting ready for a national conference next month.
Ministry during the days between these two extreme experiences was great. We had a chance to do our program for the orphanage kids. Building relationships there was amazing, yet again. I had a chance to sit with and enjoy meals with the sisters I sponsor. The changes I saw in them from the beginning of the week to the end was great. Shy and timid at first, they were crying and hugging me when I left. There was a connection there I pray last until I see them again.
We finished out time with some down time in San Diego. Taking in a Padres game and then some time on the beach was a great way to cap off our week. There were moments shared that no one else would understand. There were stories told that would break your heart. There were conversations had that uplift the spirit. Throughout the entire week we saw God work again and again the hearts and lives of everyone on the trip.
God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
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