Redeemed

Murder. Pain. Loss.

The past can be a weight. The magnitude of the tragedy overwhelming. Every time your eyes close, you see their faces. Sons taken too soon. The anger rises anew. Lost jobs are insignificant compared to the lost loved ones. Lost freedom. But you go on.

I met him on a trip. He was hired to do construction. We were building a church. We were also building THE church.

North and South Americans stacked concrete blocks, threw cement, painted walls, and tiled a roof. Shoulder to shoulder, they joyfully toiled from sunrise to sunset until everyone was exhausted. Christians and non-Christians alike, simply working with and loving each other.

Each day on the long walk home, he would pick up scrap wood. Someday his house would have real walls. A roof. Someday.

But God... God is a rescuer. He is a redeemer.

"...the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners" Isaiah 61:1

Late in the week a decision was made. A decision for Christ. And life became new. Restored. Redeemed.

Embraced by both the savior and His church, something special was found. Forgiveness. Community. Reconciliation. Hope. Life.

His house now has a roof. And walls. His precious family is safer than they have been in years. Because of a church? Because of THE church? Because of the redeemer! Jesus reached out through the obedient workers. The light of Jesus was shining through them all week. It drew him. It gave him a new hope and a new community. And the trajectory of six precious lives changed forever. For eternity.

Show me (state) agape

Agape love. The highest of the types of love talked about in the Bible. Selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional.

Right now there's a young lady writing an essay for English class. The topic is Redeeming Love. Her theme is agape love. She's sitting right across from me, struggling to find the words.

As I sit here typing this post, she's asking an occasional question. I help out when I can, but mostly I sit here and write. I'm typing here in order to give her room to find her own words. Sometimes I can't help but write. But when it comes to love, we've all got to find our own voice. Our own words. So I give her space.

So what does a 17 year old Missouri girl know about agape love?

As she types, does she realize how surrounded she is by what she's writing about? Teachers at school and at church. Friends. Us. Her. God.

She's telling me stories. It's just snippets from a book, but it's so clear. The purest love is the most powerful force in the universe. It changes lives. It changes eternities. It has changed me.

We're just beginning this journey. There are a million different paths this adventure could take us down.

Yes, love is powerful. But there is always risk associated with love. There is a vulnerability required. It'll break your heart. Every. Single. Time. This is going to break my heart. I already know. But it's still worth it. It's worth living for and it's worth every sacrifice.

Every. Single. Time.

Finding words

God has been so good to me. He has carefully cultivated relationships in my life. He brought an incredible woman into my life and taught us how to fearlessly, sacrificially, and unconditionally love each other as only spouses can. He has blessed me with two of the most incredible and inspiring sons that a father could ever hope to have. I find myself surrounded by a remarkable and tight-knit community of believers that aren't scared of authenticity and a little bit of crazy faith. I experience an astounding awe daily when I look around at the connections that God has put into my life. Deep and meaningful relationships. They believe in me. I believe in them. I've longed for this all my life and here it is. An unrealistic dream brought to life.

I thought my heart was full. It was overflowing with praise, love, grace, concern, and compassion. Although it's often messy, these experiences are deep and real. Ever present. Overwhelming in a good way.

But God wasn't done. See, my God isn't silent. He is a bold, over-the-top kind of God.

He has been showing me for a few years that our family isn't a family of four. It's bigger than that. It's not complete yet. I've been prepared for and open to what's to come. At least I thought I was. I would tell God, "use our family, use our house. Use our love. Use our lives. Lead the lost or abandoned to us. Make the path clear. We are willing." In my mind, I expected to find a baby on our doorstep someday.

I received a phone call while on a layover in the Denver airport. "K" needed a place. She's a very sweet 17 year old girl about to start her senior year of high school. The details of her story aren't for me to reveal. Without hesitation, without even a twinge of doubt, the answer was yes. There was no doubt this is at least part of what God has been preparing us for.

Like you would expect, once "K" moved in reality hit. Unlike what you'd expect, it has been natural and seamless. She fits beautifully into our house and our family, bringing new life where I never even realized it has been missing. It's like she was always meant to be with us.

I thought my heart was full. Since that phone call, it has swelled. It feels like it is simultaneously bursting and breaking. Overflowing with love for this new daughter I never knew I needed. Breaking at the thought of the time together we haven't had but grateful for the future that is in front of us. Bursting with laughter while wrestling with an aspect of fatherhood I didn't expect to experience. Delighting in the joy of emotions that keep surfacing unexpectedly. On one hand, suddenly having a 17 year old daughter is like learning to swim by jumping into the deep end of the ocean. On the other, when God makes these connections happen it all just works.

All I can say is welcome to the family, sweetie. We don't really live inside much of a comfort zone and I hope you're okay with that. We're a bit crazy here. This is the kind of crazy that draws us nearer to God. It's good to be this kind of crazy.