Unpacking

I spent the last week in Texas.  With school and responsibilities at home, Nancy and the girls stayed in Guadalajara.  But I was blessed to spend time with dear friends, family and new acquaintances in Lubbock, Abilene and Lamb County.  This weekend, I’m unpacking—literally of course—but also “unpacking” the experiences with people, thinking about the last week or so and what God has left on my heart.  A few of those things:

• I was encouraged as always by God’s people, their generous heart and the desire I see in so many to join God and make a difference in the world.  I’m specifically thinking of the Sunset Church of Christ and their generosity and desire to participate in world missions.  On October 4, they took up their annual mission contribution to fund their mission efforts for the next year.  Even in a year with so many financial struggles and worries, they surpassed their goal of $261,350.00 and ended up giving $276,555.29.  

• In a similar way I was encouraged by listening in on and participating in many conversations with folks in Lubbock, Abilene and Lamb County who are seriously considering how they can live and encourage others to live a more missional lifestyle in their own neighborhoods, fleshing out Christ among unreached people there, and seeing new churches spring up.  One of those conversations was at a Church Planting seminar at the Sunset Church of Christ on October 3—cool to hear them talking about the possibility of planting new churches in Lubbock.  

• I continue to notice that when we tell simple stories (especially ones that are recent and ongoing) of life on mission with Jesus, it is encouraging and even life-giving to the hearers.  Whether male or female, old or young, educated or not—there seems to be a general interest in what missional life looks like and a desire to participate in this life at deeper levels.  I think I understand more all the time the grace it has been to get to live the life of a missionary—and I am more convinced than ever that this life cannot end when we no longer live in Mexico.  I feel sure I will die if I can’t continue to live these stories of life and experience the blessing of sharing them with others.  

• Finally, I am impressed with the brevity and frailty of human life.  Last Monday, on a farm road in Lamb County a truck driven by a farm worker lost control and collided with a car driven by a mother and her high school aged daughter.  All three lost their life.  On Tuesday night, Jorge, an old friend and Christian brother died in his sleep in Mexico City.  Some think he may have had the flu.  He was in his 30’s and had a newborn child.  Then on Wednesday, I heard of another tragic accident involving a school bus.  My reading this week has had me “chewing” on James 4.  These words leap off the page at me:  “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:13-14).  I think a lot about the future.  I desire to live my life squarely in the present and centered on Jesus.  

Posted via email from The Schroeder's Posterous