Don't Tell My Left Hand...

So... I've always had a trouble deciding where the line is between not letting my left hand know what my right hand is doing (Mt. 6:3) and helping others be encouraged and able to overcome by sharing my testimony (Rev. 12:11).

When God allows me to be a part of blessing someone else, I'm never sure how much of that stuff to tell others about. Or, more accurately, I'm not really sure how to tell others in a way that truly glorifies Him without making it seem like it's just a little about me.

Because it's not about me. Not at all. At least, to me it's not about me. And, I don't want it to be about me to anyone else. But, I do really, really, really want to share the wonderful things I've been seeing God do for the people around me.

So - here goes. I'll be typing with mostly my right hand, so please don't tell my left hand what all I've had to say. Remember - this is not about me. If anything, I'd like this blog post to make you think about God in His infinite love and mercy, but also about YOU - and the role you have to play in helping people come to know Him.

For several weeks an amazing, awesome, rag-tag group of people from my town have been allowing me to accompany them to Omaha to serve food and hand out warm clothes to the men at a homeless shelter. This is, really, my first experience with homeless people. (I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.)

My first day I was pretty jumpy, and I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I was pouring syrup and doling out peanut butter onto warm pancakes from behind a table, so it's not like I was exactly getting up-close-and-personal or anything. Still - every loud interaction, every brusque tone, every sideways glance kind of set me on edge. I'm ashamed to say it, but I was honestly anticipating a knife fight to break out between two strung out bums at any moment.

(Yes - I'm cringing just as much as you are that I really thought that.)

What I have discovered over these past many weeks, however, is that these guys are just, well... guys. They're just people. Some of them are rude and cranky. A few are even openly hostile (for a myriad of reasons). But, for the most part, they're just people like you and me. They can't help but return a smile or a hug when one is offered. They say, 'please' and 'thank you'. They've usually got a funny joke or story to tell, and they're grateful when you take the time to care about them.

Oh, and they're hungry for the Lord.

I don't care whether someone lives in the biggest house in town, or in a tent by the railroad tracks - they were created in God's image. And, as such, there is something in them that longs to know their creator.

Usually, I'm just the lady behind the table with the funny hat. (See the pictures below if you don't believe me.) But, today, we got the chance to go inside the building and hang out with the guys at the day house. Because of the crowding due to the cold temperatures, it was (quite literally) an opportunity to rub shoulders with these men. I didn't really know anyone's names, but I had come to recognize a lot of faces over the weeks. Apparently they recognized my face too, and the fact that I had offered them smiles, syrup, and the occasional, 'God bless you.'

Those things alone would never have been enough to forge a relationship that transcended all of our vast differences in order to build trust and a level of intimacy between us. But, combined with the burning desire inside their souls to know God, it was sufficient.

It started with one man who came to me, a bit shyly, and quietly said, "I have a question..."

He showed me a page from a religious magazine, stating that after Jesus ascended He was a spiritual being in Heaven.

"So, does that mean He wasn't really human?" the man asked, his head cocked and eyebrows raised.

We talked quietly, amid the chaos and crowds, about the fact that Jesus is seated in Heaven with God as a spirit, but that He truly was 100% human while on Earth, and really did know the realities of life as a person - just like us. This seemed to be an important point to this homeless man - a way to connect with an otherwise unrelatable God.

He had no more than turned away when someone else tapped me on the shoulder, and began the same way:

"I have a question..."

As I walked the ten feet or so between the table I had been standing at and the door, I was stopped by several men today, each of them with a different question about God. I could tell that others were listening intently, curious about I had to say.

One man had been to Bible college briefly, and his eyes lit up at the chance to discuss the scriptures- clearly a topic near and dear to his heart. I found out that he didn't have a Bible, and I offered him one of the Gideon New Testaments that I always keep with me. From all the way at the other end of the eight-foot table, another man - who I didn't even know had been listening - quietly asked if he could have one too.

Not everyone was eager to talk about Jesus, of course. Most of them were more concerned with finding a seat in the crowded room or getting a hold of the classified ads from the paper. One gentleman was even hostile to me - vehemently telling me that as a Muslim he didn't believe in my Jesus. How could someone be God, and let other people kill him? To him, the story made no sense. Yet, before I left, he grabbed my hand, told me he could tell I was a woman of God, and allowed me to give him the last copy of my New Testament, promising he'd look it over so we could continue the conversation next time I was there.

There were other men with questions, I could tell, but our group was leaving, so I headed out to the bitterly-cold courtyard area to help load the vans. I stopped for a moment to watch a homeless man dole out little bits of a piece of bread he'd been given to the birds. As I stood there, I suddenly felt someone at my shoulder.

"I bet you wonder why he's doing that, don't you?" He asked. I didn't recognize him - neither from the pancake lines in weeks past, nor from any conversations I'd had that day.

"Actually, I was just thinking about what a beautiful act of mercy it was for that man to feed the birds, when he himself has so little," I replied.

There was silence for a moment, and I turned to look at the man beside me.

He was sober, and swallowed hard before he spoke.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I'm supposed to come and talk to you," he said. All of the typical toughness and posturing that is so necessary for survival as a homeless person dropped away, and he became very, very vulnerable.

"Well, what do you think we're supposed to talk about?" I asked. (Yes - I know... it probably wasn't the best response, but it's what came to me. Maybe I'll do better next time.)

He swallowed again, and rubbed the toe of his worn boot against the ice in the courtyard.

"About the fact that Jesus loves me."

So that's what we talked about.

I told him that Jesus did love him, and asked if I could pray with him.

After I had finished, he thanked me, and wiped the tears away that had begun to freeze on his cheek.

(I told you it was cold out there. That, and I'm prone to long prayers.)

I had always believed - until recently - that it was wrong to 'push' my religion on others. That everyone had already had the chance to make an informed decision about their beliefs. That people didn't really want to hear about Jesus. Today was yet another reminder of just how untrue that is, and just how much God's creation will always yearn to know about Him.

The question is - will there be anyone there to tell them?

Look - I don't know everything there is to know about theology. I don't know all the answers to all of life's hard questions. And, I'm not perfect. No one is. (Except Jesus, of course.) But, because I was there today - just because I showed up - other people had a chance to get to know a little bit more about their savior and their creator.

God is that big - that He can work through people like me. I know He can work through you, too, and I challenge you to start being there in your own life.

Being there for your friends
Being there for your neighbors.
Being there for your family
Being there for your co-workers
Being there for the people in the biggest house in town.
Being there for the people living in tents by the railroad tracks.
Being there for the lovely.
Being there for the unlovely.

But, most of all - just being there, wherever God asks you to be.

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

If you're interested in contributing to the wonderful things this group of folks is doing for the homeless in Omaha, send me an email at farriersoffaith@yahoo.com. 

This is someone's home.

(I told you I wear a funny hat.)

We are a motley but dedicated crew. It was 2 degrees F this morning.

I am amazed at how many of these men have severe illnesses, diseases, and disabilities.

This facility is at more than 150% capacity, and still not able to serve all those in need.

One of our crew pets 'Handsome' a loyal companion to the folks who live down by the river.

 

 

Reward

I've been a born-again Christian since June 8th of 1988. That's when I knelt down and accepted Jesus into my heart.

I did so because that's when I became aware of His great love.
His great love for ME!

That's when I became aware of the gift that is salvation.
A gift He he had created for ME!

That's when I realized that He had a plan for my life.

That's right - the creator of the universe had a plan for ME!

Those are all the reasons I became a Christian. But, it's only been recently that I realized that there's much more to the equation than just that. Yes, He had all those things for me. And He gave them freely.
But, He also wanted more from ME.

More accurately (lest anyone think that our works are what get us into heaven, or that God wants to engage us in the drudgery of spiritual slavery in exchange for our salvation), Jesus wanted ME to want more for HIS sake.

I believe it is profoundly healing and healthy to accept the realization that if I would have been the only one who needed it, Christ would have climbed up onto that cross anyway. Just.For.Me.

That's how much He loves me. I am what He did it for. I am what He was thinking about that day. I am what He longs for. In fact, I am the reward for his suffering.

Think about that - there was no other prize at the end of the cross, resurrection, and ascension except for me. (Well, ok... there was eternity with the Father in heaven, but He already had that.) No brass ring. No pot of gold. No winning lottery ticket. Just me. Just you. Just humanity.

I am entirely and completely and utterly undeserving of the gift of salvation. I pray that it never ceases to bring me to tears when I consider what Jesus did for me.

But, He is deserving. Entirely, completely, and utterly deserving of my love. Of my adoration. Of me. And of you. And of all of humanity, which is all that He longs for.

When I feel shy or uncomfortable, and would rather pass on sharing the gospel with a stranger...
            When I start feeling content with my accomplishments and resentful of having to do more...
                         When I feel discouraged or tired, and am ready to give up on this whole 'missionary' thing...
                       

That's when I remember my Jesus - peering down to Earth - loving each and every person I come into contact with just as much as He loves me.

Desiring to give them the free gift of salvation, just as He desired to give it me.

Longing for each person to be a part of His eternal reward, just as He longed for me to be a part of His eternal reward.

How can I not share the gospel with strangers? How can I not go the extra mile for His sake? How can I not go to Guatemala to tell the people there about Jesus?

It is not about me, and what I have gained. It is about HIM, and the fullness of His reward that He will lose if I choose to give less than everything for His cause.

He deserves the full reward for His suffering.
He deserves an eternity with every person He died for.
He deserves them all...

And it must become my highest goal and privilege to see that He gets everything He suffered for... everything He died for... everything He deserves.

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

What Am I Sacrificing?

Today's post comes from my hubby, who shares his thoughts and perspectives on preparing to leave for Guatemala.

Eleven years ago I was working as a custodian at the University of Iowa. It was a good job, especially for someone without a college degree. Many of the  people I worked with were good people - family people, even some married couples who worked together.  But, I am old fashioned, and wanted more. I wanted a job where I had more responsibility, and I wanted to make enough that my wife wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to

In 2003 I took a job with the City of Wellman.  The main reason was to get more experience in other fields, and to find a career and be able to support my family.  I found, as soon as I started, that I liked the water and wastewater industries.  I worked hard and started pursuing professional licenses.  I got a new job with the City of North Liberty, and then with the City of Atlantic.

Through hard work, and many blessings and opportunities, I progressed rapidly.  In ten years I went from someone who had never even heard of wastewater as a career (I grew up in the country with a septic tank) to running a grade 3 plant with five employees.  I am on a state sub-committee of a national organization (IAWEA) that helps operators get training and work with state and federal government in writing rules for wastewater issues.

In less than a year I will be eligible to take the grade 4 wastewater exam. This is the highest license you can get in most of the country.  Only 7% of operators in the state  of Iowa are grade 4s.   With the higher age of grade 4 operators, and most of them getting ready to retire, the job market is going to open up for people who have supervisor experience and a grade 4 license. That means I could be running a major wastewater facility in just a few short years, and working my way up through IAWEA.  I have come to the place where I am established as a professional in my field.

More than that, I am making really good money doing something I enjoy, and my wife does not have to work outside the home. I am completely supporting my family - something I once thought would be impossible.

I am giving that all up, though, because I am called to get God's word to the people of Guatemala.  I am going, at the minimum, to have to put my career on hold for 2 years.  I have already told the subcommittee I am on that I will be resigning next spring.   I am going to be losing out on getting more managerial experience, which may be handy if I were to pursue another job in this career.  I have only been at this job for two years,  which also doesn't look great on a resume when you apply for a job.

The hardest for me is that Andrea will no longer be home with the girls. She is going to be teaching at a Christian school in Guatemala. And, even though she is excited about the opportunity to serve, I think her first choice would be to get to continue staying home.

I have also been able to support myself my whole adult life. Now we are going to have to  rely on friends and family to support us - something that is very uncomfortable for me.  I know mentally that it is not begging,or a free handout. We will be working harder than we ever have before.  But, it is still difficult to keep in my mind that these are people who are supporting us because they want to, and they share our vision.


So, what am I sacrificing to follow God's call on my life?

• a great job (doing something I love)
• being able to fully support my wife and children
• a career path that puts me on the fast track to making more money
• getting respect from peers
• setting up a great retirement 
• living in the United States (which, even with all its problems, is still the best place in the world
• being a long way from everybody I love and care about except my wife and kids

With all these negatives why I am I still going to follow through and move to Guatemala?  Because I went and saw. I got called. I know I could never be happy here knowing I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing for Jesus.  To me I do not really have a choice. Why? Here's why:

Mark 8:34-38 NKJV
[34] When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. [35] For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. [36] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? [37] Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [38] For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

- Mark

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to contribute to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

Double Lives

Photo Credit:
 http://knicknacker.com/
alter-ego-superhero-posters
-danny-haas/

Sometimes it feels like we're living double lives right now.

By day, we're the happy, successful, all-American family next door - going to work, doing our schooling, and keeping up on our favorite shows on TV. By night, we're missionaries trying hard to raise enough funds to get our boots on the ground in a poverty-stricken, dirty, second-world country.

It can be a challenge. Especially since we don't have the option of being only one or the other at a time.

The emotional realities of these two lives are very different. Here, we are allowed (even encouraged) by society to take advantage of the luxuries that are available to us as a reward for our hard work. Even with a very modest lifestyle and budget, we have access to all the food, clothing, entertainment, and comforts that anyone could ever wish for. But, we're also missionaries, preparing to live with less, and on less. We have seen the other side of the coin, and will soon have to stop catering to our mere 'wants' and be grateful to simply be able to meet our true 'needs.' We often find ourselves wondering, 'should we be starting that now?'

I also have a hard time not letting the emotions I feel from one life spill into the way I think about the other.

When I've had a frustrating or discouraging day as American homeschooling wife and mom, it's hard not to also feel frustrated or discouraged about our progress and preparation for our mission work.

Literally, I've had times when I've been bummed about burning dinner, and let that make me doubt (just for a second) the calling to missions God put on our lives.

It's silly, I know, but that's how the fiery darts of the enemy work. And, while our situation is different from most, I bet you can relate. We're all, in one way or another, leading double lives.

Father and breadwinner.
Wife and daughter.
In the world, but not of it.

That's why I'm so glad I have Jesus. He knows what I'm going through. He was both beloved, and despised. He was needed, but rejected. He was God, but He was man.

He gets it.

He knows my struggles and challenges. He rejoices with me and because of me. He will never leave me, nor forsake me... neither the happy, successful, all-American me, nor the missionary me raising funds and preparing to move to Guatemala.

And if that's not enough to make a person double happy, then nothing is.

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to contribute to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

Poverty

This is a really hard subject for me to talk about - poverty. Which is too bad, 'cause it's kind of a big part of telling people about what we're planning on doing in Guatemala.

In one way, it's hard to talk about it to friends, family, churches, small groups, etc..., since the American understanding of poverty is a little bit, well, skewed. It's one of those things that everyone thinks they know when they see it, but can't really describe. In the U.S. we have a 'poverty line,' 'poverty guidelines,' and 'poverty thresholds' - all used in different ways, by different agencies, with different purposes. Even after reading extensively on the Health and Human Services webpage, I'm not 100% sure what any of these things really mean. In our prosperous nation, they're really just a statistical measurement of who has the least as compared to everyone else, and not necessarily a way of determining if someone truly has enough - enough to put food on the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads.

Yes. There are desperately poor people in our country who literally struggle each day to find the resources it takes to sustain their very lives. But, very few. Especially in comparison to the rest of the world. I can't find any actual figures on this subject, to be honest. When I try to find data on those living in poverty in the U.S., I come up with articles like this, which use Census Data figures to give a picture of what poverty in our country looks like.

80.9% of those living in 'poverty' here have both a land line phone, and a cell phone

96.1% have a t.v.

83% have some sort of DVR

(Seriously!? What the heck!? I just got a DVR for the first time last year!!)

It's no wonder people's eyes glaze over a little when I start telling them about the poverty in Guatemala. It's hard to understand what that means, in light of our own examples in the United States.

Maybe this will help. The World Bank uses the term 'Extreme Poverty' to describe people living on less than the equivalent of $1.25 per day. I'm going to venture a guess and say that there is something like .1% of the U.S. population that lives in such extreme poverty. Maybe.

In Guatemala, it's 13.5%.
In the Congo, it's over 87%.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 1.2 billion people in extreme poverty.
That's 20%.
Of the people in the world.
Who live on less than $1.25 per day.

Wow.

But, here's the kicker - it's not about the poverty. At least, not the money part. We aren't going to evangelize in Guatemala because they're living in poverty there. We're going because they need Jesus. The fact that they also need food, clothes, and shelter (which we can help give them) provides an open door to give the most needed, the most important, and the most lasting thing at the same time - salvation.

Remember - the only way we're going to be able to help with those living in the poverty-stricken nation of Guatemala, is because of the generosity of those living in the prosperity-driven nation of the United States.

Please pray about contributing to our mission. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

Please take a moment to thank God for your own financial wealth, especially in light of the fact that so many in the world have so much less.

Please work in your own neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, communities, homes, and churches to end the most dangerous type of poverty of all - spiritual poverty, and the absence of salvation through Jesus Christ.

That's a poverty that no one can afford to have.

Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.

- Proverbs 22:2