Mary

As roommates we are trying to do a weekly advent to remind ourselves in the midst of the business and different culture and traditions that the root of Christmas is still Jesus no matter where you go in the world.  Clearly we are awesome at doing advent together since it is week one and we did it tonight… Wednesday… instead of Sunday.  Whoops.  But tonight we read a passage from Martin Luther written about Mary and I was stuck by it.

Luther mentions that Mary was probably 13-15 years old when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her.  I think I have probably heard that before in years past, but it has never hit home like it did for me tonight.  That is younger than Y, our youngest mom.  A child was chosen by God to carry His Son, to give birth to Him, to care for him.  I can tell you that even in a culture where being a teenage mom is common and families start to form at a young age, there are still a lot of things that a 15 year old does not have the life experience to know about being a mom. 

I am seeing my sin in my life so much these days… I long for the best.  My car is terrible and I complain about it all the time.  It still breaks down about once every other week and is sucking my pocket dry and I want to replace it with a toyota or a honda, the best brand, something reliable, something I can trust.  I am planning a wedding and keep trying to take into consideration who would do the best job, run things on time, has shown in the past that they are capable.  And if I had a child of my own you can count on the fact that I would only want to leave him in the capable hands of an adult who I knew would love and protect him, provide, and wisely care for him. 

I can promise you that Mary was not the best choice.  Why not a seasoned mother of 4 who already knew how to deal with ear infections and midnight crying spells?  History doesn´t tell us if Mary´s parents were alive or if she had a good support system.  She and teenage Joseph delivered a baby in the middle of a barn for goodness sake… there wasn´t a seasoned grandma there helping them know what do to.  And yet God choose her.  Martin Luther sees to think it was a wise choice and in the end I think I agree.

Mary had faith.  She trusted in what her eyes could not see and what common sense told her could not be true.  She took God at his Word and made herself available to be used by Him.  She walked in faith as He laid every step out in front of her.  I want to see the whole picture, I get really frustrated with only knowing the first step.  But Mary could not possibly have known that night while talking to the angel that Joseph would accept her, that they would be safe on their journey to Bethlehem, that her delivery would go well, that Jesus would be healthy.  But she trusted and said… let it be to me as you have said.  One foot at a time, step by step in faith.

I´m challenged tonight in the details of my life to stop striving so hard for what I think would be good for me and just trust that the God of the universe knows me and my needs and I can trust Him and walk in faith.

Grace

“Grace is a power that lifts you out of the domain of darkness and transfers you to the domain of light.  Grace is God’s magnificent power erupting in your heart and soul by His own intervention so that you move from death to life, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven.  Grace is power that is embodied in a person.” – Joseph Ryan

I cannot even begin to list the ways that I have seen God’s grace at work in the past year.  I have seen girls really start to walk with Jesus.  I have seen the Lord giving them new spiritual life and hope for a new physical future as well.  This is the season of graduations here in Honduras and to see Y and Jeffri graduate, to me that is grace.  It is a sweet gift that the Lord has given them to know a new future.

Yesterday Y told me that every one in awhile she stops to think about what her life would look like if you had never come to PDE.  There are so many things that she wouldn’t know… but mainly, she wouldn’t know the Lord the way she does and she wouldn’t have hope for her future.  Praise the Lord for that.  He has given her new life, light, hope.

I’m a person who likes to be busy, I think life is kind of boring any other way.  But right now it’s a little too much… I can’t seem to find enough hours in the day.  And I’m convicted that I haven’t taken time to reflect, to think about grace, to praise the Lord for his work in my life and the lives of people around me.  Grace is being played out in practical form before my very eyes and some days I miss it.  God is erupting in my heart, He has moved me from death to life, from darkness to light, and I haven’t taken much time to contemplate that, to thank Him for it.  So today I will.

Jesus, the very Son of God, came to us to show us grace embodied in a person.  He showed us humility, service, obedience, mercy… and He made a way for us to know His Father.  Because of Jesus I can rejoice today and say that grace is exploding in my life that I am no longer a slave to sin, but I belong to the family of the true and living God!  And God didn’t stop there, He put me here with a front-row seat to how He is changing the lives of others and the power of His grace and Gospel in their lives as well.  I’m so thankful.

Lake Norman

This is quite honestly one of my favorite places in the world.  There are a lot reasons, but I think it centers around the fact that here I feel so at peace.  I love the water and being able to wake up the morning, look out my window, and see the lake.  My memories here center around family, games, good food, holidays, and enjoying each other’s company.  This year my grandparents are talking seriously about moving.  I know that one day they will have to, but it makes me so sad to think about it.  Maybe this is when it sinks in that I really live overseas and don’t get home much.  I will probably be able to count on one hand the number of visits that I have left to this house.  I hate that.  I want many more sails, many more canoe trips and picnics on the island.  I want to bring my kids here and teach them how to do all these things that I love.  But its probably not going to happen.  So until then I will just be content to soak it all up and enjoy this time. 

If you’re wondering… the Innes family may be the only family left on the planet that still plays croquet with great regularity.  And we’re mean about it.  Seriously.  This is a real sport people.  And we sail, as often as possible.  The little boat in the summer when its okay to get wet and the big boat in the winter when you hope to not get splashed because its November and its cold outside.

And then there is this… nothing like it.

So much to be thankful for…

And this list is by no means exhaustive.

1. Favorite places to go when I’m in the states.

2. This lovely lady who loves coffee, Jesus, and me!
 

3. A chance to share about what God is doing in Honduras through Puerta de Esperanza in front of churches and brothers and sisters in the family of God.

4. This wonderful man who loves me and serves me and loves the Lord and asked me to be his wife!

5. A chance to see “not so little” Wes who let me play trucks and read to him

6. Good friends who have stuck by me for a long time.

November 2012 Blog

Faithfulness in the mundane

My story is not incredible.  In fact, some days I feel like it is downright mundane.  Today I drove all over La Ceiba, about 8 times.  Errands and bills and the courthouse and people and cars and dresses and so much more.  And yet, as mundane as the daily to-do list can be, it got me thinking.  First of all, about me and how much God has grown and changed me in the last year and a half.  I had no idea that becoming a missionary would mean that I would become so many other things.  I have become a mama bear that is fierce for her cubs.  I love them dearly and want to protect and shelter them while at the same time preparing them before I throw them out into the real world.  While an actual mom gets about 18 years of this living with her kids under her own roof, I will get about 3 living 10 minutes away.  Sheesh.  I have become a money tree making almost daily trips to the cash machine at certain times of the month to pay rent and utilities on my own house, the girls house, and the store.  And then there is pay for all the employees and of course food money and doctors visits and graduation dresses.  In the mix something had to get forgotten and this month is was rent on PDE.  After having paid 6 months up front I had no idea I owed again this month, so its back to the bank for rent and the late fee.  And there is the whole store thing, yep we started one and I still have not the foggiest idea how to run it.  Whoops.  But we’re making money, praise Jesus.  And then there is prayer warrior.  I’ve realized how really very little I have to do with God making these girls into who He wants them to be.  I get to walk beside them and hold them up for a time and I pray that they will know in a deep way the God who walks with them for the rest of their lives through every step. 

And then I also got to thinking about all the little things, all the mundane tasks.  And I realized they have so much significance.  Getting Y’s dress measurements today was just another thing on the to do list, but to her it means the promise of graduation and a future and a job that supports her daughter.  And fighting with the electric company about the bill while having to double park my car and living in fear that someone would hit it seemed like an awfully big inconvenience.  But, these girls have experienced life in a shack with no power or running water and fighting with the power company is worth it to give them that small luxury.  Making copies and planning for my trip home is overwhelming at best, and yet when I think about how many girls and babies lives will be affected by the money that I will hopefully raise with these resources, I get a new perspective.    And my now familiarity with the courthouse and those who work there is definitely unexpected, but today it meant that a social worker took 2 hours to talk to G and try to understand her and where she is coming from.  And that she is worried for the little kids in the family and wants to work to help them.  Yep… these things today meant “wasted” gasoline and retracing my steps a hundred times, nothing seemed to need to be done at the same time in the same place.  But everything is worth it.  It’s faithfulness in the mundane with an eternal perspective… that’s what God asks of us, every day, be faithful.

Come see me!

Friday night I am flying into Raleigh-Durham airport and the coolness of fall… yay!  I’m spending a few weeks in the Carolinas to share what the Lord is doing here through the ministry of Puerta de Esperanza and also praying that the Lord will use this time to allow me to make connections for financial support.  We are in need of one-time and monthly supporters for this ministry.  I will be touching base with 9 different church in 2 1/2 weeks… how’s that for busy?  But… if you are in the area, I would love to see you!

I will be sharing in Columbia, SC, Cary, NC, and Charlotte, NC.  Here are some churches and dates and times.  You are welcome to join us!

Columbia: November 11th at 10am for Sunday school and 11am for worship
Eau Claire Presbyterian Church
629 Wildwood Ave., Columbia, SC 29203

Cary: November 18th at 6:00pm
Peace Presbyterian Church
1777 W. Chatham St. Cary, NC 27513

Charlotte: November 25th at 6:00pm
Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church
3326 Archdale Dr., Charlotte, NC 28210

I would love to see you there :)