When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
"Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Are you feeling harassed and helpless this holiday season?
-Harassed by other people's expectations?
-Helpless to change yourself or others?
-Harassed by offspring who are needy 24/7?
-Helpless to heal major medical issues in friends and family?
-Harassed by bell ringers and tele-marketer-charities?
-Weary of the parties and the decorations; the gift buying and gift wrapping; the non-stop action?
-Burdened by foot long to-do lists-for today, to say nothing of the week or the month?
-Harassed by advertisements of give more-get more?
-Helpless to do it all?
-Burdened by sorrow?
-Harassed by your own expectations? Your own advent calendar activities and traditions?
-Burdened by broken relationships and dysfunctional families?
-Helpless in the morass of issues you are powerless to change?
-Weary from juggling life, career, family, everything?
-Burdened by overwhelming debt?
-Stressed, stressed out, strained, worn out, hard-pressed, careworn, worried, troubled, beleaguered, under pressure, at the end of one's tether, at the end of one's rope; hassled?
Jesus sees you.YOU! His heart over flows with compassion for YOU.
And He says, "come."
"Learn from Me."
This God-man, who absconded to a desert place with His disciples for some R&R. But the crowds found Him there.
This Immanuel, who was so thronged by people needing healing, that some of those people entered through the roof to get to Him. He didn't even have time to eat and His friends thought He was crazy.
This Good Shepherd, who knows your name and desires for you to live abundantly-even during hectic and chaotic holiday seasons.
This Prince of Peace, who died for you to have peace with God and peace on earth.
This Son of God and Son of Man, who went to a mountain to pray and prayed all through the night.
Jesus Christ was thronged, needed and extremely busy about His Father's work. Yet we would never call His demeanor harassed or helpless. He went to His Father for enabling to do His work. He radiated peace and power and rest.
Come.
Take His yoke.
Learn from Him.
His yoke is easy. His burden is light.
Find rest for your soul.
Come through prayer. Open your hands (literally and figuratively) to receive the peace and rest Jesus has for you. Learn through scripture readings. Take time to ponder this season and this all amazing gift.
The promise and blessing is to those who come. Grace is available to all, but only the humble appropriate it, because only the humble realize their need for it.
Knowledge is just knowledge-until you put some feet to it.
I shared a week ago 10 things this trip has taught me. (here) And obviously I was more than ecstatic to be back home (here).
But now I am pondering the middle ground. Just what do I take away from this trip? What do I do? How does God want me to put some feet to my knowledge?
That is the question.
I had an interesting discussion with my chiropractor yesterday. Mr. Hippie had been in the day before to get adjusted, so he already knew we had traveled to the other side of the world.
Of course, he is going to get the conversational ball rolling with a doozy of a question. 'Cause there I am, practically half naked, on his bench, and that is the best time for vulnerable conversation. Snort.
Anyway...he asked me what the most impacting part of my trip was. What changed my views the most.
And I had to answer: how different life is over there.
Clean drinking water does not just flow freely from the tap. It must be filtered. And generally people drink collected rain barrel water, not tap water. Rain...collect...filter...drink.
Or the day to day existence. Buying just enough food to see you through that day. Just enough soap. There is no such thing as full cupboards and fridges. They don't save money. They don't have money to save.
There are no clothes dryers, and a good chunk of the population doesn't have washers either.
We saw their life, but only from a distance. We lived our relatively posh existence of pared down convenience.
Besides physical poverty, there is also rampant spiritual poverty. Millions and millions of people who do not know God. Not the one, true God of the Bible. They haven't experienced His love and forgiveness of their sins.
Yet, even so, I don't think God is calling me to become a missionary to Indonesia. Or Japan. I don't feel that tug on my heart. Not everyone is called to be a missionary. And I don't think I am wrong to not feel called. I don't think I am being disobedient or rebellious.
I don't feel the tug to start a clean water campaign. Or adopt orphans.
But that does not mean I haven't been changed. Or that I don't have a call.
My chiropractor had some words of wisdom between my unladylike ooffs.
Just because we in America are blessed, doesn't mean we have to revert back 100 years or more, to be on the same playing field as undeveloped countries. All our conveniences are not bad.
But, I can be grateful. Grateful every day when I use clean water from the tap. Grateful every day when I can shower in my bathroom-not the local river. Grateful every day for my full cupboards and fridge. Grateful everyday for the washer and dryer to do my laundry.
I can pray. Pray for the missionaries who are over there serving. Pray for the unreached people. Pray for specific ways God wants me to invest over there.
I think, more than the natives, I feel called to keep investing in those little lives we invested in during conference. Those lives that also go by the moniker MKs. Those lives that also need Jesus.
To not forget them. To get to know them more. To pray for them. To make opportunities for my kids to write and Skype them. To visit them-here and maybe even there-again.
I want to invest in the missionaries too. Continue to build these new friendships that were formed. Encourage them in tangible ways in their work.
I can be open. For God to lead me, step by step. He has a plan for me. All I have to do is be obedient. Maybe His plan is something obvious, maybe it is something I don't think it is. Maybe it is something I never would suspect.
Meres in new batik dress
all the kids hanging with the friends
chilling at the riverside one evening
Mr. Hippie and our pilot Host
magnificent pancake type things filled with chocolate. Ooh-la-la!
thinner pancakes, filled with egg
Pontianak is right on the Equator. Inside the monument
and the outside...
and the fountain outside
river car ferry
taking a river cruise
house along the river
the local KFC
river shipping, rainy afternoon
houses
bathing in the river...and brushing teeth...and taking a drink...and using the facilities...
colorful fruit stand with all our favorites-langsat, mango, limes, apples, snake fruit, hairy fruit
rice fields
More river front housing
I love you too!
new friends
where the Pontianak River meets the ocean
satay stand
straddling the Equator
The Barefoot Hippies can find a Starbucks anywhere...like the Jakarta Airport.
Thank God for good coffee and free wifi!
This is probably my last "trip" post. (I hear those sighs of relief...) Thanks for virtually taking this trip with us, and supporting us with your prayers. We felt God's presence. Without Him I would have hopped right back on the plane when we hit Jakarta. Seriously.
Did I mention we are hoping to visit Spain next year?=) Sans children. Do you have any mission trips in the offing this year? Tell me about it in the comments.
1. Traveling with kids (overseas) is hard. Adjusting their bodies to time changes. Keeping them on their best behavior for weeks on end. Adding kids to the mix means that each minute a flight is delayed is another gray hair on my head. (well, maybe that is a stretch=)) More luggage to lose. More kids to lose. Maybe I should just say-more people to keep track of. Two words...bright colors. Brightly colored clothes make them stick out, and thus increase their visibility. Which makes it easier to keep track of them.
Tired Meres. She has been a trooper. I love how she is holding her toys while sleeping.
2. Living with someone else for several weeks is hard. Meshing unfamiliar life rhythms, rules, schedules, and ideals is not easy for anyone. I think the next time we travel we will maybe stay in hotels.
3. I am a homebody. I love traveling. I love seeing new sights and the places where history happened. But, I love quiet times at home. I love my coffee mug, my rocking chair, my bed.
4. I think I am an introvert. I need quiet. I need space. I need downtime. I need time with just my husband-no kids or friends. I need time with just our small family. I need time with just the Lord and my coffee cup.
tired LC
5. Living in a foreign country is hard. Not impossible, but definitely a huge challenge. Living this life for a few weeks has given me a profound respect for those who choose to live in another country and face those challenges.
Challenges like gathering rain water to drink, and then filtering it so that it is drinkable.
Challenges like how to transport a big family in little vehicles.
Challenges like crazy traffic and curvy roads. They totally don't believe in going through the mountain here.
Challenges like having the shower in the middle of the bathroom-no tub. Wet toilet.
Challenges like having to line dry all your laundry between downpours or in the freezing temps of winter as there are no clothes dryers.
Challenges like going to many shops and markets for groceries as there is no Meijer, Super Walmart or Target.
Challenges like cultural differences-to wear or not to wear shoes-that is the question. To wear long pants as a sign of respect for the ones you are rubbing shoulders with.
Challenges like smallish houses practically on top of the neighbor's house.
Challenges like being on the opposite time frame as most of your loved ones and friends.
Challenges like flooding, and earthquakes. Radiation and tsunamis.
Meres' first pedicure. I see many more in her barefoot future.
6. I'm an American through and through. I love the United States of America. I won't apologize for that love either. Yes, there is excess and hugeness. But, I think it is the best country in the world. We have freedom, and convenience. We have good roads and clean water. We are blessed. And I unabashedly, unashamedly say, "I'm proud to be an American."Oh, and while I am happy to visit foreign countries for weeks on end-I have no plans to move anywhere.
7. People are people-wherever they are. Oh, and missionaries are just people too. Smiles are the universal currency. Not money. Not Visa. Smiles bridge all languages and cultures.
view off the front porch
8. No matter how much you prepare for going overseas, there is no getting around culture shock. Things are just very different.
9. Ministry and serving God is a battlefield-wherever you are. In the States. Abroad. Satan does not want lives to be saved. Lives to be changed. Lives to be free from the bondage of sin. And he fights, fights, fights against God's work.
you can definitely tell who the photographer of the family is. 4 pics of Mr. Hippie teaching. None of me.
10. I still don't like snakes. And I am so thankful that the only one I saw so far (knock on wood) was in a cage. And that one wasn't your garden variety of garter snake either. It was a nice black and yellow python. But, lizards aren't that bad. At least not chichucks. They are everywhere, and you just kind of get used to them.
We are preparing to leave tomorrow. It has been wonderful being here. I am glad to be heading home. Our conference with the kids went so well. I can't say that enough. We felt the prayers of all our friends. I pray that it will forever impact their lives.
We have made new friends...2 families in particular. I look forward to continuing to grow these friendships. Both between the adults, and our kids.
Chalk-talk
Will we ever come back? I don't know.
That is the bittersweet thing about coming to a new place, and investing in new people. You leave a chunk of your heart behind when you move on.
flooding for Noah's Ark. Hands down favorite lesson.
I think I would be willing to come back again. To serve these missionaries again. I would love that. I would love to love on these kids again. They are the future. Future Christians. Future missionaries.
For now, I have a lot of people to add to our prayer list. We have seen the challenges, and we know better how to pray and how to support our friends.
This Barefoot Hippie Girl has been changed. Maybe not in huge ways. But, my world view has been altered.
Have you ever been on a mission trip? How were you changed? Tell me about it in the comments.
Yesterday I wrote about shepherds...a key ingredient to any nativity tableau. (read it here)
Weep not, behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed...and I beheld, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures stood a Lamb as it had been slain...Revelation 5:6
Sheep are no less important players as their shepherds in nativity scenes. Sheep conjure up visions of cute and cuddly woolliness.
For our Christmas program this year, LC is memorizing this poem by William Blake.
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bade thee feed
By the stream and o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, wooly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee;
Little lamb, I’ll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a lamb,
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child;
I a child, and Thee a Lamb,
We are called by His Name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Such a sweet poem, and jammed packed with great theology.
"Little lamb, who made thee? Little lamb, I'll tell thee. He is called by thy name, for He calls Himself the same. He is meek, He is mild. He became a little child. I a child, and thee a Lamb. We are called by His name."
John the Baptist, in viewing this scene in heaven, is hearing about the LION. Strong, fierce. King of the beasts! Yet when he looks, he sees a Lamb.
Christmas is the celebration of the Savior being born. And for a Savior, God didn't require a roaring lion of a king. He required a meek and mild, perfect Lamb. It was this sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world.
Jesus Christ was born King. Born. He didn't just appear, adult king on the scene. Ready to reign.
Like a lamb, He was a helpless, innocent Baby. He grew to be a child, who needed direction and care and training. And eventually, He was the grown Man-the Lamb of God.
Not only are Christians called to be shepherds, praise the Lord! We are also sheep. What a privilege to be called one of Christ's lambs! To share that title too.
It is our call to follow our Shepherd. To be sheep. To hear and obey our shepherd's voice.
Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He who hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
The first time a sheep is mentioned in the Bible is as Abel's sacrifice. He gave his best sheep as a sacrifice.
Most of us won't have to shed our blood to be a sacrifice, (Jesus Christ's blood is enough. His one sacrifice as the Lamb, paid the price for the sin of the entire world-past, present and future.) but we are called to be living sacrifices. Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. This is your spiritual act of worship.
My challenge to you this holiday season is to look at your nativity scene with new eyes. Look at Christ.
Remember His birth. Remember Him as a baby. Remember Him as the Shepherd and the Lamb.
And let these reflections spur you on as both a shepherd and lamb. Look for ways to sacrifice, to follow and to lead. To protect and to obey.
Let this nativity scene dig deep into your heart, and change you forever.
I a child, you a lamb. We are called by His name...Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your Name.
And there were in the same country Shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night..."I bring you good tidings, of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
Have you ever considered the irony of the birth of the King of Kings being announced first to shepherds?
Not the rich and famous. Not the educated. Not even middle class shop keepers.
Shepherds. The lowly. The poor. Uneducated. Stinky, smelly, simple shepherds.
Why is this?
Maybe because our Lord even before His incarnation was known as a Shepherd. Maybe because Jesus Christ values shepherds, and shepherding work.
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
A shepherd gets tenderness. He loves, feeds, protects, and leads his sheep. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. (1 Peter 5:4) He is the Great Shepherd. (Hebrews 13:20) He is the Good Shepherd...the one who gave His life for the Sheep. (John 10:10)
These shepherds were afraid at the angels sudden appearance. Probably had heart palpitations. But they took the message at face value, and immediately went and found this Savior-Baby-Shepherd.
Shepherds play a key role in any nativity scene. They feature in many Christmas carols. They have been on my heart.
Each believer has the responsibility to be a shepherd. There are figurative little sheep in your life that you have a responsibility toward. A responsibility to lead, feed, protect and heal. Whether IRL or even online. Sheep abound.
There is such a need for shepherds today! As I was reading Zechariah this morning I read that God is going to raise up a shepherd that won't (it is judgement time in the passage) visit those who are cut off, neither seek the young one, nor heal what is broken, nor feed what stands still. (Zecariah 11:16) These are all things a shepherd should be doing.
Are we?
My "new to me" nativity. I have never had one. It has gold. And is very pretty.
It was a steal at $10. Thrift Finds rock!
I think Joseph is missing, which is probably why its previous owners gave it up.
But, I am okay with a missing Joseph. We'll call him "there in spirit."
Are we visiting those who are cut off? In this holiday season of hustle and bustle, it is easy to forget those who have no family, or who aren't with their family in this season. Those who are lonely and feeling cut off. Are we inviting these people into are celebrations? Are we willing to be inconvenienced for them?
Are we seeking the young ones? I was mindful of this as Mr. Hippie has taken up discipling another young man. A young man who is searching right now. He is ready to kick Christianity and tradition out the door. He needs someone to seek him out and show him the love of Jesus Christ. My Mr. Hippie is shepherding this guy. I am so proud of him. But, what young am I seeking out?
Are we healing what is broken? There are many, many lives broken. Broken hearts. Broken relationships. Good news...Jesus Christ is looking to shine His glory out of the brokenness. My brokenness. Someone else's. He is looking to heal broken relationships. Am I emulating the peace of Christ in my relationships this year? Peace or my agenda?
Are we feeding those who stand still? Feeding physically? Feeding spiritually? There are so many organizations that you can hook up with to tangibly and physically feed someone this holiday season. There are also many opportunities in our lives to feed someone spiritually. To offer them the bread of life. To use our words, our tweets, our status updates, our blogs for something higher than right now. Higher than fashion or coupons or giveaways or recipes. (not knocking any of these-I do them all. But there should be more.) Feed people.
Are we leading? Shepherds lead. Everyone has someone they can lead. Your children. Your wife. People at your church. Your blog "followers." Where are you leading your sheep? Are you leading them to Jesus, the Great Shepherd?
I said that the shepherds were smelly and stinky and lowly. But, honestly, there were a whole lot of saints in the Bible who were shepherds-whether stinky or not. And they had faith. Simple, obedient faith.
You are in great company when you take up the mantle of a Shepherd.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
One of my sheep...enjoying the first snow of the season
The situation hasn't much changed today. Who has God given you to Shepherd? *Check back tomorrow for part 2 of my Nativity Tableau...The Sheep.
Lately the topic in the blogging world has been voice. Hayley talked about defining your voice. Casey Leigh shared great thoughts on maintaining your voice. Voice is a big thing.
Think about your physical voice. Would someone describe it as high or low? Melodious? Gravelly? People's voices are fairly unique, though we do pick up other's accents and mannerisms.
Voice is such a hot topic currently that there is the reality television show of the same title: The Voice.
(Just to clarify-I have never watched the show. I just saw the previews on the Superbowl ads.)
From what I can tell, the premise of this show is that the judges are each trying to pick the winner only by hearing their voice. Not seeing the performance. Not being biased by stunning beauty or butt ugliness. It is all in the voice.
Dictionary Definition
I think you can learn a lot from the dictionary. And this is what Word Book Dictionary has to say about voice.
Voice-the ability to speak.
An advocate who represent's someone else's policy or purpose.
A means or agency by which something is communicated.
The distinctive quality, pitch or condition of a person's speech.
These definitions cover three different aspects of voice-physical voice, being a representative for someone else, and the idea of communication.
I think all three are relevant to our lives and our online presence.
A great anthem about Voice
God's Voice
Have you ever noticed how much God's voice is mentioned in the Bible? Obviously God's spoken word is powerful. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. Inspired means God breathed. The Bible is the very words of God. Ad just like you can feel your breath when your speak, so God's breath was felt when He spoke. The first chapter of the Bible is full of God said...this happened.
In addition to God's words, Job, Moses, Isaiah and David all give a lot of time to God's voice.
An awesome chapter to read is Psalm 29.
Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
God's voice is powerful. God's voice is full of majesty. God's voice is very evident in nature. God's voice is clear.
God's voice isn't always booming either. Elijah heard God's still small voice-after the earthquake and fire and wind. (1 Kings 19:12)
As a Christian, your voice is to be patterned after God's voice. Sometimes it will be loud and proud. Sometimes it will be the influential "still small voice."
As Christian's we are representing God to a dark world. All the time our voice should be speaking God's truth to believers and unbelievers alike.
Speaking God's truth isn't necessarily being preachy, or sharing Scripture right and left. It is our life style. It is imparting grace. It is loving like God loves.
Unique
Each person's voice is unique. Your voice reflects your upbringing, your beliefs, your personality, your strengths and weakness. Mine reflects mine.
Your voice is going to look unique.
I don't know what the stats are of blog writing people versus not blog writing people. But, it seems like almost everyone and their neighbor are blogging or have blogged in the past.
But, no two blogs are exactly alike-because no two people are exactly alike.
There are strategies to grow your blog, but it always comes back to staying true to yourself and your voice.
The thing about voice is that it isn't always words.
Every piece of thrown pottery is unique.
Meres definitely has a voice though her recognizable words are about 5. Let me tell you, that girl can communicate her personality, wants, and feelings through her laughter, yells, and gestures.
Some people's voice on their blog may be more wordy. Some may be less. I am a word person. I've tried to do the Wordless Wednesday thing. It just doesn't work for me.=)
Some people's voice is crafts or dyi or cooking. Some people's voice is photography or Esty shops. Some people's voice is devotional or bookish. Some people's voice is journalistic or sharing tidbits about their family.
Whether you are using a blog, or just your life, you have a voice. What characterizes your voice? What makes your voice different from other's voices? How is your voice being heard above the noise of the crowd?
God's voice is influential. He makes stuff happen with His voice. It is no different with our voices, though it may be on a somewhat smaller scale.
Barefoot Hippie Girl Voice
In May I defined my blog's voice. I defined what I wanted people to hear. I defined it on Why Barefoot Hippie Girl page. I prayed about what God wanted from my blog. How He wanted to use my blog.
And He gave my blog voice a definite direction. It is taken from Isaiah 40:30-31-even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; and they shall walk and not faint.
That is my mission and voice for my blog. It is to challenge all of my readers to wait on the Lord. Whether old or young. Whatever stage of life-He is the source of our strength.
I want my blog to be a place of renewal for my readers. I want it to be a place of encouragement-to keep walking and running-physically, spiritually, literally.
I sift all my posts through that template. Sometimes they are practical-recipes, projects, simplifying. Sometimes they are devotional. Sometimes they are inspirational. But-always-this is what I am aiming for.
That is my voice. Can you hear it?
How would you define your voice? I'd love to hear.
