Warrior Week Behind the Scenes and The Paradigm Shift of this Church Planter’s Wife.
I really believe God’s gentle, prompting spirit led me to do Warrior Week.
But it might have been for a different purpose than what I thought.
No, doubt, God touched the hearts of boys.
Seeds of Scripture and plantings of prayer were intentionally bestowed.
Doors were opened with families.
Sweet relationships were built.
Those boys called me every Saturday this summer to ask if we could take them to church.
I am so thankful.
But the “ministry paradigm shift” that happened in this church planting spouse, might have been the biggest Kingdom advancement that we saw all week.
We came off a week of shifting schedules, Danny canceling appointments (to come to my rescue) juggling the constant needs of little ones, while herding nearly two dozen testosterone infused young men to their different activities, and then late nights getting the home in order and the plans in place to do it again the next day. The Saturday after Warrior Week, Danny and I arose in the wee hours of the morning to head off to the Peachtree 10k to run it in the pouring rain with our neighbor and his family.
on the train to reach the Peachtree 10k starting point
Our running buddies and race adventurers who endured pouring rain the entire 6.2 miles
But as we crashed the weekend after it was over, Danny told me lovingly, but firmly..
“Honey, we are just NOT going to do ministry like this.”
It was the 4th of July. My extended family was texting each other selfies of what they were doing to celebrate. I was in bed. and the kids were watching movies. The house was trashed. Pretty pathetic.
In many regards, it was a crash and burn experience that taught this church planter’s wife quite a bit.
Hearts, and priorities, and and perspectives that were out of order.
1. First of all, this mamma that wants to win the world, continually sets off on these adventures to do just that without fully planning and preparing for all the added details that need to be laid out.
2. Secondly, because this mamma sets out on such adventures, she often leaves her post of standing beside her husband and coming alongside of him in what God is calling him to do, and because she likes to dream big and plan little, her more organized husband has leave his post to come to her rescue.
3.Thirdly, if reaching out to others causes this mom to leave the post of caring for this particular half a dozen children that God has entrusted to her, then who will fill in the gaps of running this home?
This little brood requires much energy, much heart-tending, many wakeful nights, and a God-sized amount of love and patience
4. Fourthly, longevity in the work was not laid out. Being in our community has made my heart come alive, as it did when we were in Newark, and that heart gets ansy, gets impatient, and I just want to start things…big things to win and shepherd and plant Gospel seeds. Patience and preparation and perseverance were not intrical parts of the plan. We ran a one week “camp” that required a lot of energy, but without the capacity to continue doing it. Where is the “making of disciples” that Jesus commanded?
5. Fifthly, it was not community led. I thought it was going to be…based on conversations and quick planning I had done with other community members, but as Danny said, “you can’t just decide to do something, divide up responsibilities and expect it to be executed without training the people who you are depending on to lead it.” Because of this epic fail, I called on people from outside our community to come to the rescue. I was incredibly thankful for and blessed by the help, but if longevity is a goal, my community has to be the source.
So when the adrenaline rush of being “on” leaves, and the crash sets in, and there are still six needy little human beings at your feet, what do you do then?
You often end up leaving a less-than-Gospel-Centered impression on the small children that you see day in and day out. Which is worse than being an unbeliever, according to Paul.
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” I Timothy 5:8
The upcoming blog posts contributed by Kimberly, will document the journeying of Shalom in Grove Park, but also a journeying to Shalom in this one household, of church planting husband and spouse and their rowdy crew of six children.
God has done some utter breaking this summer, and out of the wreckage, this God of Redemption who brings Shalom by His masterful hand, is rebuilding the foundation and structure of this one household. If our hopes and dreams for Jesus’ shalom to penetrate every home in this community, it needs to start somewhere. Needs to start right here.
Here in this heart.
Here in this home.
Here in this heritage.
