Sitting out in the water it felt like i was in heaven. I was surfing off the coast of Pavones, Costa Rica with my dad and my brother, the water was right around 80, and waves were peeling around the point. The wild horses bathing in the rivermouth, empty beach, and palm trees lining the lush tropical shoreline all moved me to be worshiping the Creator and things just felt right. Despite the razor sharp coral under my feet, the truth that sharks call the ocean home and they are not at all cute and cuddly, and the reality that these waves could literally drown me quite easily, the risk was well worth the experience and wave after wave (even the ones I really ate it on) I had this silly smile plastered on my face- I was in a place I was created for. I told God I wanted to finish seminary and move to the beach, somewhere that i could do this every day.
I really need to be more specific when I pray because I did get the beach, a whole dessert of it really, but no ocean. It seems so much longer ago, but it was right around nine months ago that TCC was a collection of Spirit breathed dreams, sketches on paper napkins, theological principles, and question marks. Like most of you I was a little scared to make the commitment to the huge transition from security to ambiguity, from old friends to new faces, and from safer lives to being moved out into the brokenness of our city. Kay and I were also moving into financial insecurity, being away from both our families, but knew that God was definitely planting us in this place at this time. For us the risks we evaluated have been nothing in comparison to the richness of the experience so far and reality that we are called called to be a part of a people who are living under the reign of God as missionaries together. It’s been amazing watching the growth in all of our lives as we grow as a church.
And somehow I get that same silly smile on my face again as I think of us all sitting around in a circle telling each other why we don’t love perfectly and what the gospel has to say about that. I get it when i think of people prayer walking the city begging Jesus to use them to bring justice, and think of the abused, hurt, and I get it when I think of how I’ve been “gospeled” by ya’ll. Even though it’s way too far from the ocean, TCC just feels right and is where I am meant to be. We’ve got plenty of problems ahead, satan is still a bastard and wants nothing more than to destroy us as a people bringing hope to a city, we are engaging a broken city, but the risks are nothing compared to the hope that is ours Hope firmly rooted in the cross, protected by our loving heavenly father, and still to be revealed when Jesus comes back. Until then in the midst of the brokenness that feels like it is not the way it ought to be, I know that living as learners, servants, and missionaries with this family does feel right.
November 21, 2008 at 2:33 pm
word!!! i feel it when all the mc’s are together and the holy spirit uses everybody to collectively teach each other his word.
other people should totally comment on how they ‘feel it’ or other instances in their life when they’ve felt it.
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November 21, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Yeah Kev!!! I know what it is to own a surfboard in Arizona! Like some kind of cruel joke! But I guess us trying to map out our own lives as opposed to allowing God to lead us is the biggest joke of all! I am glad that I was lead to this community of believers.
November 23, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Tonight was beautiful, simply sharing a meal together and knowing that this group of random, different people really do call each other my family, our family. “Blessing” is an over-used word, but that is the first word that comes to mind every time I think of our MC. “It feels right” when we’re living out the family identity through meals, time, talks, sacrifices, and praise God He has allowed us to bless each other so much already!