Everything Happens In Relationship...

Well I could share with you some other funny stories about the fingerprint/drivers license saga but I'll attempt to post something I chewed on today that's a little more serious. Let's just say this...we DID indeed get our driver's license this morning and the fingerprints have been sent...two VERY good things!!!

While waiting however at the (place in Honduras where one goes to get a drivers license I'm not sure what it is called exactly) I got a chance to talk with Mark Connell for a bit. Don't know the guy well, have only had the privilege to be around him a few times but he is as real as it gets and his thoughts and heart challenge my own and I find his "ideas" for lack of a better word refreshing. So part of our conversation today went something like this...

His blog posts always have deep thoughts on them and the fellowship that he is a part of that we read and hear about often is one that is revolutionary in some ways. When I asked him how things are going with that these were some of his words..."It's great man, I love it. Everything happens in relationship you know. It's like we don't publicize we don't have signs and do bulletins, it all happens because of relationships. We just have a heck of a lot of fun. Sometimes we drive around and help people find jobs. Sometimes we sit with someone for hours because they're having a hard time not drinking, sometimes it's days. Sometimes we sit and talk with people who are struggling with all sorts of other things. It's ministry in it's own way I guess but we aren't necessarily termed...THE ministers...it's awesome because we don't have goals to "grow" the church numerically we're just all about investing in people. No decisions get made based on what will attract people to that place and I love that. It's great..."

That's just a small snippet of some other really good stuff but it's stuck with me all afternoon and this evening. It's not necessarily a brand new idea by any means. I think we all desperately want what he's speaking about. I just don't think it's practiced very often. There are places doing it and I think microchasms of it in so many different fellowships. I keep wondering why it doesn't happen more often when we all desire it so much. Is it because of the amount of ourselves it requires us to offer? Does fear keep us from being vulnerable enough with one another to make it work? What holds us back? What do you all think?

I guess what stuck out to me was his phrase, "Everything happens in relationships." It's so absolutely true isn't it. I tried to think of a single time that positive change has happened in my world and it hasn't been because of a relationship.

Sounds a lot like a Jesus ministry to me. Think that about summed up His life ... God and people!

Two things for tonight I guess...I remember when I truly took this God thing seriously, you know why it happened...yep because of relationship. My guess is that's how it happened for you too. Because someone took the time to invest in my life, to sit beside me for hours sometimes as I worked things out and shared struggles. You know the moments when I've truly grown...it's happened in relationship with other people chasing hard after God's heart. Perfectly, no, and they'd tell you so but with a group of people who are willing to rise and fall together and help pick each other back up.

It's been a rough year in this community of people that I am knit to...Satan has attacked on so many corners...hurting marriages, addictions, depression, floundering children...and the list probably could go on and on and on. I'm sure your list could as well. We've sat around circles of fellowship often and cried out to God together. Literally. Here's what I've learned. I'd never ever want to do this outside of a community, a fellowship, outside of relationships that grow me and change me, that strengthen me and energize me. I couldn't do what I'm doing now without these precious people. I thank God so much for them.

It also reminded me so emphatically though that I'll never lead someone to the ultimate relationship with Christ without investing in their life. Sometimes we get so formulated you know. We try to bring them in the doors for a church service that we think will impact them for forever. We try all new programs and so many things that for a time prove effective. I'm over and over convinced that people get serious about Jesus when you're serious about Him and you invest in them with a Jesus heart. They see that you're either genuine in your relationship with them or you gave a good sales pitch for something you're not sure you believed in either. You sit beside someone and prove you care about what goes on in their world and you show them a Jesus heart because of your love and people change. That's how we "win" people. It's how this heart got "won." How about you?

Everything, absolutely everything, (at least everything that matters) happens in relationship. I think you're right brother!