Breath of Life

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Lately I have been journeying through the Psalter, and after reading Psalm 67 today, the Spirit compelled me to read through the book of 1 John.

Don’t you love how the Lord works all things together – every single detail – to draw us nearer to Him and His love? I am grateful I have been saved so that I might rest and live in that unending love of God in every moment.

Friends, as I read through 1 John, I could not help but be hit harder with a truth the Spirit began lay on my heart this morning before I even opened His written Word.

As I tried to ease my way into Saturday morning, I listened to a CD I got late last night from an amazing South African band, Harbourlight, we took our teenagers to go see at a youth worship event. God used several of the lyrics to speak to my soul, but the song entitled, “Jesus Breathing” was a catalyst for spiritual growth today.

Not only do we find life when we receive Christ, and not only do we live in Him, but friends, JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN US.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that spoken on and off stage, sung in huge congregations or in my car, read in Christian living books or in the living Word of God, or prayed over me or someone else. Too many times to count. But today was the first day the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the truth: JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ME.

If you have called on the name of Christ, Scripture says you are adopted into the family of God. For all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The moment we receive the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we are also given His Holy Spirit who lives in us and reigns over us. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN YOU. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ME. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN US.

Though Christ breathed His last 2,000 years ago, as He hung on the cross of Calvary, paying the debt of our sins, He rose – and JESUS IS STILL BREATHING.

14 years ago I surrendered my dead life to find true life in Christ. When I was 7 years old I gave all of me to Jesus so He might be all of me. I belong to Jesus. I am His. And Jesus is mine. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ME.

No matter how dark this world may seem to get, no matter how much I feel I have gone astray – JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ME. In all I do, my Master leads me into the light of His love, His truth, His life – Himself. The same is true for all those who have called on the name of Jesus Christ to set them free from the slavery of their sin and the evil one.

As I wake in the morning and take slow, deep breaths - JESUS IS BREATHING.

As I meditate on God’s Word, and quietly wait before Him because my hope is in Him – JESUS IS BREATHING.

As I step into the day and walk by the will of the Father, fulfilling all He has ordained for this daughter of His that day – JESUS IS BREATHING.

As I wash the day off, and reflect on what the Lord has done that day in thanksgiving – JESUS IS BREATHING.

As I fall to sleep in the evening and take slow, deep breaths – JESUS IS BREATHING.

JESUS LIVES. I AM ALIVE BECAUSE JESUS LIVES IN ME.

JESUS LIVES IN THE LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN ACROSS THE EARTH.

Have you ever thought about that? I had not until the Spirit wrote His thoughts on my soul today.

In my 21 years of living, the Lord has shown me His face each day in our time together – and our time in the world. Friends, we are surrounded by the many faces of Christ as we interact with our brothers and sisters who share the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us. JESUS IS BREATHING.

2,000 years later, JESUS IS BREATHING in the lives of His precious creation all around the world.

But can you imagine living in a place where you are not surrounded by the many faces of Christ each day? What if you lived somewhere where the only breath of Christ you felt is His breath within you? JESUS IS BREATHING.

People are suffocating in places throughout the earth without the breath of Christ.

JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ME. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN YOU. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN US. JESUS LIVES IN THE LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN ACROSS THE EARTH. JESUS LIVES. I AM ALIVE BECAUSE JESUS LIVES IN ME. JESUS IS BREATHING.

May we breathe in the breath of Christ until He brings us home to Heaven,

Meghan

“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us… All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God… God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world… We love each other because He loved us first.” – 1 John 4 (just a taste of a book full of rich truth and wisdom from God)

Redefining

Sunday, May 1, 2011

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” –Psalm 37:23-24

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

As is typically the case, I have far more to share with you than a weekly blog post should contain, but I look forward to seeing what God has willed for me to share with you today.

I sincerely believe God truly does work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called by His Name (Romans 8).

I just finished reading a book a precious friend of mine, who has spent her married life serving the Lord alongside her husband with Wycliffe Bible Translators all around the world, Rose, recently lent to me to read before I depart.

And the Word Came with Power by Joanne Shetler, a story about the written Word of God coming to the Balangao people of the Philippines, was used powerfully by God in my life in conjunction with the other things He has chosen to fill my days with as I have journeyed through the short book.

But I do not feel a strong urging to share with you all I took away from the story. However, if you have the slightest intrigue to read it – please do.

Last Saturday I attended an Easter fellowship at the International Mission Board’s (IMB) support center for Africa (where I work each day). Thankfully, my sickness came just after the celebration.

It was at this Easter luncheon that God brought His daughter, Becky, into my life. As she sat next to me at our small rectangular table, I did not expect anything more than a nice chat over lunch. But God ordained much more than my expectations before I was even born.

I had met Becky’s parents over a month ago when my boss sent me over to their room of the guest house in our compound to interview them for a story he was working on. Jerry and Carol have served over 30 years on mission with the IMB in West Africa, and dialoguing with them that autumn afternoon is one of my most treasured memories from my time here.

Becky grew up in West Africa, went to Baylor University, Truett Seminary, and served a summer in North Africa with Go Now Missions. Early on in our conversation God enabled us to make these ties, which led to an interest to ask deeper questions.

Becky has been serving nearly three years in North Africa with the IMB after the Lord called her to the people she works with back when she spent the summer there with Go Now. She was visiting her parents in Johannesburg (who are here for medical purposes) for a week before she moves to a new city. Becky invited me to walk over to their guest house someday this week so we could talk further about what God has been doing in our lives.

Long story short, God gave us time to do that, and I am truly grateful for Him placing Becky in my path at such a time as this. Our conversation provided an incredible opportunity to debrief, as I have less than two weeks before I fly back to Texas. But God also used the time to allow me to vocally process a few things, and speak truths through Becky He wanted me to hear and chew on.

As I was processing, and by the grace of God, Becky was tracking with me, Becky said a short and simple statement of observation from the Lord that I am still contemplating in prayer: “It sounds like God is redefining a lot of things for you while you are here – including missions.”

Who knew one sentence could be so powerful? GOD.

I wish I could write 1,500 words about those few words, but I won’t. And I feel I am just at the beginning of truly discovering what that sentence means to me, and what God would have it mean to me.

I will share with you one thing I am currently in the process of coming to terms with:

When I was in fifth grade I told God I would do whatever He wanted me to do, but I never wanted to be a missionary and I never wanted to work in a church. Oddly (or not-so-oddly) enough, that is just what God has had me do these past few years.

But after I went on my first week-long overseas mission trip to Germany in 2004 (eighth grade), I knew meeting people I would never meet on a regular basis and sharing with them the only thing worth sharing was something I always wanted to be a part of my life. It was then that my love for missions, people and cultures began to develop.

June of 2008, the week after I graduated high school, I surrendered to the Lord’s calling on my life to serve Him full-time in vocational ministry. He had been tugging on my heart for a number of months at that point, but I fought it up until the last night of Xtreme Camp when He assured me if there was ever anyone to hand over my future to in complete trust – it is Him – my God, my Master, and the Creator of the world who holds all things together.

So as I have continued on this journey of discovering what that calling is, and people ask me what kind of ministry I feel called to specifically – I always say something about “missions”.

But what exactly is “missions”? Just as the Lord spoke through Becky, a girl who had just met me but was able to see my heart because of the Spirit we share, God is redefining “missions” in my life, amongst several other things.

I will not go on a long rant about what I currently understand missions to be, and what I am learning from God. But I will say, as I have grown up for a time now saying “missions”, and assuming I would live somewhere on the other side of the world, God is showing me He may not desire that of this daughter of His. He very well may, I have no idea. But He is ushering me into a place of being okay with the possibility that I may not live overseas the rest of my life.

I know not God’s desires, but I do know He has demonstrated His presence in my life in a mighty way this semester as He has proven His love and provision to me in a very real way of sustaining and satisfying me. I still have a LONG ways to go in all of that, but He is bringing me to a place now where I am content living anywhere in the world, so long as He makes it evident I am exactly where He wants to use me to bring Him glory.

MOVING ON:                                                                                                                                     

As we prayed with one another before I left, the Spirit prayed something powerful through Becky I have heard several times, but have never truly listened to:

“Help Meghan to realize this life is all about learning how to love you and be loved by you – and everything else is your business. May she learn to live as your child.”

That really is my only real responsibility here: to learn how to love God and be loved by Him. I am a daughter of the Most High King. I am a child of God. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this life, and the opportunities God provides to bring honor to His Name, that I often lose sight of the beautiful simplicity God desires from me: to be His child.

With such a short time left, I pray God keeps my eyes, ears, heart, and mind open to what He wants to reveal to me, and how He wants to use me, and others, before I fly back to the States May 13.

I pray no matter where He takes me in life, He will forever and always enable me to hear His voice above all the noise, listen to His callings, and immediately follow Him in faithful obedience – no matter the cost.

Praying God gives you time to rest in His presence today,

Meghan

Count the Cost

April 25, 2011

Just like I expressed in my last post, this Easter was definitely different than any other Easter I have ever celebrated, but in more ways than I anticipated.

Sure, I was away from my family, in a different country, and entering the winter season as opposed to spring, but I also spent my first Easter Sunday at home sick, and I have been sick today as well.

Even though I have battled illness this Easter holiday, I believe this has been the most beautiful Easter I have ever experienced.

How incredible is it that while so many people across the world were meeting in churches to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, Jesus loves me enough to meet with me in my tiny little bedroom in South Africa? THAT is the God we love and serve!

Since I woke up on Easter morning yesterday through tonight, God has had me on a deep journey of remembrance, celebration, and introspection. Not only has God revealed Himself, His Son, and His Spirit to me more these past couple days than ever before – but He has also examined my heart and brought to light things about myself that had previously been hidden from me.

You likely do not have time for me to allow my confessions and revelations to spill out over this page, but I do feel compelled by the Spirit to let down my guard and share some of what He showed me this weekend.

Friends, I do not want to paint a picture of perfection while I am over here serving in South Africa and updating you via somewhat-weekly blog posts. I never want to paint any sort of picture of perfection when I am sharing about anything or anyone other than Christ Himself. You and I both know full well I am far from perfect. I struggle with sin, the enemy, my flesh, and spirituality each and every day. Praise God He sent His Son to forever intercede for you and me as our High Priest, and that as He molds us into His image each day, He is drawing us nearer to perfection – though we will never reach it, as we seek after Christ with our whole heart He changes us so that we might grow toward it.

Anyway, that is somewhat beside the point. Let me reference God’s Word to hopefully help guide the conversation back to the Center:

“Then He said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it…’

“A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ‘If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost…’

“Peter said, ‘We’ve left our homes to follow You.’

‘Yes,’ Jesus replied, ‘and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” –Luke 9, 14, 18

The Lord drove these words deep into my soul today. You see, I had been walking through each day thinking God had already made me realize this life is not about me since my first semester of college at Texas A&M in 2008. It was then that all of a sudden, when I had no one else to rely on but Christ, our relationship flourished. After 18 years of living a life where I felt like the whole world revolved around Meghan Hendrickson – the Lord met me right where I was and gave me a painful, yet freeing, dose of reality.

Well God did that once again today. With every day for the last few years, God has grown my desire to bring Him honor in everything I do. I would say He has exponentially grown that desire within me since I have been in South Africa this semester. But no matter how many times I pray the Lord will lead me in His will as I surrender all I am to Him – I somehow have been entirely blinded to the sin of selfishness I am still treading through.

Jesus denied Himself when He took my sin and the sin of all humanity upon Himself on the cross He carried. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice because the reward was better – salvation was better – HE was better. The love of God far outweighed the cost Christ suffered.

I am praying the Spirit enables me to put to words what He wrote on my heart this afternoon.

Originally, I was convicted to the extreme by the fact that although I may seek to deny myself and take up my cross daily to follow Jesus, that does not necessarily mean I follow-through and do so.

“Am I holding on to my life Jesus? Am I carrying my cross? Am I denying myself? Am I losing my life for Your sake?”

Those were some of the questions I brought to the foot of the cross today. No one else but my Savior could answer my questions, for I seek the approval of God and no one else.

In but an instant the Lord’s saving grace and powerful rescue came rushing in as I was wrecked with tears. For better or for worse, I am committed to following Jesus as long as I live – no matter the cost.

My sickness over Easter was by no means a great cost, but it was exactly what the Lord knew I needed to see the costs He is having me experience as He continues to lead me down this road of obedience through faith.

I was comfortable with the best friends I have ever made in my 21 years of living at Texas A&M, but God called me to pick up my cross and follow Him to Baylor. I was comfortable being able to call and visit my loving family whenever I wanted during the trials of college life in Texas, but God called me to pick up my cross and follow Him to South Africa.

I have left my friends. I have left my family. But the Lord has never left me – and He never will.

The Lord has helped me to deny myself in ways I did not even notice, and I am calling on Him to help me to deny myself in EVERYTHING. Though my end goal may be to bring glory to God, I am not perfect and in the process of seeking to worship Him with my life, I make several impulsive decisions that are not for the sake of the cross, but for the sake of my fulfillment.

“Father, I believe whoever loses their life for Your sake will find it. I believe when I surrendered my life to Your Lordship, I accepted a life of both blessings and difficulties. Father, help me to see Christ face-to-face every morning and every night as He reminds me to deny myself, and pick up my cross, and follow Him. May Your Holy Spirit grant me the discernment to know how to live, and move, and breathe for the glory of Your Name – the Name above all other names. Thank You for the freeing fact that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Thank You for Your redeeming rescue all the days of this life You give me. I love You Father, thank You for loving me.”

-Meghan

Sacrifice

Friday, April 22, 2011

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.” –Psalm 50:14

The Lord brought me to this verse in our alone time this Good Friday morning. Many times in Scripture we read that God does not desire our burnt offerings and animal sacrifices – He desires our hearts. I believe somewhere in the Psalter it says the sacrifice God desires is a broken spirit. But this morning – on the one day of the year dedicated to the remembrance of the greatest sacrifice of God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ – He commanded me to make thankfulness my sacrifice to Him.

This is not just a coincidence my friends. You see, this Easter I am nearer to the Lord than I have ever been before, but further from my family than I have ever been before. Like Christmas and Thanksgiving, Easter is a family holiday filled with love and traditions. In 21 years, I have never spent Easter away from my family. While I am grateful I am not missing Christmas, it is a very odd Easter holiday as I am on the other side of the world bundling up in the winter chill during a holiday that is typically the epitome of springtime.

Though the Lord made clear to me earlier this week that the meaning behind Easter is still the same, I still felt the whole experience of Easter would be different – and it will be. But that is exactly where the Lord caught me this morning:

As He awakened me before my alarm buzzed, all I could see and hear was Jesus praying to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then walking over to see His disciples sleeping. “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” (Mark 14:37) I heard Jesus ask.

As I got out of bed and began to clean myself up for the day, the Spirit began to sing this song from the depths of my soul:

“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.  And I wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean?

How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!

For me it was in the garden He prayed, ‘Not my will, but Thine.’ He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine.

How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone.

How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, 'Twill be my joy through the ages, to sing of His love for me!

How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!”

After I had been awakened to the voice of Jesus the night before His crucifixion and had this precious song sung over me by the Spirit reigning within me, it was at that moment the Lord then brought me to read His Word in Psalm 50: “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.”

This Easter may feel different to me for several reasons, but I have more than enough to be thankful for on this Good Friday. When Jesus prayed the Father would take away the cup of suffering He was going to face on this day, but further surrendered to the will of the Most High and not His own, God did not take away that cup of suffering.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for my sins and the sins of all humanity on this day. Jesus gave His life so I might have life and have it to the full! Not only on this Good Friday, or on Easter Sunday, or on Christmas Eve, but on every single calendar day and during every single moment I should praise the Lord in thankfulness for the gift of life and freedom He has given me!

Jesus was sacrificed on this day for me. Jesus was put to death on this day for you. Jesus was crucified on this day for our brothers and sisters warring against one another in Africa. Jesus surrendered to the will of the Father on this day for those enslaved in Asia. Jesus gave up His life as a ransom for many – you, me, our neighbors, our co-workers, our family, our friends, and our enemies – those we know and have never heard of. Jesus died for all of us on this day as He paid the penalty for all of our sins. None of us are worthy. Scripture says not even one of us is righteous.

On this Good Friday, I am thankful for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. During this Easter holiday, I am thankful for the presence of the Holy Spirit Jesus has given me and the promise that He will never leave me. My sacrifice to God is thankfulness for His love and redemption. May He be honored and glorified through my thankfulness today and forevermore!

I pray the Lord brings to mind the countless ways He has blessed us in life, but even more, I pray He keeps our eyes on His Son who gave us life. Though I am thankful for the many blessings the Lord continues to bestow upon me, I am forever thankful for the LORD.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” –Psalm 23:1

Father, help us to remember You, and give thanks to You and for You all the days of our lives,

Meghan

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” –Psalm 50:23

Listen

Saturday, April 16, 2011

As some of you may already know, I wear hearing aids. I almost got them in kindergarten, but the technology was not so impressive back in 1995. However, in December 2004 I finally got hearing aids and have lived everyday with them since. My hearing loss is hereditary, permanent, and likely to worsen over time. Hearing aids are a huge help, but there is only so much they can do. I will never hear clearly here on earth.

But do you know what is beyond beautiful? Though my physical hearing will always fail me, God never ceases from fine-tuning my spiritual hearing on a journey toward perfection. No, I will never be perfect, but I pray the Lord fashions me to look more and more like His precious and holy Son each day, and His standards are nothing short of perfection.

I do apologize for how much time has passed since I last wrote online about what the Lord is doing in my life, but I know God had great purpose in me waiting until today to share with you. The Spirit has constantly been renewing and refining my perspective since I last wrote. I wish I could share with you every truth He has opened my eyes and ears to see and understand in that time, but this is not the outlet in which to do so.

One theme the Lord has had for me over this last month or so has been hearing. God daily brings me back to the powerful truth that He listens to the prayers and the cries of my heart. But do you know what is perhaps even more awe-inspiring than that? He teaches me to listen to His voice too! God is rapidly bringing healing to my soul as He lavishes clarity upon me so I might discern His voice in the midst of a world of chaos.

My Teacher has spoken oceans of truth and gardens of visions to me in this season of life in Africa. I do not believe He is speaking to me any more than He always has, but I do believe He is enabling me to hear Him better with each day so I might truly listen to His callings and commands, and faithfully obey them.

One clear calling He laid on my heart at the end of February was to pursue the taste of a vision I believe He has to use the teenagers of the McKinney area to radically impact the community with the love of Christ this summer and beyond. The vision was clear, and the passion was strong, but the obstacles towered over me as I sought to move forward.

But friends, may I testify about the mighty work of our God this morning? Just as the Lord Almighty has demonstrated in my life time and time before, He is destroying those obstacles with His strong right arm in one swift movement! For if God is for me, who shall be against me? God continues to overwhelm me with awe as I experience Him reign over all creation in order for His good and perfect will to be done.

Though much has been done, there is still much to do. However, I feel confident in sharing with you all the fact that God is bringing me home from Africa early in my eyes, but right on time in His. I will fly home the evening of Friday, May 13 and will arrive in Dallas on Saturday afternoon. Originally I was not to return to Texas until June 28, but God’s plans always trump my intentions. He is bringing me back in time to start to lay the groundwork for the vision He has given me, and I believe He has given others, for this summer.

God had me dedicate the last two summers to serving the teenagers of two different youth groups in the McKinney area, and I believe He is calling me to serve the teenagers of the McKinney community once again. Though both youth groups are incredibly strong and overflowing with phenomenal teenagers, I discovered they both share the same weakness: service. Though both have a deep passion to serve, they are limited in scope as to what local service outreaches they can do simply because of their large size. Many local service opportunities cannot accommodate 60 plus teenagers at one time. Oftentimes these large groups of teenagers then have to travel all the way to Dallas to sort through clothes in a warehouse or food in a pantry. While these are important forms of service, God has broken me over the fact that unless teenagers can afford to serve overseas on a mission trip during their youth group experience, they are never able to see the face of service.


God is not calling me home in May to simply go out into the community and do a service project on a weekly basis with some buddies. Though that may be beneficial for a short time, in the grand scheme of things, it is temporary and lacks impact. No my friends, God is calling me to something greater, which requires me to surrender to serve Him with all I am – even though it is bound to be difficult.

My original goal was to have at least one local service outreach opportunity lined up for each weekday of the summer, and to have one or two carloads of various teens from the youth groups and outside the churches serve alongside me, and some other adult leaders God burdens the hearts of, each day. It would not be the same teenagers serving in the same way each day, but each day the community would experience teenagers truly being Christ’s hands and feet as they love as Christ first loved us.

Though God’s plans are quickly surpassing my intentions once again, my desire for teenagers to have the opportunity to not only discover and utilize their spiritual gifts, but also to experience practical forms of service that can be easily applied to their everyday lives, still remains.

I believe the Lord has been planning a movement that starts with the young people of north Texas since before time began, and although we have seen much growth and activity amongst the secondary students of the McKinney community already, I believe we will really see a catalyst amongst them this summer as they truly serve as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

We were not called to hide behind church walls and denominations; rather, we have been called to stand firm in the armor of God as we daily fight for faith in every aspect of our lives. God has already gotten the ball rolling for this summer, and I do not think it is going to stop. It is like a tumbleweed that continues to get blown across the surface of the globe. Except, this tumbleweed will yield eternal ramifications as it cultivates a radical and passionate love for our Savior amongst all the peoples of the world, making the fields ripe for harvest.

Please join me in prayer over the Lord’s will for this summer. Pray He will continue to burden the hearts of those He wants involved. I ask that you, in the very least, partner with me in continued prayer over the summer, but if you feel the Lord leading you to get involved in a more practical and hands-on manner, do not hesitate to let me know! Pray God will provide opportunities to build capacity in the lives of those in need in the community and in the lives of teenagers. Pray God will open the eyes of the souls He has ordained to serve and be served this summer and beyond; pray He will compel them to stand up, speak out, and reach out in faith, hope, and love. Overall, pray GOD alone will be honored and glorified through what begins this summer, and what I believe will continue indefinitely.

We exist solely for the honor of the Lord’s name. In every prayer, praise, pain, and punishment – we were made to bring glory to the name of the Most High King: Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing His work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” –John 4:34-38

Grateful for the unending grace of Christ Jesus that forever saves us from this dark world and from ourselves,

Meghan

Rest

Monday, March 14, 2011


“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever… When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied.” –Psalm 16:11, 17:15

Moments before the teens arrived for True Love Waits last Friday, my whole body began to drown in what felt like a sea of sickness. After pushing through to reach out to the youth, I eventually had to lie down and find a local South African friend to take me home from the church. I ended up being sick in bed for the next seven days.

After two visits to the emergency room, six prescription medications, two over-the-counter medications, having my blood drawn, getting hooked up to a drip with two other medications, and a full week’s worth of bed rest – I was finally feeling better!

Though I delight in pouring over Scripture and writing out my prayers, attempting to do anything literate made me incredibly nauseous. I wasn’t even able to verbally share the things on my heart, because I had no company to converse with. Physically-speaking, it was a rough week, but spiritually-speaking, it was a refreshing retreat.

Instead of utilizing different avenues to draw near to the Lord, I had to simply tune into the Spirit who reigns within me. God used each breath of sickness to show me how to delight in HIM. Granted, it is important to dive into Scripture and journal one’s thoughts, but it cannot compare to the greatness of getting lost while staring into the face of Jesus.

Just like the Psalms say, as God awakened me from countless naps during the days and nights, I realized my healing was not dependent on the medications I was taking, but my satisfaction could only be found by looking straight into the face of Christ.

After 2011’s week of death (exaggeration), I was blessed with the chance to spend the weekend with the Even family. I am so grateful God has made me feel like a daughter to David and Liz, and a sister to Matthew, Grace, and Andrew. It was absolutely splendid to be able to enjoy the company of a family whom God has given such deep love and wisdom.

Again, just as the Psalms say, I felt an abnormal amount of joy from simply being in the presence of the Lord, and He seemed to shower me with His direction and desires for my life throughout the weekend. I intentionally did not bring my journal with me so I would spend more time dwelling on the Word of God and resting at His feet.

This weekend God answered several of my prayers in a supreme fashion I would have never anticipated. I found myself both energized and in awe of the work of His hands. He made His commands and callings clear to me, and gave me a peaceful acceptance and desire to move forward in obedience to His will.

After such a trying week, God gave me a weekend to treasure. The Holy Spirit spent the whole week preparing my soul to discern and receive the radical messages He had for me this weekend.

How often do we leave everything at the Cross and fall into the arms of Jesus? Not often enough. Why do I sometimes get so caught up in all I am doing for God, I lose sight of all He has done for me?

Friends, join me in asking God to help us seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. We cannot direct our thoughts toward our King on our own, but He will center our thoughts on His character when we let go and intentionally give Him the control He has always had in our lives.

Praying we will be a people who live, and move, and breathe in and by the power of the Spirit,

Meghan

Feed My Sheep

Tuesday, March 1, 2011


God has revealed more to me this week than I could ever express in a blog post. But I am praying the Spirit will enable me to share with you a glimpse of what He showed me.

After such an incredible day with Sterling and Gabrielle when the Lord opened the door for me to share the Gospel with both of them, I was desperate to find ways to feed God’s sheep that surround me here in South Africa – those outside the walls of the American Christian office I spend my days writing in.

Thursday morning I discovered my first opportunity to serve the community with the love of Jesus by accompanying Sue, a woman from my church, to a nearby orphanage. Lambana Sanctuary has 5 homes, but we spent our morning in the home dedicated to AIDS orphans who are not allowed to attend school.

Less than five minutes after I arrived I knew I had officially stepped out of my comfort zone. Juju, a seven-year-old who can’t really walk or talk, was missing his mom Thursday and kept screaming the whole time we were present. I was also told that if you’re a first-timer, Juju gives you a hard time – that explains the punch-in-the-right-eye greeting he welcomed me with.

Don’t get me wrong, I love kids when it comes to babysitting one night at a time, and if God wills it, I hope He will give me a few of my own someday – but children’s ministry is one of the last things I would ever sign up for. Granted, I was not leading a Sunday school lesson in a church building, but I was there to share the love of God with children.

While we were playing a game of Memory with the kids, I was holding a four-month-old baby boy whose twin sister rested on a blanket beside us. As I reached out to turn over the card I hoped would match my playing board, the baby boy spit up all over me. Gross.

You see, I have always preferred to work with teens and older. Once you become a teenager you reach the point in life where you are trying to decide who you are and who you want to be, and you are willing to process with people as you journey through life together. I thrive on sharing the Good News and the powerful truths of God with those searching for something to live for. Teens would never punch me in the eye or spit up all over me – or at least, I hope not.

As I attempted to clean myself up in the washroom, God began to teach me a crucial lesson He expanded on the very next morning as I took a moment to read Friday’s devotion from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

The Destitution of Service

“Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” -2 Corinthians 12:15

Jesus Christ’s idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet – that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.

Though my view of sharing God’s love has always been sharing His words of truth with others, is radically altering my perspective. Those little children will never know God’s love if I just tell them about it, rather, I must truly BE God’s love for the children to experience it. Those precious kids have no one left to love them without ceasing, but God has filled me with His everlasting love to pour out on His children – even the ones who punch me in the eye and spit up on me. Granted, I may not see direct fruit from my service, but in loving on those little children I was serving Jesus just as much as when I shared the Gospel with Sterling.

When God opens doors for us to do ministry, we do not turn them down because they are not our “style”. Rather, we step forward in humility, faithful the Lord will reveal something to us, and perhaps others, through our service, and prayerful that He might be glorified in our surrender.

Throughout the Sabbath God continued to captivate my thoughts with His view of a life surrendered to serving the Most High. In the midst of seeking the Lord through prayer and meditating on His Word, the Holy Spirit revealed an incredible vision to me! I cannot boldly share that vision with you all today, but it was sobering to sit in the presence of the Lord as He flooded my mind, body, and soul with an overwhelming passion to serve Him in complete surrender – no matter the cost.

Several times in life God has opened my eyes to see just a glimpse of a mighty vision He has called me to, but God often makes it clear I must take the necessary steps of obedience in order for the vision to move forward as planned. These commands are never easy to obey, as they often include a hovering fear of rejection, but also a greater fear of the Lord – a reverence before the One who equips me with all I need to obey.

Friend, if God is laying something on your heart, and you know it’s there, but you don’t know what to do with it – seek after Him in prayer. Ask Him to give you clarity and guide you in the direction He has planned for you to take for His glory. I promise you, He will listen and answer your prayer! It may take a long time or no time at all, but He will be faithful to show the next step He desires for you to take. Though you may not understand His calling just yet, He will show you how to follow Him in obedience.

Should we not trust God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are far higher than our thoughts? So when God chooses to reveal a taste of His purpose to us, should we not seek to follow His will above our own?

This afternoon I saw the face of Africa when I entered the over-crowded and poverty-stricken township of Alexandra. Tagging along with Trisha, an SIM missionary from my church, I was severely impressed by her ability to weave through the cramped roads peppered with children walking home from school and goats escaping from their owners. Eventually we arrived at the support center for orphaned high school boys.

While I was getting acquainted with the locals who pour into the boys, Wayne and Moses, I could not help but look out the window to see hundreds of young souls continue to walk past – praying the Lord would meet them face-to-face and keep them from walking past their one and only Savior.

As I got to know Quinoso, a 19-year-old orphaned 11 years ago and recently tossed to the streets, I enjoyed listening to him share about the USA history he learned in school, and his dream of becoming a lawyer and changing the world.

“Are you a Christian?” I asked.

“Ehh… I believe in God, but I just don’t know about being saved,” he responded.

“Well Quinoso, I believe you can change the world, but only if you have Jesus,” I said. “Jesus is the only one who is strong enough to change the world. Without Him, I can do nothing. But with Him, life is an adventure I never could have planned for myself.”

“Yes, I pray to God often, I just don’t know what is keeping me from following God,” he said. “There is more I must do first.”

“Quinoso, you know there is nothing you have to do to be ready for God to save you, right?” I asked.

“All you have to do is believe in God, believe in His Son Jesus, and desire for Him to be in charge of your life because He loves you, and you love Him.”

“Yeah?” Quinoso asked.

“Yes, really,” I assured him. “You know you are the only one keeping yourself from following God. You pray to Him as though you love Him, but have you given God control of your life yet? I will be praying for you, that you will be able to do that.”

“Yeah, yeah – I understand,” Quinoso began. “So maybe it’s like tomorrow I will be praying to God and I will ask Him to take control of me, and I will be saved.”

“Well, don’t do it just for me, Quinoso,” I said, looking him in the eye. “But I’ll definitely keep you in my prayers – seriously, my friend.”

I pray God will continue to teach me how to share His Good News of great joy through love and good deeds. Having the opportunity to share the Gospel is a powerful blessing, but it is not the only way we can demonstrate God’s love to those who surround us each day. I pray the Lord will use me for His glory in every moment – this life is not about me, it is all about Him – I hope He will strip me of my everything so He might continue to cover and consume me with His everything.

I pray God’s Spirit will open our eyes to see His sheep all around us, and give us a desire to feed them with His love in words and actions.

Until next time,

Meghan

Me with Quinoso at the support center in Alexandra

                          The center is at Ikemeleng at Scripture Union in the township

                                     Gladys has been loving on the orphans for 9 years

                                           Sue is such a blessing to know and serve with!

                                                          Juju is excited about his lunch!

                Had fun teaching these Alexandra boys how to play rock, paper, scissors!

                                Oh the game of Memory brings back so many fond memories ;)

Fun times groovin' and snappin' with Alexandra boys :)

Ride the horse, spot the cow, cast the lasso - YEEHAW!!