What Am I Doing?

If I'm not a "missionary", and I'm not "doing ministry", what exactly am I doing?

I apologize if my last blog was a bit confusing. I also apologize if it was a bit critical. Neither of these were my intention. My intention was to acknowledge some of the ways that I, personally, and other Christ followers, have fallen short in practicing what we preach and sometimes even preaching the wrong things.

This time, I'd rather focus on actions and stories. Yes, sometimes living and loving like Jesus does look like being a missionary doing ministry, and sometimes, that looks a whole lot different than we expect it to. So, here's what I've been doing.

I've been having very full weeks. This involves class Monday through Thursday, where we gather to discuss and learn about the business of the Kingdom of God. We study and break down scripture and what it actually means for us, how it changes and impacts our way of life, and areas we may be missing the point as the global church. We also sing and worship together. We also pray for each other, speak prophecy of encouragement and truth for each other, and have a whole lot of fun. We have seen one another experience spiritual breakthroughs, start businesses and accomplish goals, and be completely transformed on a daily basis to look more like Jesus Christ. It's really one of the most amazing environments I've ever witnessed in my life.

But, what really makes it so amazing, is the people. We are a tribe of people who have embraced our completely unique selves and decided to give up anything and everything in order to love people like Jesus does. What's even more amazing, is it isn't just us. We share our homes, meals, and time with each other, things that most-everyone has. We do it in a way that seems different enough to catch the attention of the community we live in.

I live in a house with six other people. Our "ministry" is simple. We just live life. We meet our neighbors and invite them to dinner. We cook a meal like we would any other night, but we invite new friends to come enjoy it with us. We also visit restaurants, taverns, and shops making more new friends and taking time to genuinely get to know them. It's so beautiful in its simplicity, and the amazing part is, as people have done this over time, lives have actually been transformed in the process.

My own life is being transformed in the process as well. Every week is so full of life. This past week in particular, everything seemed to be amplified to the maximum, in the best ways possible. It was like Holy Spirit turned up the fire in my heart, and maybe the one under my ass as well. I realized that, while my heart has been so earnestly desiring to change the world by the way I love others like Jesus, I had spent more time thinking about it than actually doing it.

I broke one of my favorite rules: "Don't just talk about it, be about it."

So, I said, "Help me, Jesus," and I got my Nike on to just do it. Conversations started getting deeper and having more impact. My time gained more balance in serving, contemplating, giving, laughing, creating, and loving. My chores and tasks were more motivated by pure, selfless love. It's just been different. I've been different. I'm beginning to step into the freedom that comes with a heart focused on Christ and His love, a heart that has let go of trying to get anything out of it for itself. Simply put, I'm taking some of the first steps as who I really am.

I'm not trying to boast or make some big proclamation. I'm just excited to be living like I've never lived before, and I hope and pray that everyone can start to experience the same thing: a life that has been totally given to Christ, so that it can actually begin to be lived.

I want to finish with some exciting news. What started with a few notes on my phone back in May, is becoming more of a reality. I'm writing a book! It is my goal to finish writing it before my next birthday in August. I have really enjoyed blogging, but it always feels like there is some aspect of my creative process missing from it. I'm excited to really explore that in a new way, and as always, I'm excited to share the journey with you.