I dove head first into a job/world that I had little-to-no experience in and it intimidated the hell out of me.
My mom and others worried a little for my safety. I worried for my safety.
Just over one month into the job, I fell asleep in the livingroom watching a movie- I woke up at 3am to the TV glowing blue and a young man walking around the livingroom in his boxers.
I watched him walk down the hallway and into one of the girls' rooms.
The next morning I recieved notification from our resource worker that the guy I had seen was extremely dangerous- he had numerous sexual assult charges against him, he was homeless and drug addicted and had a history of being violent... before she hung up the phone with me, she said "so please be careful."
Great.
That afteroon, I left work and went straight to the church to drive a carful of yout leaders to Kelowna for a weekend retreat, the RUSH YOUTH CONFERENCE.
I was prettty shaken up, and was ready to wave the white flag. I wasn't cut out for this job. I couldn't put myself in that situation ever again. By the time we reached Kelowna, I had mentally checked out of my new job. After the weekend I would call my boss and tell him I couldn't do it.
Later that night, at the first session, a crazy looking white guy with thick-rimmed glasses, dreadlocks and potato sack clothes started to speak in his heavy southern accent.
He had worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, he had been arrested in peaceful protests against his city's efforts to outlaw being homeless, he travelled to Baghdad on a Christian peackeeping mission and his convoy was bombed, his friend nearly lost his life had it not been for the locals who had set up a makeshift hospital for them, he lived amongst lepers who taught him how to sew his own clothes so that he never had to wear clothing made by a child again, he "settled down" in the slums in Philidelphia and set up "The Simple Way" .
Did I menion he was only a handful of years older than me?
As he spoke, all my convienient barriers started to crumble. While I know so many lines to give as to why I am not doing more for the "least of these," I was finally confronted on them. While he spoke I could feel my loving Heavenly Father smacking me upside the head.
HE wanted me there. He wanted me to stop worrying and rely on Him.
On Monday I would go back to the job I felt so ill-equipped for. I would bathe my life in prayer rather than anxiety, and I would be obedient. I would stay as long as He wanted me to.
I'm coming up on 2 years, and I don't feel a release coming anytime soon.
This guy who's words changed my life wasn't Shane Claiborne- His name was Jesus.
Shane has simply submitted to Him- he has comitted to being His Hands and His feet in this pain-filled world.
I saw Jesus standing before me- I heard His words as Shane opened his mouth...
...and my life was changed.
On November 8th at 6pm Shane Claiborne will be in Abbotsford at Northview Community Church Worship Center. He'll also be giving the same message on the 9th at the 9am and 11am service. I'm gonna be there Saturday night...
Ready and waiting for the smack upside my head. You should be there too.
3 comments:
I just found Shane was coming last night! I am so ready to see him again and sadly need a good refresher to look beyond myself. I used a ton of his ideas and thoughts at VBS! He's inspiring! I am so tempted to go for all 3 services, even though he'll have the same message :)!
I just put it in my calendar.
Should we carpool?
Sunday morning is the morning for me :)
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