Giving Him all of us...

    It has been 4 weeks since I last updated the blog.  I want to apologize for the delay in getting these updates posted.  So much has happened in our personal lives, with the organization, and in Ghana…we just have struggled to find the time to stop and send an update.  Yet, today I find myself realizing, I just can’t wait another day before getting information and updates posted.  Although these past weeks have been filled with important details and people to care for, we know the enemy will use these important details to distract us from sharing the good news.  That is NOT what we want!  Because there are so many updates, I am breaking them up into 3 different postings.

·         All of me…

·         GN Update

·         What’s next?

Posting #1:  Giving Him all of us…

Those that know me well know I’m not an evangelist.  I don’t door knock.  I’m not a bible thumper.  Yep, I actually looked it up.  According to Wikipedia (the internet authority, of course), Bible thumper is a real, published expression to describe those who aggressively impose their religious beliefs.  That would never be how I would describe myself.  Actually, I have never been comfortable with this customary way of reaching people or sharing about Jesus.  I’ve carried a lot of worry over the years because of my lack of comfort in being aggressive.  How many people in my life will have missed in truly knowing the blessing of living their life for Christ, because I didn’t share aggressively enough?  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen Jesus work through me over the years, thankful to have been a part of his plan.  But, in these last years the Lord has revealed through a few people here and there, door knocking, bible thumping is just not how he created me.  He created me to love, share, and TALK (of course!).  He created me to be exactly who I am.  He created Troy to love, share, bring laughter (of course!), and to be exactly who he was created to be.  But, I have to tell you, it really clicked earlier this year when our pastor shared a tidbit of history before his St. Patrick’s Day sermon.  He may have thought he was just warming up the congregation.  You know what I mean, they get us all warmed up in an attempt to ensure we are paying attention and are awake so we can take in the fullness of the message God has given them.  J!  Well, that and because it is likely no fun to preach to a sleeping crowd!  All pastors are different, and some have varying leads…sometimes with humor, but sometimes it is just something interesting, like history. 

      Well, March 17, 2013, Pastor Tom chose to share a bit of history with a little humor.  I mean, when you tell people the day they’ve all come to know as the national holiday for green beer, leprechauns, and gold is actually a religious holiday…you have to expect a little snicker here or there.  Although Pastor Tom always has tremendous messages, I can’t recall his message.  I have been so captured since that day with his lead in.  (Pastor Tom, thank you for this particular lead in.  I’m sure you were searching for the perfect one, and even if it was just for me…thank you!) I am not sure if that tidbit had an impact on anyone else, as much as it did for me.  Look, my family has serious Irish blood.  My maiden name is Mulreany for goodness sakes.  Although, if you look closely you’d easily realize our family heritage has been long lost.  I’ve come to realize it really is a shame.  But, I have to tell you, I had no idea St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday, and I would suspect none of my family knows or remembers either.  Did you know?  If you didn’t, don’t laugh, seriously.  That Sunday, I came home and looked it up for myself, not because I didn’t trust Pastor Tom, but I found it to be a profound contradiction.  For all those who look forward to the cocktails and beer with their greens and pork, you might find it interesting…so don’t stop reading just yet.  Just a bit of interesting history, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17.  How about that?  70s, go figure. 

    So, what did Pastor Tom share?  What did I learn?  A British kid who grew up in a wealthy family, with a dad who was a deacon and a grandfather who was a priest was taken captive during a raid.  He was taken by the Irish, back to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16 years old.  Wow, really, a slave?  Yep.  He eventually escaped and upon his return to Britain he studied to be a priest.  Years later, he felt called back to Ireland.  He returned to the scene of the crime.  He didn’t come to rebuke or to bring justice.  He came to share the love of Christ.  He moved in, became a part of the community, and just began to live and share his life with those around him.  He began to pour himself into those around him – just being the person God created him to be, an overflow.  No door knocking.  No Bible thumping.  He was a missionary.  And, through this style of evangelism, before his end days, more than 50 churches were planted and over 20% of the country was converted to Christianity.  That may not seem like a very big number to you – but think about what 20% of a population actually equates to.  And, all this came through the obedience of one man, to go where God called him.  He was called to return to where he was taken captive, taken as a slave.  And, so filled with the spirit of God, he brought the overflow of God’s love…and Pastor Tom’s statement was…St. Patrick was practicing Evangelism by Hospitality.  It was then, it clicked.  This is the only comfortable way we have lived our lives, Troy and I.  We are just ordinary people.  We are definitely NOT pastors or priests. We are just like you.  We live in this worldly world.  We make mistakes.  We fail and fall.  We have good days and bad days.  But, I’d say one of the greatest attributes we have is we are a family of people who love Jesus. 

    We live in this world surrounded by trials and tragedies, and yet we have found more and more blessings even through the trials and tragedies with each passing day.  Now, don’t be fantasized by my words to believe we walk around oblivious to the trials and tragedies.  Some days are harder than others.  Some days we don’t turn to God as we should, and we try to carry on in our own strength.  Yet, God finds us where we are at, and he always carries us through it all.  As I prayed about what to post, I was reminded of this lead in by Pastor Tom and how important it is that I be transparent, honest, and just me when I post updates.  My mom told me the blog posts from this past February trip to Ghana was the most honest and real I’ve ever been.  Funny, I didn’t try to be different.  But, as I find myself growing closer to God, I am finding myself just being the overflow - evangelism by hospitality.  So…the point, the purpose of all that.  I won’t let work, school, life, sadness, pain, fear, tragedy of this world we share be a distraction of the grace, love, blessings and absolute joy God has shown us in the midst of these distractions.  I will make every effort to remember to proclaim all God has done…and not always be distracted by life.  Troy and I are giving God all of ourselves, the best we can.  Thankfully, God has a lot of grace. We need it!  There are stories to be told, there are truths to be spoken…even through my little voice on this blog, in this little organization, in our family, in our friendships, and through all parts of our life.  We are on the brink of something big, and it started with one little boy who was hanging on by a thread for his life…GN.