Beyond Our Measure of Faith

Some of life's toughest moments are when we are faced with realities that we cannot change. To each of us, God has given a measure of faith. I strongly believe that He gives us challenges and allows us to climb obstacles that are one step outside of our measure of faith to grow and refine us.

Last night, the parent who I referenced in the last blog post showed up drunk at the end of practice. All of the kids had been picked up (including hers) and she just pulled up into the parking lot and sat there until I walked up to her car. When I went to the window, I had no idea what I was about to face: a pungent smell of alcohol, slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes. She appeared to not know why she was there...couldn't even speak a clear and understood sentence. Well...by the grace of God:

- I had seen her kids picked up earlier by their grandmother to know who they went home with

- She did not crash on the way over to our practice fields

- I was able to talk her into turning the car off and handing me her cell phone so I could call someone to pick her up

- Sharon and some coaches were still there to help oversee the situation

- Paul was close by to come down and help support as well

While I was affected/bothered by her statement to me last week regarding me not being as "happy" as I was last season, I now understand where she is coming from regarding her current state of life. However, it leads me to consider that I don't know what anyone is going through or where anyone is coming from. I must seek to be Christ to any and everyone who I interact with, praying that His light and love would seep through me into and around those Im encountering.

Thinking about the situation last night also gave me a heart check - I want to be more burdened/broken for the situations and lives of those around me before my own. Jesus cared so much for others (us) - even leading him to the point of death so that we might live...

So in this situation and those like this that I will face in the future, I do pray that God will increase my measure of faith in Him to stretch beyond it's current state - faith that He will show up in a way that displays His glory and for our good, and faith that we will grow outside of ourselves and learn to love others the way Jesus loves us.

Refinement

Some things are hard to hear...

Like last night - one of the soccer moms who is ALWAYS demanding my attention when SHE'S ready, regardless of what's going on around me or who I'm already talking to, told me that Im not as "happy" as I was in the fall. I don't care how demanding, irritating, or selfish a parent can be, I must ALWAYS present the face of Christ to her - the authentic and genuine, selfless and giving face and heart of Christ...

That was hard to hear, but it compels me to seek more of Christ in me to display more of Christ to them.

Since I started at NorthStar, Ive seen Paul get hit with a lot of challenges and trials that are unavoidable and, many of which, are not due to anything he did or didnt do. Upon the closing of "Gala season," we went through $$$ figures for camp this summer - behind by $40,000...yes, that's four zero's and five figures. Talk about stress. But then some words give him an even bigger blow when he was confronted with a "truth moment" - parts of which may be truth, but other parts definitely not. He has become like family to me, so seeing Paul affected affects me.

We are team and this team is facing challenges from the outside. I am CONVINCED, though, that we will only grow and seek more of Christ through these things. Looking ahead/forward to being on the other side of the mountain that we have to climb will encourage us to keep going. And ultimately knowing that there is so much more to all of this than just climbing mountains (raising $40,000 in two months) and also knowing that we live and move from the perspective of VICTORY in Christ, then I say bring it on - we'll take it :)

Other side updates:

Hill School - more and more conversations being had with the janitor and PE coach...praise God for relationships built there. And today a kid asked me if we could start a "talking club"...haha...sure

Soccer - a referee asked me one Friday night if he "would get shot down here." I scoffed at him and said no way...well i still hold to that, but the very next morning while we were moving goals off the field, a group of guys dressed the same shot a gun off behind a house across the street from our field...praise God that wasn't an hour earlier when I had kids and parents down on the field.

Discipline - wow these kids need it. Praise God that he disciplines us when we're in the wrong...so many of the kids Im working with now are lacking it in a variety of different aspects/ways in their lives and Im reminded that patience is not my virtue...needing and growing in that!

So...does anyone have $40,000 extra they're willing to donate to camp :)

haha...but seriously. Go to our website to sponsor a camper NOW!!!

$600 for the whole summer

$300 for half the summer

$100 for one week