Plane Talk

If you've been around me a while you know that everything I do somehow ends up as a crazy, this doesn't happen to "normal " people story. When I travel is usually no exception and I tend to meet the most random, interesting people.

Last summer we were headed on vacation to Mexico and I was reading a book about persecuted Christians around the world. I'm not much of a plane talker but the gentleman next to me was cordial and we talked about how he lived in Charlotte but had relatives in Columbia and he'd gone to college in Charleston. We chatted a while and then I read. Taking a break to process the last story he asked what I was reading. I'm ashamed to admit that I hesitated for a second. He was obviously of Middle East descent and I wasn't sure what to say but I trudged ahead and he began asking more questions and confirmed he was Pakistani but grew up in Kuwait. Then he very pointedly said to me, "So, you are a Christian?" And, I answered that yes, yes I'm a Christian then asked about his faith. From there came one of the most interesting plane conversations of my life. He was a former Muslim who came to know Jesus and had been instrumental in leading family members to Jesus and is now the pastor of Mosaic church in Charlotte. Whoa! He finished with recommending that I read his story, "Ex Muslim" and now, a year later, I'm being so blessed by his honest, insightful, faith filled memoir.

Tonight, this quote just struck me, "Following Jesus involves wholehearted, everyday repentance to which He responds every single time with grace." What a great reminder that "following Jesus" isn't just that one time prayer, or while at church. Or when we feel like it. It is every single day. It is a lifestyle. It is a way of living. It is loving Jesus first and then others. It's on the good days and the bad days. It is pulling and stretching with everything we have in us to be more like Him. Every day.

His story is even more timely as when I met him I'd just returned from a mission in Uganda. Now, I'm reading as I prepare to leave next week on another mission to Uganda. His views as a new Christian, especially from another faith have led me to consider how I speak about Jesus to others both on my trip and here at home. I must put aside "Church-ese" ( those terms that make us Christians part of the "club") and focus on letting my life as a Jesus follower speak for Him through me.

I'm sure this plane conversation is long forgotten in his mind. But, nothing is coincidental and God arranges the quirkiest ways to ensure His plans. Without that meeting and conversation I'd probably not be reading this book right now. And, maybe not contemplating how I can be more like Jesus as I follow Him each day and share Him with others.

(I'd hoped to share a link to the book but it's not going through. It is "Ex-Muslim" by Naeem Fazal

What Am I Doing Here?

That is the question I'm asking. And, since you found your way to this blog, my best answer is that God led me from there to here. Huh?  Confused yet?  Let me tell you a little story about my recent journey.

For a while I've been praying and asking for guidance on a next step.  Every. Single. Day.  I used to write and gave it up years ago with always a "someday" in the back of my mind. Two weekends ago a friend advertised a Chromebook for sale on Facebook and on a whim I messaged her and bought it.  For what?? I have a laptop I share with my son and I never even really use it except to store photos.

Then, on my way to school one morning last week I was making an Instagram post that referenced Lamentations 3:23, "Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." God spoke into my heart at that moment that He was going to place writing back into my life. A few hours later, during my mid-morning devotion, guess what my reference verse was?  Yep. Lamentations 3:23. Thinking and thinking about this with my excitement growing, the idea of a blog came to me on my way home.  Almost every blog I encounter is written for young moms with smaller children and busy lives, homeschooling and/or stay at home moms.  No one seemed to be writing for us 40somethings with (or without) husbands, children, jobs. Those who are soon to be empty nesters. Those who should be a grown up, but still wonder what they want to be when they grow up. What if I could write about how, even today, in my current season I don't usually have it all together (I just took my Christmas tree down last week.  Seriously. On March 23rd) and I need encouragement that other women are right here with me?!?! I ran it by my husband and he said to "go for it". I went to bed asking God for guidance and the phrase "from there to here" popped up as I drifted off.

The next day I found myself repeating over and over to myself (in my head and out loud) "from there to here". What is that supposed to mean?  I've been "there".  I was raised in church, fell away from Jesus, returned to church, got saved, divorced, fell away from Jesus, back to church, rededicated my life.  Now, I'm "here".  Letting King Jesus be the center of my world. Digging into His word. Spending time in worship. Seeking a calling on my life.  I decided to see if  fromtheretohere would be an available link on Blogger.  It wasn't.  And, it dawned on me that God doesn't go back on His promises and I believed He had promised me a future and a purpose if I would be obedient.  I decided to try "fromtheretohere promises".  It worked!!  I now had a blog!  (It was empty.....but it was a step!)  I typed in "from there to here promises scripture" to see what, if anything Google had to offer.  Deuteronomy 6:23. "He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land He promised on oath to our ancestors."  WHOA!

He brought me from there --- death, misery, loneliness, sin, eternal hell --- to the land (HERE)--- a living, breathing relationship with Jesus, a future and purpose, Heaven --- He PROMISED ---His word confirms these promises!  To come full circle, God took a quick act of obedience and grew it in a few days to a new thing that I believe He will use for His plans in my life and the lives of others.

I am completely unqualified for this.  I have no Biblical teaching background.  I'm so far from perfect that I often wonder why God would EVER love me. I have no idea what I'm even going to write about. I really don't have it all together. But, I do know that God put this in my heart and has worked everything around the human unknown and the Godly foresight. Hopefully, you'll come back to see where this goes.  And, exactly what I am doing here and where my "from there to here" is going next.