Of Caves & Islands

Hebrews 11:38 wraps up a registry of biblical heroes with " The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and hid in caves and holes in the ground." (Berean Bible)

It struck me recently that each of us have daily lives that are literally built upon the shoulders of those who have gone before. Some of them, like those in Hebrews 11, are of biblical proportions. Ancestors who were burnt at the stake for choosing Christ, or missionaries who died in the Boxer Rebellion in China. But there are are others who do the daily, quiet, and sometimes mundane with the same power and grace and are walking just as much in their full Calling as those whose lives were on the frontlines.

For example, we have Dutch ancestors who spent generations shoveling out marshlands to build humble islands to create safe havens from waring hordes. In the center of this island they built a church. Then homes were gradually built around the church.

There are forefathers of the church who carved out underground cities when their wives and children were being persecuted. These were real people, who made it possible for you and I to be alive today, and whose faith spurs us on. The issue isn’t that one is better than the other, the question is, are we each living to our full Call and capacity? Are we, here and now, looking around us and seeing the era we live in on earth, and responding in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit? Or, as in Pslam 78:9, are we like Ephriamites, who, even though armed, turned back on the day of battle?

To be honest, recently I’ve been tempted to. There were voices around me, and voices in my head that pointed out how unrealistic my efforts are. They seem so small in such a vast ocean of incredible threats. Waves of culture and hosts of “fact checked facts”; rulings and loudness; and even personal ill health and weakness all reared their ugly heads and made me question my Call. That’s when the Lord reminded me of my quiet Dutch ancestors, braving the North Sea and the unrelenting cold north wind to quietly keep shoveling and building something which, centuries later, still stands. One shovel load at a time. One dirty diaper at a time. One hot meal, one loving conversation, one night hour prayer, one journey taken, one day at a time.

Then, after that, God reminded me of the providential steps, the provision, and the miracles it took to get here, which provide the framework to know that this wasn’t my choice, but His leading. His sheep know His voice, but His sheep sometimes get side tracked. He is good enough to help us realign our thoughts and stay the course, right?

This month each of our Impact Teams are taking powerful, simple, crucial shovel sized steps of faith which are obedient, and creating foundations for the next generation to build on. We’re honored to be family with such incredible people!