Gratitude

As I write this, we are driving back from Johnson University in Knoxville, TN (our alma mater). We took our Discipleship team from the Student Ministry at Gateway and had a blast! We got a tour of the facilities yesterday and I was in awe of all the changes that had taken place!

One thing that I was glad stayed the same, however, was the flag display. There is a building on campus that has an open staircase that displays all the flags of all the nations from where students come or where alumni are currently living and spreading the Gospel. It's really, really cool.

Later in the evening, we walked/drove around the old city, UT campus, and Market Square. We saw a lot of fun, "cultural" sights, but we also saw a lot of pain, brokeness, and sin on the streets. It took me back to my college days when God used us to minister to the homeless, broken, and lost of this beautiful city. I thought about how blessed I was to have been a part of that and how Christ used that to send me to places like Puerto Rico and Romania and witness the oppression and sin in those places and His redeeming grace and love for the nations.

I then started to think about all the changes in my life since I left JU, the good and the bad, and how blessed my husband and I have been in the last 6 months by our new home church, Gateway.

Just about a month or so ago I had the absolute privilege of participating in a clothing drive that took place in our sanctuary where the homeless and the downtrodden were able to come and grab what they needed for themselves and their families.  One woman shared that she was not only looking for clothes for her 3 children, but for the 3 others she watched daily. I had to hold tears back as I watched young mommies not running to the shoes to find a cute pair for themselves, but filling up garbage bags filled with items for their babies.

In a couple Sundays from now, after church, Gateway will be splitting up into teams and going to local public elementary schools to serve in various ways to bring a positive start to the new school year.                    

At the same time, Gateway pastors are not afraid to be very tough and honest with those in the church who already claim to have a relationship with Jesus, speaking with tough love on issues other churches would not touch. They are not afraid of who they might offend or who may not come back.
They just love Jesus and want to be obedient to Him.

Beautiful. Beautiful the Bride of Christ and grateful I am to stand with it as broken and pitiful as I can be.

Whether it be JU or Gateway or some of the other amazing places we've ministered or attended over the years, my heart overflows with gratitude toward those brothers and sisters who have amazing perspective and who demonstrate Christ's marvelous love.

These people are too busy loving their community for politics, legalism, or even free speech. As the media distracts and divides so many, there are multitudes that keep pushing the hype aside and chasing after their dashing Groom and the people for which His heart breaks.

Thank you, Church, for letting Jesus flow through your hearts like fine wine. Thank you for edifying, disciplining, and training your own and for simply loving those who are still of the world.

We are broken, but we are blessed.....,

And I am grateful.