11.05.2008

Color Me Red

Yes, this title isn't quite the random title I promised in my first post.

Color me red.

God Humbled me tonight.

I have made no bones about my stance as a non-voter. I have, and will, make no bones about being un-patriotic. The truth is, if it was up to me, I would move from this country and have absolutely nothing to do with it.

That is true, I would move and shake the dust of my feet.

However, because I feel this way, is the very reason God has called me here. I refuse to be someone who just complains, or just packs up and leaves. I want to see Gods Kingdom here so badly. Not through the attempt of conversion of a Godless institution, but through his people, his church. Not through someone I (could) elect, but through me and my community.



Tonight, me and some of my community went to go and bring Gods Kingdom into the lives of a Grandma, Father and his three kids, lives. We met this family, when a couple of sundays ago, we knocked on doors to ask people if we could pray for them. Upon arriving at their door, they invited us in and we spent the next hour and a half inside their home. After leaving, no doubt, these were people of peace. God had sent us to that door for a reason. Through this family, our prayer was that we could establish the Kingdom of God, not only in their lives, but in their neighborhood.

So tonight, we went back to build on that relationship. To bring Gods love into their lives. To establish the foundation of Gods Kingdom in Colonial Gardens.

Now understand, over the past year, I have poured hundreds, if not thousands of hours into reading political articles, watching CNN, learning all about the candidates, watching debates, discussing, etc. Why all of this if I refuse to vote?

Because I find it horribly interesting.

So tonight, was like the superbowl - er, maybe olympics since it happens every four years- for me. I have been looking forward to this night for the last year. I had websites bookmarked, the "Channel Return" button set to toggle between stations covering the election, bought wine -- I was ready.

What I wasn't ready for was for the family to invite us to stay for dinner.

You see, we had made cookies for them, and in an ideal situation, we would just swing them by their house real quick; in a much less ideal situation we would stay for an hour and I would have to rush home to see the presidential race unfold.

So much for planting a kingdom, eh?

So when they insisted we stay for dinner, dominoes pizza, my stomach sunk almost as low as it did when they busted out phase 10, the longest card game ever.

I was upset. Not understanding how long it took to arrive at a winner for the presidency, I believed I would arrive home to discover the president elect, and not get to see it bloom in front of my eyes. Now the wine I bought to casually sip in a pretentious manner while listening to statistics, would be left for a late night rendezvous to curb my frustration (Dramatic).

This is when God grabbed me. I argue a lot for building Gods Kingdom over contributing to a man-made institution, however, I was choosing the institution over Gods Kingdom in this instant. I almost missed it!

Sometimes, when you feel passionately about something, it can blind you from an opportunity to live it. Arguing the Principle of it becomes a mirage of actual action.

Lately I've argued a lot against politics, in favor of God bringing his kingdom through his church and not a broken, Godless, system. Yep, I have.

Then, when God gave me an opportunity to live this, I almost blew it for reasons I denounce.

Now don't get me wrong, I didn't ALMOST miss it, I DID miss it. You see, right around Phase 3, God whispered this hypocritical irony to me. I almost laughed. Instead, I praised God for his revelation, repented, and in an instant, he truly did change my heart. So much so, that I was very disappointed that phase 10, was modified to phase 5 because others had actual legitimate places to be.

Truly dissapointed, I didn't want to leave. I WANTED to miss the election as a sacrifice to God, to show him how much my heart had just changed.

Now, while I did spend a majority of the time in this families home in a pessimistic state, this was a victory. God softened and humbled me, and answered my prayer. This isn't a victory for me, this is a victory for God. He pierced the sinful, rebellious heart in me. He was glorified.


This family is amazing. I am so pumped to go back again. To hang out with

Grandma Jane

John

Audree

Alexis

And Bradley

And I got to see all the election coverage I could want.

And it wasn't near as exciting as playing those last two phases.

And it turned out how I figured.

And It doesn't mean a single thing.

Gods Kingdom will come. Not through the president. Not through the voters. Not through the government.

But through me. Through you. Through Us.

It will come.

0 comments: