Dear Mission Family,
The other evening a cool front moved into McCreary County. During the previous weeks the daily temperatures had exceeded ninety degrees, with the humidity close behind it. Ah, summer in Appalachia. But we awoke that particular morning to find a bright blue sky with a pleasant breeze drifting in from the north-east. I looked to the horizon and found that this weather front had scrubbed most of the haze from the hills, allowing me to easily see the mountain-tops in neighboring Tennessee.
That same morning I sat on our front porch swing and began softly praising God for the beauty of the day. As the sun rose it began caressing my face and I had a somewhat comical picture enter my mind; an image portrayed on a cereal box. Perhaps you’ve seen it. There is a picture of a large radiant orb, smiling with human characteristics down upon the land below. This cartoon image didn’t linger. It was quickly replaced with thoughts of God, smiling upon me personally. I could almost hear my Father’s voice saying, “Your labors are not in vain. You bring me great pleasure by what you do and how you do it. I love you!”
How is it that we most often feel God smiling on us? As I listen to a great many people it would seem that receiving some tangible sign of the Lord’s favor inclines them to feel that God is pleased with them. Folks speak of sensing His affirmation in everything from receiving a large bonus on their paychecks to finding a parking place near the door at the mall. For many, material or situational blessings are the way that they see the smiling face of God.
The Lord certainly speaks to our spirits; guiding, counseling, affirming, and correcting. I have met people who say that they have never really experienced a deep spiritual moment with the Lord. While they profess a belief in the existence of God, and even in His Love, they cannot identify an instance when they feel the Creator of their souls has touched them personally in a deeply spiritual way. I’ve also found that these same individuals often do not take the “time” to seek moments of stillness before the Lord. If they have any type of devotion time, it usually doesn’t afford them the opportunity to sit quietly before God and connect with their Creator at a deeper level. But I wonder if we often tend to overlook one of the most common, and perhaps important, ways that our Wonderful God shows us His pleasure with our lives.
Many of you are aware that Rita and I have encountered a great deal of difficulty in our ministry recently. As our efforts to “be church” to the people of our community becomes stronger, so does the resistance. If I were to gauge God’s pleasure with us by the circumstances of our lives, I would often have to say we are failing. But I’ve grown in my relationship with the Lord enough to understand that for every positive, Christ-focused step we take, there is another force at work attempting to dismantle the good that has been done. This influence is especially disturbing when it seems to be impacting us through those who call on the name of Jesus.
At the beginning of this summer’s mission team visits I found myself looking for a smile, or at least a nod, from the Lord. The work was grueling and difficult relational issues influenced my perception of things. I’m certain that even if a “cool front” were to have swept in at that point, I would have still failed to feel the Father’s affirmation on my life. But then something happened! A new church family from Lombard Illinois joined us in ministry. They came into our lives and began pointing out how much they appreciated all our hard work. These saints didn’t flatter Rita and me. They simply noticed what had been done to facilitate their ministry to the poor and expressed their appreciation. Although the work-week was often accompanied by heat, humidity and clouds, I was able to feel God smiling on my life. A few weeks later I once again began feeling ineffective in my attempts to minister among God’s people. That same evening I received an email from a friend who quoted some very pointed scripture, expressing her appreciation and support of the direction that the Lord is guiding our efforts. As I read the words of encouragement, I felt God’s smile come over me.
Isn’t that how God most often seems to shower His Love upon us; through the Body of Christ, the church? At least, that’s how I see Jesus calling His Church to respond. Our Lord often reminds us of the power of our words, to bring a positive influence into a given situation or to undermine the efforts being put forth. I would like to challenge you today to find someone who you see working hard for the Kingdom of God and allow a “smile” to come over their lives. Don’t flatter them. Flattery can be an obvious shallow gesture. Instead, pray that the Lord would guide you to speak a smile over them in some manner. I can’t overemphasize how powerful that prayer can be. Actually, such a request is really an answer to the prayer that Jesus Himself offered on our behalf: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)
Next month I plan to provide you with an overview of many of the wonderful things that have been accomplished by the Lord through the missionaries He has called to labor alongside us this summer. Please continue to pray for these mission teams as they minister in the hills. And remember one of your greatest callings- to be the source of God’s smile in someone’s life every day! Rita and I love and appreciate you all.
