Just going to spit this out

(I’m not sure where I’m going with this. Maybe nowhere. I’m typing this for myself. I will probably post it to share my struggle.)

My family has a lot of growing to do. We’ve come a long way though. Through our relationship with Christ and you the Church we have grown considerably over the past few years. The past year we have seen so much of what is important in life to us as individuals and as a family change. We believe we have and still are becoming disciples.

Always learning. Always room to grow.

I’ve said that I’ve come to Indianapolis with no expectations and perceived ideas about what things should look like. Now, we all know that is a little hard not to carry about with us our own ideas about how things should be and what we would like to be doing.

I try and shake off what needs to be left behind.

The thing is - I have in my heart and in my mind the need to reach those in our communities living ‘alternative lifestyles’. (That’s broad, but I think I will leave it at that for the time being.)

I have a heart for all of God’s children and, as Alan put it, His “un-children”. Rich. Poor. Urban. Suburban. Rural. Sick. Well. Pierced. Tattooed. Long hair. Bald. Comb-over. Gay. Straight. Anything-goes. Atheist. Ala Carte. Apathetic. Etc. etc. etc.

I do feel this time for the Miller’s is about our own growth as a family and as individuals. Much rest too. It is never just about “me” or “us” though. Should never be.

I have to think about how to best love my neighbor.

In my conversation with Matt in the comments a couple of posts down I said that I think sometimes we try too hard to look busy. I was preaching to myself there.

I’m asking what we are to be doing as the Church. How does Scotty begin to ’reach’ the community when He himself has soooo much to learn? So many of you that I love and admire and have learned from and I am inspired by have been about Church planting and such for some time. Many of you have been to Seminary. Many of you have traveled the world. So many of your lives have obviously touched so many others. I’m not talking about the quantity of the people but the quality of the relationships and the transformation that has taken place in people lives. The discipleship that has obviously happened.

Oh!

Did I just stumble on to something there? “....the quality of the relationships and the transformation..” “The discipleship..”

I’ve grown up with programs and big events as my examples of ’outreach’ and ’discipleship’. (well, I am from a small town so they weren’t quite so big. But they tried to be) Committees and missionaries doing the work and talking it through for us. Now that we have CHOSEN to live a missional (ever noticed that word doesn’t show up in spell check?) life....Ah....

One relationship at a time. One deed at a time. One conversation at a time. One story at a time. One pizza at a time. One tear at a time.

It doesn’t make me a ‘big-important’ person. It might not look like I’m doing a lot. Will probably look more like I’m playing than I’m ‘working’. Who am I to want to be ‘big’ and ‘important’ anyhoo? I am nothing but a ‘fellow worker’. 1 Corinthians 3

Hmm? Rest!?

(thank you Matt and Geo)