RefugeInLyon

Yesterday, we took part in our annual neighborhood garage sale.  Needless to say, it was a day full of sweat, some blood, and letting go.  For us, this was one of those times that the realities of moving to Lyon set in.  Our goal is to liquidate and get rid of close to 90% of the things we own.  Yesterday was the first step.  However, we didn’t realize how difficult this step would be.

For Wende, the hardest thing for her to let go of were books.  She struggled as she watched people buy and leave with books that she has collected and cherished.  These were books that she had read to our kids; and each book, in its own way, was a treasure chest full of memories.

For me, the reality set in when I sold my golf clubs.  I don’t know why.  I play golf once a year…at the most.  I believe that it is because these are something I’ve had since graduating college.  I believe it is, because for me, a bridge back to the past.  These were the clubs I used when out playing with my friends.  These are the clubs I used when Wende and I used to play together.  The had value for me, and I let them go for next to nothing.

However, for both of us, we need to remember that everything we have is just stuff.  It’s junk.  It’s temporal.  This holds true for books, golf clubs, furniture, and wealth.  The more we hold onto it, the more control it has on or lives.  Our stuff becomes an idol to us and suffocates our joy and contentment.  Possessions then begin to rule us.

This morning, I found in my inbox a devotion from the Catholic theologian Henri Nouwen.  In it, he writes about the “Temptation to Hoard.”

The Temptation to Hoard

As fearful people we are inclined to develop a mind-set that makes us say:  ”There’s not enough food for everyone, so I better be sure I save enough for myself in case of emergency,” or “There’s not enough knowledge for everyone to enjoy; so I’d better keep my knowledge to myself, so no one else will use it” or “There’s not enough love to give to everybody, so I’d better keep my friends for myself to prevent others from taking them away from me.”   This is a scarcity mentality.  It involves hoarding whatever we have, fearful that we won’t have enough to survive.  The tragedy, however, is that what you cling to ends up rotting in your hands.

My hope, and my prayer, for me, Wende, and the girls, is that we would be free of this temptation.  How about you?

A common question we get is “Why Lyon?”  Take a look at this video and see what inspired us to make this journey.

RefugeInLyon from Greg Whitus on Vimeo.

One of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time is A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson.  In this story, he writes about his humorous and poignant journey along the Appalachian Trail, a hike of 2,180 miles from Georgia to Maine.

One of the trail features that he discusses is the “blaze”.  Blazes are the white paint markers on trees and rocks of the trail that help the hikers.  You see, the blazes keep the hikers from getting lost.  They keep the hikers pointed in the right direction.  They keep them oriented, and sure of where they are going.  Without them, there are points on the trail where the hikers can aimlessly wander around without a clear direction to go.

As we have been on this journey to France, it has been important for us to have blazes.  We have needed these markers in our lives to make sure we are on the right path.  When it comes to Ministry Team Building, it is easy for us to get lost.  There are times when discouragement, fear and despair creep in.  Unfortunately, when this happens, the path we are on can become overgrown, and we no longer know where we are heading.

When these things happen, it is vital for me and Wende to remember the blazes that we have on our trail.  For us, the blazes are many.  First, is the Word of God…it is the lamp and the path that ultimately guides us on our journey.  Second, is our calling.  We remember why we are going to France, and it inspires us to move forward.  Third, are the people of the ICCL and Lyon.  They are who we are going to serve. Fourth, are you, our supporters and friends.

For us, your support and belief in us gives us strength and guides us.  No matter the discouragement, fear, or disappointment, we know that we have an army of people behind us.  You encourage us.  You pray for us. You strengthen us.  You move us forward. You are playing a vital role in our journey to Lyon.

Thank you!

From Wende:

Last week, Greg had some minor oral surgery. The dentist told him that while his mouth was numbed with Novocain, he had to be careful not to accidentally bite his tongue, because he wouldn’t be able to feel the pain. Hearing this, it occurred to me that God has given us a great gift: our nervous system is able to feel pain and immediately signal our brain that we are in potential danger! Novocain temporarily blocks this feedback.

So do endorphins – the natural chemicals released in the body during vigorous exercise (what is commonly known as “runner’s high.”) I experienced this many years ago when I was training for a marathon. Sometime during a 21-mile training run, I developed a stress fracture in the tibia (shin) bone. However, I didn’t know it until the next day, when I jumped out of bed and immediately experienced great pain! While I was running, the endorphins blocked the pain, but by the next day those chemicals had been depleted. The temporary “high” from exercising didn’t last, and it was only later that I realized the damage done to my body during an otherwise enjoyable run.

Similarly, sometimes the temporary pleasures of sin can block our ability to sense the damage that we’re doing. We can easily get caught up in the joy of the moment and mask the consequential pain. However, God has given believers another great gift: a spiritual “nervous system” which can warn our souls of danger. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (John 16:8), yet we can quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19) – snuff it out, so to speak. That happens when we habitually sin. The more we succumb to sin’s temptations, the more “normal” it becomes. We end up quenching the Spirit, blocking the very sensor that God has given us to recognize the error of our ways, just as Novocain or endorphins block our physical pain.

As our family prepares for ministry in Lyon, it’s really important that we guard our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. France, like much of Europe, is post-Christian. The postmodernism that characterizes the region means that for most people, there are no absolutes in regards to right and wrong. It’s all “relative.” Therefore, we need to keep our spiritual sensors sharp! How to do this? Paul, in the book of Galatians, says that we need to walk by the Spirit, and we will not carry out the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). In order to not be conformed to this world, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). Keeping in step with the Spirit helps us recognize the warning signs of sin, and gives us the signal to stop.

Does this mean we’ll never sin? Of course not! From now until the day we die, we’ll constantly battle with our fleshly nature. But God’s word is clear that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:10). Keeping in step with the Spirit means that we learn to recognize our errors, confess quickly, and turn away from evil and toward God. Pray for us as we continue to sharpen our “spiritual nervous system!”

Yesterday, I became stuck on Psalm 70:4, a verse that struck me to my core.  In this verse, the Psalmist writes:

But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation always say,

“Let God be exalted!”

As I thought and reflected on this verse, two questions immediately came to mind.  First: “Do I seek God?”  Do I earnestly, with all my heart, soul, and being seek Him?  Or, do I just go through the motions…reading and praying just so I can mark it off my “to-do” list for the day?  Honestly, I believe that most of my mornings I do just go through the motions.

As I thought about it, I realized that I go through the motions out of fear.  I am scared to know who God is.  I am scared to really look at myself.  I’m scared about what might be expected of me if  sought Him with abandonment.  It is easier for me to pretend, rather than to do.  I can talk the talk with the best of them.  However, when it comes time to take action, self preservation takes over.  However, this is no way to live.

I feel this way because of how I look at the second question:  ”Do I love my salvation?”  This question again rocked me to my core.  Over and over I had to ask myself if I loved my salvation.  The reason being, most of us don’t understand our salvation.  We don’t understand the need for it and the sacrifice that took place that offers us salvation.

What I mean is this, most of us are pretty good people.  We don’t kill.  We don’t cheat on our spouses.  We love our kids.  We don’t see ourselves as bad people.  We measure ourselves against the worst in the world and think we are OK.  We believe that we’re not nearly as bad as that person over down the street or that is in the news.  We believe that we are good.  I fall into the trap.  And, if I me be so bold, you do to.

However, this the human way of looking at things. We don’t view our lives form an eternal or heavenly point of view.  When we look at our lives through the lenses of scripture, we see things differently.  Have you ever lusted after someone other than your spouse?  Jesus says that that is adultery.  Have you ever been angry with another?  That’s as good as murder.  Have you ever chosen security over obedience?  That’s idolatry.

As I look at myself through these different lenses, now I realize how bad I really am.  I realize how hopeless I am and how much help I need.  I realize how much I need a savior and how grateful I am for my salvation.  I then understand the sacrifice made on my behalf. Once I grasp this, I have no choice but to seek Him.

Now, I am compelled to follow him with abandonment.  No longer do I just go through the motions. I am driven by appreciation to seek the one who saved me. I want to know Him.  Then, as I seek Him and understand Him better, I can say “Let God be exalted!”

How about you?