So, what’s next? (Part 3, Dandelions)

So, you’ve heard my heart. You know I’m coming “home.”

Here’s the deal.

We land in LAX on June 9th at 6:52 pm.

Then it’s home.

So, short story: Summertime at home in New Jersey,

then moving back to the PBU area to live with

a close friend and work to pay off school so that

I’m free to go where God calls next.

So back to the…

and all that jazz about dandelions.

Dandelions are a weed.

And they die, spread their seeds

when the wind blows.

And produce more weeds.

(But… I mean,

I kinda maybe secretly love them.)

I love seeing the beauty in them.

Yellow is kinda pretty.

It usually makes people happy.

And I mean, who doesn’t love to blow dead

dandelion seeds into the wind and make a wish?

Our God is a God who sees beauty

in the dead things.

In the dust. In the ashes.

In the weeds.

He created man out of dust and called him “good.”

He breathed life into the valley of the dry bones.

He set His affection on faithless Israel and called them His.

He saw me in my crap, and He saved me.

He sees beauty in the dead things.

So, I think, that’s what He’s called me to do.

For now, at home.

I’m not calling home, New Jersey, PBU, Pennsylvania, or any person in any of those places dead. I’m saying that God has given me such a passion and desire to recognize the beauty that He’s already created there. To see the Kingdom that has already come. To enjoy Him in mocha coconut lattes, baking muffins for people, developing relationships with girls from PBU, pouring into them, just… doing whatever He calls me to do. And if I come across something that is not as it should be, do everything I can to bring beauty to a place without it. I’ve applied to different social work organizations working with youth homelessness, trafficking, and other issues where I want to see Christ’s beauty be made manifest.

If you’ve read my blogs, you know God has equipped my heart to have a home, and eventually be a wife and a mother. God has also put grassroots ministry on my heart. By that I mean, I could get jobs doing missions mobilization, college student ministry, even social work, and that’s all well and great, but the people that have influenced my life most were not my RA’s, not my bosses, not even missionaries that spoke to me. They were parents, youth pastors wives, random people who didn’t have to pour into me, but did. And that’s the kind of person I want to be.

I’m also going to keep blogging.

Blogging about seeing Kingdom in all things. Recipes, photography, being hospitable, children, boring office work, mission trips, holidays… whatever. Because I believe Christ can be seen in everything,

if we just dare to look.

I’m also going to be starting to write a book.

And doing photography.

(Think of how photography fits into all this. How cool?)

Shameless plug – anyone need a photographer?

So…pray for me.

Pray that Satan doesn’t trick me into thinking

that God’s call on my life for this time

isn’t good enough.

Because Kingdom. Everywhere. In everything.

Is always His call.

And is always good enough.

Pray for me…

Because I have no idea where money is going to come from.

I desperately want to be hospitable to anyone that needs it.

And coming off the mission field, with tons of bills

and school to pay off, that’s almost impossible.

But I want to love on anyone that needs it.

And God will equip that.

Because whether I’m working to end human trafficking…

Or baking muffins to cheer up a sad friend…

Or hosting a Bible study at my apartment…

I want Christ’s Kingdom to come.

In the dead areas. In the forgotten areas.

Like our own homes.

Our own towns.

Our own colleges.

We are called to the nations.

And America is a nation.

So, like the beauty of a dead, beautiful dandelion.

I think there is so much beauty in home.

And if we let the Spirit blow.

And go where He leads.

And blow away the seeds into the wind.

Maybe more beauty can be planted.

And more Kingdom can come.

God knew you before you were born.

He knit you together.

And about 2,000 years ago,

He died in your place because He loves you so much.

Because He saw how beauty could come from ashes.

How a dead dandelion is so beautiful.

And then He rose again.

And the Spirit came.

And the seeds, which were once a dead weed.

Blew.

And Kingdom came.

Happy Easter 🙂