I believe in LOYALTY.
I live loyalty. I breathe loyalty, I eat it....with a spoon.
One of the biggest wrestling matches I've ever had with God was when I realized that I would not stay in one church (the church I came to know Christ in) for 80 years. I left bible college wanting to be at one church, forever. Now several church's later, there is still a nasty taste in my mouth due to this fact. Recently I took a group on a retreat, and had a conversation about "getting old". People at my current church LOVE to remind me how Old I'm getting. I don't mind. I'm 32. In perspective, in 9 more months I'll have outlived my birth mother, who I always regarded as dying too young. So I'm not hung up on getting old. The conversation went on, and I began sharing how moving so much, deprived me of one of my childhood dreams. Being old, arguing on the front porch with life long friends on who was the greatest quarterback Marino or Montana?
Crabby old men together, discussing how "back in our day we had "pure" role models like PARIS HILTON...Not like these stars today!!!
Needless to say, moving has taken a toll on long distance relationships in my life.
Through this conversation, I shared my heart on this, and one of my
leaders said
"then you gotta stay in one place for a while".
Oh how I wish I could open my chest and show all my heart on this.
THAT WAS MY DREAM. TO LIVE, BREATH EAT AND DIE IN ONE PLACE!
Proverbs 2:6 (the message) says this: "God gives out WISDOM free,
is plainspoken in knowledge and understanding.
He's a rich mine of common sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the canddid and sincere.
HE KEEPS HIS EYE ON ALL WOH LIVE HONESTLY,
AND PAYS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HIS LOYALLY COMMITTED ONES.
I love loyalty so much that I have an issue with myself on this one. However I also know
when God has spoken to move on. I think of when God called MOSES to move from the palace
to redeem HIS people. I'm sure the palace was nice, and I know Moses had big plans.
In todays world there is a lack of loyalty, and no place more than the church. Generations upcoming
are bouncing to find the "right fit". Leaving at a moments notice. Or they are even doing
"double duty" attending several churchs at once. I am not opposed to either, nor judge anyone
who does such. I simply wonder how healthy that is for the spirit? Though I know God has
ordained and called each one of mine and Gloria's moves, it is all at a cost. Though we call
ourselves "nomads" at times, more appropriately we've been missionairies to a post-christian
nation. That is not something we ever envisioned, but have obidiently embraced.
At the expense of losing a dream (1 place...forever) God has sent us many places to
teach, dialogue, and encourage loyalty. I just pray when I'm old....the old guys will be there
to argue....and defend the integrity of Paris.....
tHe iDiOt......
Posts
4 comments:
This post looks great, but I thought you should be made aware that many words are cut off. It becomes very hard to follow, and to fill in the blanks. You might want to view the actual blog, to see what I'm talking about. :0)
Blessings!
~Sharon~
hey sharon thanks.
i tweaked it a bit.
it comes up clean on mine.
please let me know if its still unreadable.
blessings back to you...
I don't know how else to put it: this post is so you.
You've always struck me as one of the last warriors fighting for genuine loyalty. It's funny now because people see the same thing in me; something uncharacteristic of my generation. When they ask me where it comes from, I tell them i learned it from you.
At the same time, I have wrestled with these issues. I am immensely loyal to my ministry, to my church, my pastors. I wouldn't mind if God told me to stay here for the rest of my life. But I know that there will come a day when I am called to move on to the next mission. And the thought of that breaks my heart.
I further find myself wrestling with the other side of the issue. Like I said, such loyalty has nearly disappeared in my generation as a whole, and in the generation I work with now. It breaks my heart when students "church hop" and never really commit to one body. Not because it hurts my feelings, but because I know what they are missing out on. There is such a reward in being loyal to the body that God has called you to.
I agree. Loyalty is lacking in the world. But I see a much greater lack in the church.
The lesson, I feel, is to live my example and take good care of the ones around us that exercise this trait. Lest the become disillusioned and join the church hopping masses operating under the false assumption that "God has called them" to bounce around.
Hey PJ its me nikki on ur blog wich must I say you did VERY WELL ummm well this isnt just for this one its for this whole page you did and how you and the way you spoke has really changed me in many ways i am sooo greatful to be apart of your ministry and cant wait to see wat you will do next love you LOTS
- Nikki Markou
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