The Place in Which You Inhabit:

I have continued my reading of “Daring to Hope,” by Katie Davis Majors.  This book has really been inspiring.  I have really enjoyed getting to know about her ministry and her work with the women and children in Uganda.  She is very vulnerable and open about all she has been learning and growing in as well, even with her struggles. 

One of her recent struggles and feelings of inadequacy as she decided to take more time at home with taking care of her kids and household.  She felt as though she should be doing more, especially when compared to what she had years prior.  However, she was really getting to know the kids and even her visitors who would come to her house. Her taking a step back and spending more time at home, helped her make more connections with the individuals near her. 

One quote she mentioned and did put in her book was from Zach Eswine who wrote in his book, “Sensing Jesus,” which says, “God will give you a place to inhabit, which means that you get to become attentive to what is there where you are.  This means that to dwell knowledgeably and hospitality in and toward the place God gives you is to glorify him.  God will give you a few things that he intends for you to do in your inhabited place and with those people.  To do what God gives you to do is to strengthen the common good and to glorify Him.” (pg. 97-98)

In the past few years I have really developed a better relationship with where I am at in society.  There was a time I was very insecure about where I was in life.  I would often see many other Christians who were doing so much.  I would see people on their mission trips and I feel I am not doing enough for the Christian faith.  However, in the last few years, I have really gotten to see where the need is exactly where I am at. 

Waterloo, IA is not a huge city.  It is about 60,000 or so people.  However, amidst this city is a lot of pain, a lot of poverty, and a lot of other issues not everyone has to experience or what we feel most people should experience.  There is a lot of success and good things happening.  The schools are continuing to develop new ways to reach the students and the youth of Waterloo.  There are many organizations, such as the Job Foundation who are finding ways to encourage and empower the community of Waterloo. I am not ever planning on going into Waterloo believing I will change it all.  I do want to be a part of the community, a part of the empowering community. It is important I do not have the mindset that I can be a sole person who can bring the community some joy and some peace.  However, I can do my part, and I can help serve this community and those involved in my program to the best of my ability. 

One important verse to remember for this topic is Acts 1:8 which says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”  For the people who this was being written to, their home area was Jerusalem.  It was close to them.  They could easily go and preach the word there.  This is because God wants us to share His Word with everyone, not just when we are mission trips through the church, not just when we are doing retreats, but when we are living our day to day life.  There will be some called to travel, such as to Judea and Samaria, but this isn’t everyone’s reality at every place they are in life. 

The challenge for you this week is to spend some time thinking about how you feel about the job and position that you have.  The challenge for this week is to spend considering how you can be a light to Jesus, no matter the position you are currently in or the place you are living.  This is important to realize we can’t just spend time wasted, wishing we could be somewhere else.  Yes, it is good to make goals for our future.  It is important to make sure to still spend as much time as we possibly can in being content with where we are and what can be done locally.