Today is a big day at Adventures in Missions. We had a big worship service and family breakfast, celebrating and kicking off not only the opening of the Center for Global Action (CGA), but closing another full and beautiful summer (aka, the busy season… and this year we sent out our 100,000th missionary!), and sharing what God has done. In the middle of the time of worship, the program went out the window and people began to speak words of life… not only over each other, but over the AIM family as a whole.
A staff member stood up and said, "September 10, 6 years ago… we stood in the front yard of Seth Barnes' house, under a green tent, with 40 young people willing to follow God for the next 11 months. They were the A and B squad, the first two squads of the World Race. It was also that day that God called my wife, family, and I to Adventures in Missions. Now, God is starting something new with us… with all of us. Biblically, the 7th year is the year of Jubilee. We are entering that, not only with the World Race and personally, but with AIM as well".
Listening to him, my mind raced… September 10, 2006… where was I? In school, starting my "victory lap" (*ahem, 5th year) at Toccoa Falls College. I'd just returned from my first trip with AIM, two months in the mountains of Swaziland, the land of 4am bucket showers lit by the Southern Cross, conversations where it takes an 8-phrase exchange just to say "hello, how are you?", and lame women who get up and walk. I don't remember the exact day, but mid-September I was invited to help at a training camp at AIM, for FYM and Real Life. I remember going to the Barnes' house and seeing that same tent, which had recently been vacated as those 40 WRers went on the field. It was during that time at AIM in September, that God called me there.
I thought I was hearing things.
I thought I was making it up.
I wanted it, more than I wanted anything before, to be staff with this incredible Body. So I said, "God, if this is what you have… I'm not going to do anything. YOU are going to have to do it. I'm going to just be here, chop onions, do dishes, sweep floors, etc… Just be here. But if this is what you have for me, then this specific person (I named the person) will need to come and say, 'I want you to come on staff with AIM'.
Call it a fleece of sorts.
So I diced onions, swept floors, and washed a lot of dishes. I talked and laughed with people, prayed with them, joined in the worship in the evenings, and woke up the next day to do it all over again. About this new… thing… I stayed silent. Two days later, around midnight, I was in the old conference room on the computer… and *that specific person* walked into the room, laid her hand on my shoulder, and said, "Kristen, when you graduate from college, will you come on staff with AIM?"
While it took 3 years to come on full time staff, and ironically, by that point, that staff member wasn't there anymore, those next three years were some of the richest and the most growing of my life as I finished college, worked serve team at multiple training camps, led Real Life and Ambassador teams. This year marks the beginning of my 4th year as staff, but the beginning of my 7th in overall involvement with AIM.
This is my year of Jubliee.
Which is funny… because God's been doing some awesome stuff this year and teaching me some incredible things. In June, I told you about this time of Thanksgiving I'd found myself in, where I could do nothing but give thanks to God for all He has done. In July, He gave me the verse in Luke 1:45: "Blessed is she who believes what God has promised will be accomplished". And I found the meaning of the word "Blessed". And in August… it was Delight. Pure, beautiful, utter delight.
Labor Day weekend, my mama and I spent a few days on the coast, soaking in the sun, listening to the wind from the East, and letting the warm water lap at our feet. Each night there was a full moon, and I found myself again standing in the wash of the ocean, in the path of that silver light, listening. Asking… what was God saying? Thanksgiving, Blessed, Delight… what was the final word?
This morning, it was clear.
The worship leader reminded us that Jubilee not only meant rest and celebration… but it meant a release from debts. It was the year when bondservants could choose to continue to serve their masters or to leave… and either way, to live as freed men.
And then another staff member, from Texas, who spoke of the giant "Jubilee" watermelons on his parents' farm, and how when one opened up in the field, everyone would race to get to the heart of it… the rich, juicy, center without seeds… a pure feast. He said that when he heard the word "Jubilee", he thought of a feast. He spoke of Psalm 23, of where God says that He will create a feast for His people in the presence of their enemies, and described a picture of a beautiful, lavish banquet table… but what filled it wasn't food. It was descriptions of God's character: Holiness, Righteousness, Love, Truth, etc, etc, etc. And he said…. "Friends, in the year of Jubliee, I encourage you to dine."
Thanksgiving, Blessed, Delight…. Dine.
The way he said it, it wasn't so much a command as an invitation. It can be easy to focus on the storm all around us, on the worry that wants to take our gazes off of Christ. In those moments, if we choose that, then we're choosing not to partake in the Lord's feast. I wanted to share this with you in hopes that it would encourage you as much as it encouraged me. Today, this week… month… year… just in our lives in general, may we dine even in the presence of our enemies, live with delight, and give thanks for all God has given us.. may we choose to say "yes" to the invitation to dine.
But before we dig in… Shanu from AH* is going to give the blessing.
