Living life to the full....

‘Buggy!’ we screamed as we drove the country roads of Lancaster County. It started as us thinking this is a rare sighting and we got excited each time…however as the week went on we realised that there are plenty of Buggy’s as we drive around ‘Amish Country’. In fact, our new Amish friend, Levi, let us know that there are 30,000 Amish people living in Lancaster county alone. We learnt about the roots of the Amish and the mennite church, plus the fact that each Bishop says what’s ok and what is not…so with there being so many rules even the Amish get confused.

The sceneries are beautiful with the greenery, hills and farm land. We got to see thousands of white geese come in for the ONE weekend that they stop by on their way to Canada. The sea of white was stunning and the many other tourists thought so too. It looked just like Narnia when they rowed their boat through the flowers to get to the ends of the earth to see Aslan’s country.

My birthday was full of fun adventures and good food. I got to see my friend Bonnie who used to be at We Will Go and meet many new friends at the church, who gave me thoughtful gifts and sang to me as they presented me with the largest chocolate cake I have ever seen!

I got to sit many times and reflect on my Lord’s beauty. He whispered to me many times His love for me, while I realise even more that I don’t deserve it. At best I am like a dirty rag…yet He calls me lovely.

Even though I knew I was to go to Pennsylvania, I still asked Him many times, why am I here? Why have you brought me on this trip? He said two things, to stretch me and to show me how much He loves me. 

That he did...

‘The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ John 10:10

Having life to the full looks like what? Some may say happiness, and that most people are in the pursuit of happiness. Some may say being successful, going for full education and getting a good job. Some may say knowing God and following His ways.

God showed me that having life to the full is this - 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;^[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 13

Love….

Love is the key to full life…His love. He has a covenant with His children. His covenant makes us priests, His child, His bride, whole and perfected.

I pray that I never run dry, I stay full as I live this life on this earth. That as I work with the kids, visitors, our neighbours, minister in the clubs and barista in the coffee shop, I would flow out of His love for me. May I live life to the full.

21 days....

The year started, and so did our team’s fast. Each person spent time with the Lord asking Him what they were going to fast. I knew straight away that I was meant to fast coffee, which I struggled with not being enough. Some were on liquid fasts, no sugar or Daniel fasts. And I was only giving up coffee. However, to do anymore would have been fear of man. So I started.

I woke with headaches and stayed grumpy, as my body started to withdraw from the caffeine. The tiredness didn’t disappear during the day, while at the same time things got busier, so in all of this I was struggling. Plus God was waking me early (3/4am) a lot of mornings. They were sweet times with Him, but the days without coffee made it hard.

I appreciate that not everyone understands what not having no caffeine is like after relying on it for a good few years. And that some might be smiling and thinking ‘Oh Ruth’, in love of course. I would say the same to those who were in my situation. However, this fast was a hard one.

 So what was the point of it? Did God just want me to suffer and find things hard for a bit? I don’t believe so, not because I know Him better than that, but I saw the fruit. 

I started the year by writing a thank you card to God. This sounds weird I know, but as I wrote thank you cards to those who gave me Christmas gifts it came to my head something that someone said…’We don’t ever write thank you cards to God, why is that?. So I sat down and wrote out a thank you letter. I positioned myself in a place of thankfulness to commune more with my Father.

Little did I know that being thankful is exactly what I needed during the hard times in the fast. The times that I had people swearing at me and getting frustrated at me out of fear and frustration, I sat back and thanked God that they took it out on me rather than anyone else. I thanked God that this was a safe place that they could show some feelings. I thanked God that I had a family around me and we were all on the same page, they supported and they helped me teach simple skills, like dealing with anger. That I had a family around me that prayed with me, to ask the Lord what the root problem was behind this person getting angry. I thanked God for the times I had to lean on Him, as it reminded me again that I have a God that wants me to lean on them! He really does want that!

He is there as my stronghold and protector through it all and He wants me to draw close in intimacy.

There was one weekend that was one of the hardest weekends I think I have had, so I sat in worship and cried out to Him. Like really cried…snot and tears with my big ugly crying face. And this is what He gave me…

‘You’ve captured my heart, dear friend.

    You looked at me, and I fell in love.

    One look my way and I was hopelessly in love!

How beautiful your love, dear, dear friend—

    far more pleasing than a fine, rare wine,

    your fragrance more exotic than select spices.’

Song of songs 4v9,10

In another translation, it says, ‘you have stolen my heart’. Through my hurt and crying out to Him, He picked me up and told me how much He loves me. He gave me the sword of truth to cut through the hard stuff.

He asks me to go into the dark places that, without Jesus I wouldn’t go near. And I get to say ‘Yes’ with a thankful heart. I get to tell my flesh to be quiet as I cut through all lies with the sword of truth. That He loves me so deeply, just from one look in my eye.

He is equipping me so well.

Happy New Year!

As I look to the New Year, I sit in the attitude of thankfulness. I have so much to be thankful for, to hope for and to be joyful in. 2016 has been one of my most adventurous years, not staying in one place for long as God taught me and showed me more of Him in each place. God has healed me of trauma and fear as I took His hand and say 'yes' to Him, becoming a missionary once again and moving to America.

This year as a Christmas gift for each missionary, my friend and I made keys into a necklace with the word 'yes' put on them. This was to remind each one of us about the ‘Yes’ we gave to Jesus, when we gave our lives to Him. It was all inspired by a testimony our co-leader David Lancaster shared with us, of a conversation he had with God on his first missions trip…‘God showed me a blank piece of paper and said to me these simple words – ‘Will you give me your yes?’ I wondered what He meant so I asked Him, ‘Yes to what?’. Through our conversation He asked me if I would give Him Amy? (His wife) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Jonathan? (His eldest child) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Olivia? (His middle child) I said 'yes'. Would I give Him Sarah? (His youngest) I said 'yes'. Then He showed me that blank paper again. Will you give me your yes? I gave Him my yes. It doesn’t matter what to, God is looking for our yes.’

As I look to 2017 I want to go deeper into my relationship with God! There is always more and I want to learn about the more of Him. I want to always say ‘Yes’ to Him as I step out into the deep. Even if I don't know the specifics of what I am saying 'Yes' to. I have signed the blank paper with my yes - and I have given it to Him. 

Part of that 'yes' has been saying yes to more missions. I will be going on a short 5 day missions trip in February to Pennsylvania to visit a church there that came to visit here, at We Will Go with their youth group. I am excited to connect more with them, and to have the opportunity to pray with them and encourage them. When I prayed about going, God smiled and said, ‘Why wouldn’t you go?’ So I am stepping out in faith, knowing that this will be a lovely little adventure with God. I will be there over my birthday as well, so this will be an added bonus of celebrating while ministering, adventuring and loving on the beautiful people of the Pennsylvania church, alongside Amy and David Lancaster.

I have prayed big things for 2017! I love dreaming with God knowing that He gave me these dreams. Please pray with me as we all enter this new season together, and please know I am praying for you too!

Happy New year!

His love for this place from ruth Alexander on Vimeo.