Martha and Jesus concerning the dead things in life….

We just got back Friday from the Team Retreat - we go on every year.  The last three years it took place in the Mountains of Romania.  Moldova has no mountains and since we share a language it is nice to go to the mountains.  

This year our speaker talked about "blindness" how we can be blind to the things that God wants us to get rid of.  Our idols etc.  He used Mark Chapter 10: 13-52.  I think I will have more posts from this talk but, part of this talk took me back to something I was thinking about in February, a place God took me to, one day in our discussion groups me talked about this questions:

What has failure taught you?  Tell us about times when things have not gone as you had hoped and what you learned as a result.  

This took me back to support raising on our furlough a year ago - we spent 6 months back in the states building up our support.  I went into the furlough with this grand plan,  thought, hope, prayer; that we would have all our support by November of 2012.   

By Thanksgiving to be specific; that lovely American Holiday where we express our thankfulness.

That date, by the way, came and went, but out of that I wrote the following on February 17, 2013.  I knew I had written about this and have been meaning to post it to this blog for some time, but I've been BUSY.  (insert chuckle you see why I'm chuckling when you read the post below.)   

I do want to add that we are currently 100% supported on our lower budget.  We don't have a car yet, but that will come in God's time as I have learned and relearn it is His Will, Way and Time. I'm just along to enjoy the journey.
  
Our time between going to South Africa and getting to Moldova the first time was a walk of obedience.  Everything we learned during that time pointed to being obedient.  Up until now it has been about contentment.  I'm not sure what the next lesson is yet, or if I'm still working on the contentment one, but anyway - I'm blathering here is the post:

Martha and Jesus Concerning the Dead Things in Life....February 17, 2013:

Contentment and trusting in the sovereignty of God is something 
I've decided I need to finally learn or God will continue to try to 
teach me about Contentment. 

I get it!  Be content!  

Raising support always puts me in a place that requires me 
to fully trust in God's provision. 

Paul wrote about it:

God's Provision  Phil. 4: 10 - 20

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length 
you have revived your concern for me. You were 
indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have 
learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how 

to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have 
learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, 
abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through 
him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to 
share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves 
know that in the beginning of the gospel,when I left 
Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with 

me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in 

Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once 
and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit 
that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full 
payment, and more. I am well supplied, having 
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, 

a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and 
pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every 
need of yours according to his riches in glory in 
Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be 

glory forever and ever. Amen.

Here is such a picture of a missionary trusting on the giving of others to do 
his ministry as he also depends on God to supply his every need.  It is often 
scripture like this that gives me confidence that raising support is Biblical.  

I really hate support raising, but writing about it, asking and giving 
people the opportunity to support us is good and right.  It makes us 
all part of the great commission and going into the world.  Because 
through giving to us, people who stay "here" are making it possible for 

us to be their hands and feet on the ground in Moldova.  But all that said - 
I also need to be content in any and every circumstance.  Not being 
worried or fretting about this or that because God will take care of my 
needs.  Not my wants - my needs.  Like Paul says it - not that I seek the 
"gift," but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.  Giving to him was 

part of their fruit that blessed them in the giving of it.  God blesses us when 
we are faithful to give - not in a (as my pastor would put it) "sugar daddy" 
way, but in ways that might be unexpected.

What does Martha and Death have to do with all this?

In my low down times during these past six months of support raising I 
get into these panic modes.  Because…well, in short, God isn't doing 
it my way!  Yeah, I know how could He?  I think this is because he is 
trying to get me and us to understand contentment. 

Contentment is:

 'acknowledgement and satisfaction of reaching capacity.' The level of 
capacity reached may be sought after, expected, desired, or simply 
predetermined as the level in which provides contentment.  

From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contentment>

During one of these low times - I had been starving myself of the word.  
I will admit I did this intentionally because I was getting into this mindset 
that if I didn't read x-number of pages of the Bible each day, I was 
somehow not a "good" Christian.  

I don't advise anyone to try this unless they reach this place.  I did a test of 
sorts on myself.  How dry could I get without the word, how would I focus on 
God without the word.  How would God speak to me if I wasn't in the word.  
Yeah, I know kind of dumb - but at the same time it really showed me something.  
Because as you know there are people out there that have one page of the Bible, 
or have none of the Bible and have only memorized parts of it and they live most 
of their lives without the word of God as part of their daily routine.  So I knew in 
theory it had to be possible.  

Though I will say - we are very distracted in this modern world.  There are so 
many ways to forget to seek out God and God's word because we are so 
busy by other "STUFF"  and not really important stuff.  I don't know how many 
times I might hear that someone is BUSY but then their (or I am) on Facebook 
half the night.  SO at least I know that I'm not the only one with this idea of being 
BUSY when really I am just occupying my time by being BUSY but if 

I would take away that "STUFF" I wouldn't really be BUSY at all. 

So here I was starving - myself of the word - but I had all these talks with God.  
Or I should say, to God about what my timeline is or was.  How I saw things 
playing out.  If things were not going my way - I would think of all the other possible 
ways it could go.  In effect making my mind busy.  I did pray a lot.  I also prayed - 
"good" prayers and sought God to direct me, but so much of time, the greatest 
hindrance we can have to living mission minded is being ourselves and putting 
ourselves first.  

One day - in prayer God said - "My Word, Sharon."  Okay he didn't say it quite like 
that but it was close.  In my heart I knew that what I needed was to stop starving.  
So since I was laying in my bed I looked for a Bible and found one.  I turned to the 
date that day - since it was a daily devotional and read about Jesus hearing that 
Lazarus was sick and him waiting.  He didn't rush to do what Mary and Martha 
wanted him to do.  He didn't do it their way.  He did it His way.  He finished up 
what he was doing and then when he knew Lazarus was good and dead he 
headed their way.

He was 4 days dead by the time he gets there.  
4 days in the ground.  
He was truly dead.

Martha runs out to him and says:  "Lord if you had been here, my brother would 
not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will 
give you."

Jesus proceeds to tell her that Lazarus will rise.

Martha says - Yeah, sure on the last day he will rise.

Here I imagine Jesus looking into Martha's eyes as he says, "I am the resurrection 
and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone 
who lives and believes in me shall never die.  

Do you believe this?

I love this question - do you believe this?  In other words - Where is your faith Martha 
dear?  Martha says -" Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who 
is coming into the world."

Here is the text:

I Am the Resurrection and the Life John 11: 17-27

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already 
been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, 
about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to 
Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went 
and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my 
brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that 

whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus 
said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to 
him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the 
last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and 
the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he 
live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never 
die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; 
I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is 
coming into the world.”

So I read this and I lay back down and ask, 
"Okay, but what does this have to do with our support?  

Where is it God, it doesn't seem to be coming on my time table."

God quietly asks, looking into my eyes - 
(okay I'm still laying in my bed but work with me here.)  

Do you believe this? 

Am I the resurrection and the Life?

Do you believe that whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live?

That because you believe in me you will never die?

Do you believe in me?

Are you content to live in me and let me take care of the details?

Are you willing to follow me?
Not follow the world? 
Or trust in the world? 
Or the way the world sees your life? 
Or the things around you? 
Are you willing to be content to let me be in control?

YES, gosh it is hard, but yes.  

I will learn to be content.  

I will learn to let you lead, 

I will learn to follow you and to feed the sheep you give me.  

To be the aroma that is pleasing to you, not to the world.  

I will be who you have created me to be. 

Yes, Lord I believe that you are the Christ, 
The Son of God who is coming into the world!"

The dead things in life are not my concern - 
I am concerned about life and the living.  

Time Keeps On Moving....

A lot has happened since I last updated this blog.
We had a busy summer in 2012 with outreaches and packing up our house.
In Aug. 2012 after our team retreat we headed to the states for 6 months of furlough.
Now we are back in Moldova and it is already 2013!

Time has that way of just moving right along and before you know it it is gone.

FROGGER

Remember the game frogger?  

I do - I am reminded of it every time we leave our house to walk the half mile to the bus stop.  On the way to the bus stop we have to cross five lanes of traffic.  With three small children in tow it is an exercise in care and sharp eyes.  Though there are cross walk signs - pretty much no one stops, and in the off chance someone does stop - you still can't just mosey across the street because some moron will try to zip by in the next lane.  More then one life lost here by an unobservant pedestrian. Cars always have the right of way.

They are bigger and well - they hurt!

Meatloaf

Life in another country is interesting to say the least and the longer I am here the more things that once were odd seem normal, but sometimes it is the simple conversations that really throw you off.  You realize that in deed I am "no longer in Kansas."  Not that I have ever lived in Kansas mind you.

Living in another country and then working with people from all over Europe is also very enlightening.  Especially when you get asked an odd question - well at least I thought it was odd.


"What is meatloaf?"

Ahh, "meatloaf?"  How in the world do you explain what meatloaf is - in short I said - it is liked a great big baked hamburger.  But well it is more than that.  I went into the history of meatloaf - ...made to stretch the meat.  

Then went on to explain how now there is a kind of art to meatloaf is very different.  People have taken a simple recipe and jazzed it up.

So something as well - normal as meatloaf becomes a topic of conversation.  Now when well I ever say that again.

I have a few people that I will schedule to have over for dinner the next time I make meatloaf though and then the real education will come with the first bite!

It's Just Cold Here!

Okay, so I said I would start to say more about Moldova this year so I might as well get started!

Europe is in the news about the cold weather and I just have to say - IT IS COLD!  In the states cold is relative - you have heated houses, you have heated cars and you might experience a bit of cold as you run from one to the other but you don't stand out in it, or live in it.  This is why so many people across Europe have died, especially in places like Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.  Houses are not well insulated - case in point my house is staying around 53 degrees give or take a degree - though it did get up to 60 today.  For you European folk - that is about 11 to 14 degrees!   Burr!  This is with spending just under $400 a month to heat this house.  I've said it once - I'll say it again - "I'm not living in this house next winter."  Small fear is that the next house will be worse!  Things I've learned:

1.  Moldovans and most Europeans don't know what a block heater is!
2.  Warm feet equal a warm body - second to that are warm hands.  The extremities are very important!
3.  When two of your buses pass by you too full of people to take any more passengers and you have waited in frigid temperatures for 30 minutes - it is okay to take a taxi!
4.  last but certainly not least - Thank God for the times when you have warm feet and hands and for the four walls that might not keep you toasty warm - but do keep you from freezing to death.  300 + people learned that one first hand.

Pray for all those that suffer through another week of freezing cold temperatures!