Birds & Trees

In worship with my church not too long ago, I found myself asking God, "What am I against so much darkness? What are we (the Church) against so much darkness?" He led me to the passage in Matthew about the kingdom being like  a mustard seed, which grows to be a large tree where many birds come to make their nest. (Paraphrase by yours truly.)

This didn't completely solve my feelings of sadness, but it did make me look around the room at my church family in a couple of different ways. First of all, I get to be in community with some pretty fantastic people. Over time, we have grown to be like family. None of us are perfect, everyone is allowed to fail, and we love each other regardless. My church/these folks are where I want to 'build my nest,' which shows me that the kingdom is here, in Laramie. Realizing all of this didn't necessarily wipe away all the sadness, but it did make me more thankful. It was a kind and subtle reality check from the Father: "What do you think you are doing right now?? Contributing to the kingdom!"

The second way it made me think about my church family was to continue asking the question: Are we a place where people want to 'build a nest'? Are we a place of refuge and safety? Am I? How can I be more so? This is a practical question to ask in the face of a painful and worrisome world. Having this practical question to think and pray over gives me direction and therefore increases my hope. Per usual, Jesus didn't give a straight-forward answer, but pointed me towards my own heart and motives. (Sometimes I wish the answer was just 42.)