Living on Mission
Learning deep truths that breathe life into your weary bones from someone you admire is always an encouragement. This season of my life has been full of leaning in and learning from a new friend in ministry, Cari Trotter. The idea that I am gleaning the most from her leadership is that “mission is never intended to be about a destination, it’s best lived as a mentality.”
Through the past few months, God has afforded me multiple opportunities a day to live this out practically. We have packed up our little family and moved into a beautiful new home that we consider an abundant blessing of our kind and generous Lord. The end result of being in our new home is beautiful…but the journey to get here was the mess of all messes.
We spent more time cleaning up house mess and sorting through heart mess than at any other time in our lives. We had so much cleaning out to do at home that we had a garage sale two weekends in a row, still took three loads to donate, and still have a few items for sale online. We had a lot of “stuff” filling up the corners of our house. Cleaning out “stuff” was just the tip of the iceberg. We had more heart mess to deal with in these months than we even knew necessary.
The work was hard and the days were full of emotion, but living with hearts set on mission allowed us to lean into the tough stuff and apply some major elbow grease to the corners of our souls.
As I got rid of “stuff” that somehow spoke worth over me (trophies from childhood, awards, notes from teachers, and even 4th grade report cards {yes, I still had all of these}) I realized that I needed to deal with my Jesus about identity and value. As I packed boxes and lost my cool with our three-year-old who unpacked all of her “favorite” things, I realized that I needed to stop focusing so much on the end goal and more on all of the steps in the journey. As circumstances shifted out of my control and plans had to be re-written 6x over, I realized that I needed to trust more and perform less. As friends showed up to help clean toilets and unpack dishes, I realized that I am loved far more than I allow myself to receive.
As we were preparing to move homes, God was preparing to move in us.
My eyes were perpetually opened to areas of my mind, heart, will, and soul that needed to be cleaned up. My eyes were opened to acknowledge areas where I was living for a destination rather than in a mentality of being “Here for It” as Cari would say; which, really turns out to be “Here for Him” with a heart set on being present with the Lord. Throughout the chaos of our season I was forgetting to focus on the bigger picture because I was so sidelined by the details.
The command is simple “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Yet, I was making it so difficult and living distracted. So, as the Lord continued to work on me, as I was working on the house…He gave me opportunities to get it right.
In His kindness, God allowed me the mentality to play with my daughter in the middle of a Bible study with boxes overflowing all around us. He allowed me the privilege to dance around in old donation clothes while singing show-tunes with my people. My Jesus gave me the gift of sunsets on the back porch during frozen fish stick dinners with my family. He led me to lower my pride and welcome in friends who wanted to lend a hand regardless of the mess that came along. He guided me in tenderness and love to apologize, bow down humbly, and try again. He showed up and reminded me how to love Him and love others.
He cleaned up some messes in my heart and reminded me of the simple nature of His command. He gave me the opportunities to get it right by being present to His love and to those around me.
What’s happening around your life right now that is robbing you of joy, peace, patience and kindness? Are you willing to hand it over to God?
He is ready and willing to sit with you in the middle of your mess while He tends to some heart mess in you. As He cleans, restores, and makes new…He will give you opportunities to exercise the fruit of His love and goodness. He will allow you the chance to be “Here for Him.”
Will you seize the seemingly distraction filled moments as intentional invitations to be fully present to the life that God has called you to live? He’s ready to impart a mission mentality to you, as you RSVP to the invitation He has already sent, right to the middle of your mess.
© Dani Hardy, Living on Mission (November 12, 2019)
To hear more about this topic, check out the “It is Well” podcast Episode 9-Mission Mentality with Cari Trotter.
To follow along with the ministry of Cari Trotter, check out CariTrotter.com