January 13, 2012

Seeds. They go mostly unnoticed by man, they seem inconsequential. They are easy to ignore, and if you want to see them to have to look very carefully. To see spiritual seeds, you can look carefully, but you have to ask. You must ask for new eyes, and a divine revelation. And you have to be hungry. And humble. There’s nothing like a huge tree full of stinky, rotting, black, and moldy fruit. In your front yard. One or two, or if you’re a slow learner, even three. And now you’re hungry. Now you’re humble. And now you Fear the Lord. Now is a good time to ask to see seeds, now is a good time to clean.

Wait until tomorrow, you say? Yes, that is an option. But tomorrow it wont be a seed. It will be a very small tree. It has little roots, and is growing in strength. Soon it will have fruit. And it will not be a pleasing aroma. Don’t wait until tomorrow.

But it’s so small, you say? Yes, but the smaller the seed, the larger the tree. And the more fruit. Yes, you can ignore it, or cover it up, minimize it. In the next season your front yard will be littered with soft, juicy, and rotting fruit. Maybe then you will be hungry and humble. But maybe not.

Look here, at all this good fruit, you say? Yes, it’s good. Beautiful. Even glorious. But what’s that to do with the stench arising? Jesus said it. Both can grow together, but only for a time. The Day of Harvest is coming and the fruit will be sorted. “I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them.” The Day of Harvest is coming, and there will be fire on that day. But that’s another topic. “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” The Day of Harvest is coming.

Then what will be placed in the barn, you ask? It sprouted from a mustard seed, it sprouted in your heart. It became the largest of garden plants, it grew into a tree. And it sustained life.

They go mostly unnoticed by man, they seem inconsequential. So get hungry. So get humble. For you can see the seeds of your heart! Ask for new eyes and divine revelation. Stop asking all other questions. This is the Kingdom of God. Seeds.

This City

By Erianna Swansey

9th Grader at SAMI

Member of SOZO Church

Edited (but just a little) by Robyn Buchanan

Growing up in Tacoma definitely is a challenge, and you wouldn’t really be able to understand until you live here for a week and maybe a half. It’s rough being surrounded by people that you can’t trust and feel betrayed by, but I guess that’s where we can learn a lesson. You can’t really trust anyone but God. Living in Tacoma is like a repeating cycle of generations. My mom’s generation rubbed off on my generation, and so on. I grew up in Tacoma under a lot of struggle, coming from a family of a single mom and drug addict for a dad, my sister and two brothers. Struggle was our middle name, low income because my dad needed drugs, and a lot of broken hearts. Tacoma is really a broken city, but I believe we as people have the potential to change this city around and make people care a little bit more, love a little bit more. The point of my story is, growing up in Tacoma, you will see struggle! People in this city are careless and want nothing to do with anyone! Filthy rich and want it all for themselves. Greed over something that god created for everyone, including the poor and sometimes people don’t use money for the right things. Tacoma, hear me and my message. I want everyone to know that living in Tacoma is hard. Sleepless nights, thoughts of suicide and second thoughts of heaven or hell. tears of joy and sadness at times. It’s sad, but it’s true. Not sugar coated, nothing more and nothing less. Most people try and cover up the truth with a lie. Today what I want Tacoma to know is we are not perfect, but this is not what God wanted for our city! I’m sure of it, I’m sure his heart hurts to see a teenager die almost every month. A teenager pregnant at 15. Abortions, gangs, drugs. Their all works of the devil, little tricks to get you one step closer to him, to the place where you’ll burn for eternity. The devil does not care about you; he cares about getting you closer and closer to him. My take home message is, help your friends and help your fellow citizens to open their eyes to a different Tacoma. A Tacoma where the violence is all turned into peace, and the abortions that are killing innocent babies are banned, and the death rate drops just a little bit more every month. Lets stop living for ourselves, and live for the Man we want to be with for eternity.

i love marshall mathers

Yes, it’s true. I love Marshall. I love Eminem and Slim Shady as well. My love for this triune man started in high school, but in the past year has really blossomed. As a matter of fact, my love for all (well, almost all) rap and hip hop artists has grown. And with it, a burning that my life would be about something. I want to share a message worth listening to.

Driving kids from Tacoma around in my car for hours every week is a form of audio torture. I’m forced to listen to the radio, and with that comes a world I don’t usually live in. But something strange has happened over the past few months: I have found songs I actually like! It started with Katy Perry’s You’re a Firework, a two-verse song that’s not exactly brimming with deep issues of the heart. It’s just a girl encouraging her man, and it holds some great some truth: “You don’t have to feel like a waste of space. You’re original, cannot be replaced.” I’ll give you a minute to ponder that…

I then discovered Roll Up by Wiz Khalifa. (For those of you who need translation, that’s a song title followed by the name of the artist.) It’s about a man in love with a lady, who is willing to come to her rescue whenever she calls. Call me a hopeless romantic (and one who is just ignoring the evils of her infidelity), but that’s just precious urban love right there. Anyway, I’ll fast forward before giving you my complete playlist. Eminem released, “Roman’s Revenge”, featuring Nicki Minaj. (Tip: don’t listen to it.) Historically, I haven’t been a huge Nicki fan, although if my mayne (translation: boyfriend/bestfriend) Marshall can sing with her, I can listen to her. And low and behold, she rewarded me with “Fly.”

Here’s the thing with Fly: it’s the most anti-climatic message of all time. Well, it ties with half of all other rap/hip hop songs out there. (The other half is spewing lies and deceit.) My friends that make it big, my friends that have a stage, a following, a place of influence, have worked hard. Really hard. Probably harder than I’ve ever worked. And after all the work, all the toil, all the overcoming, and all the victory? The ears of almost every young person in this nation are listening to you, and what do you have to say?

Nicki: “I am not fly, I am levitation. I represent an entire generation…I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive. I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise, to fly.” Fly

Eminem: “High off of love, drunk from my hate. It's like I'm huffing paint and I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate” Love The Way You Lie

Wiz Khalifa: “Got a call from my jeweler this just in and bitches love me ‘cause I’m fucking with their best friends.” Black and Yellow

Rihanna: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me.” S&M

After all my hours of audio torture (and maybe a little study of the charts), this is what I find with most songs: artists tell the story of how hard they worked to get to the top. Legit. And now, singing from the top, the message either hasn’t changed or it is teaching us how to become drug addicts, prostitutes, gang bangers, and murders. Not so legit.

I can’t help but wonder about people who really have something to say (Hint: If you call yourself a Christian, I’m talking to you right now.) Where are we? Why aren’t we saying anything to the next generation? We have the most important message that ‘s ever needed communicating and we don’t share it. Nor would we work that hard to get people to listen. So, in all the nothingness of their songs, maybe there is a message after all. And maybe the message is for you and I. I love Nicki and Marshall, Wiz and Rihanna, but at the end of the day their main message is about themselves, and it’s empty. But their message is the one that gets heard; it’s the one that shapes people because it’s the only one going out. There sure is a lot of silence coming from some of my other friends.

It seems to me that there is an injustice in my triune man being the loudest voice out there today. Maybe there should be other options. Maybe I should speak up. Maybe you should too.

I GOT AN AWARD!

Every October, the Pacific Northwest Region of Youth For Christ goes on retreat. We retreat to the beautiful creation that is Cannon Beach in Oregon. We talk, laugh, worship, testify, strategize, have bon fires and s'mores, pray, go deep, make new friends, cry, play games, eat, sleep, read the word, and lay in the sun. And every year, it's AWESOME! I'm already looking forward to next October!

Youth For Christ has Five Essentials, they are our core values. They are: Loving Relationships, Widespread Prayer, Faithful Bible Teaching, Collaborative Community Strategy, and Adults Who Empower. Every year a person is honored for excelling in one of the Five Essentials. I guess I spilled the beans in the title of this blog, but I'll say it again: I GOT AN AWARD!

I was honored for excelling in the area of Loving Relationships, and one of my teammates wrote this to present me the award:

"This person is courageous. She responded to God’s call and left her hometown to love girls in the most broken of places. Although not a mom yet herself, she was willing to dive into loving and walking with girls, as young as 13, having babies and becoming moms. She has been there for them in the middle of the night, at the hospital, as they’ve gotten jobs, and learned how to believe and fight for their children. Many of these girls do not have a family to support them. This woman considers these girls and their children her family. She has opened up her home, her friendships, and her life to share and give the love of Christ with these precious ones. She inspires many and reminds us of the love Christ has for us and His willingness to walk with us in relationship despite all our shortcomings and through the hardest of circumstances. Lives are being transformed because of her willingness to love like Him."

As our Executive Director read the words above, I was thinking, I'm going to talk to this girl at the next break. She sounds awesome, and I bet I could learn so much from her. Ha! Thanks to my YFC team for this blessing. I'm honored to work with such an all-star team, and to have you as my friends as well! Love you all!

The World of Facebook

People can say what they want. In person, they usually say what they think they're supposed to say. They know the right answer. However, there is another world. The world of facebook. Sometimes I feel like I get to see my girls in their "natural environment" through this amazing social network. Status updates. Pictures. Comments. They seem to come from their hearts. There are no right things to say, no pat answers, just gut response. Usually, it shows me that Jesus has a lot of work to do. And that I better get to prayin'. ‎But today was different, today made my heart sing. This, my friends, is a facebook status, a gut response from a teen mom. Allow your heart to sing as you read:

"0n August 3, 2011 @ 6:52am I gave my life t0 a BEAUTIFUL baby girl & my w0rld w0uld be changed f0rever! I am very happy t0 say that I am a y0ung,PR0UD m0ther 0ut here d0in what i g0tta d0 f0r me & mine. Every0ne says 0nce y0u have a baby y0ur life is 0ver, but N0PE my life has jst begun! I get t0 enj0y watching my daughter gr0w and gr0w:) & it is a BLESSING! #TheBestFeelingInTheW0rld.

Jesu!

I know what you’re thinking, “Robyn forgot an S in Jesus!”. Don’t worry, I didn’t. That’s His name in Cambodia. And what a name it is! Jesu!

I got to spend almost three weeks this summer in Cambodia, and I’m still thinking about it. Rolling memories around in my head, pondering on questions, smiling at the pictures, wondering what Jesus is doing there today.

Cambodia is the most luscious land I’ve seen, everything is alive. Well, almost everything. There are 1,000 shades of green everywhere. And the children are so beautiful. Everyone I saw, I was convinced was the cutest one I had ever laid eyes on. Then I would look a little to the left or the right, and there was another child. Surely that one is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. The women smile, the men are in the rice fields. The old ones don’t smile as much. They are tired. They have seen war, genocide, loved ones die, some were even forced to be the killers. They have worked, farmed, raised children, year after year after year, and now they are tired. There is a lot of life in Cambodia, but many hearts are dying. Most have not heard of Jesus. We would share, “Jesus came so you could be free!” And they would interrupt, “What is Jesus?”

Every time our translator would say those words, my heart would beat faster, I would get a big smile on my face, my eyes would widen. “Jesus is the best thing that ever happened!” It all centers on him. Your life, my life, the questions, the answers, the truth, the hope, the power. It’s all Jesus! My words would get translated back. Jesu!

We were playing and teaching little ones in an orphanage, and some men brought a very sick lady in on a tractor, and asked us to pray for her. Where did she come from? I don’t know. How did they know we were there? I don’t know. What did the people at the orphanage think? I don’t know. I don’t really know that much, but I do know that moments like aren’t random. God had been waiting to encounter this women, and as the sun rose that morning, he was excited because it was the day that held the moment, where that women would meet His son Jesus. We prayed, we taught, the children prayed, she repeated after us, we taught some more, her fever broke and her head cleared. For the first time in three years she walked without help and felt hungry. Jesus is the best thing that ever happens to anyone! Jesu! We talk about Him, and we pray in desperation, and He comes and makes himself look SO good. Jesus has a name in that Cambodian village, and it’s a good one! Jesu!

That’s what I want my life to do. I want my life on Earth to make Jesus look good. When things don't go my way, I want Jesus to look good. When I'm disappointed, I want him to look good. When I'm hurt, I want him to look good. In all the moments and days when I am weak, I want him to look strong. I want him to look good, not only when I pray for someone, but when I'm just living. I want him to look like the best thing that ever happened to me. Jesu!

Called to Celebrate, Called to Grieve

(When I started this blog last week it was titled, “Do the right thing.”)

In the midst of a week spent on the couch, fighting the worst cold I have ever known, the Lord called me to Remann Hall once again. I had a little word of encouragement for the girls out of Isaiah 42, but wasn’t sure exactly where the Spirit would take us. As I grabbed my bible and notebook on my way out, I noticed a piece of paper with the names and phone numbers of girls who were in detention several months before. I glanced at the names, and remembered her. Her name is Jayla, she’s 17, she came into Remann Hall desperate, and she made a decision to love and follow Jesus. Walking out the door, I made a mental note on my to-do list, Call Jayla ASAP!

Twenty minutes later, who should I see in Remann Hall? JAYLA!!! We had a great reunion, and she updated me on her life. She had been doing great, going to school everyday, getting along with her mom, avoiding relationships that she thought would only lead to more trouble. We celebrated her breakthrough and growth through her jail cell door, and it was a sweet moment. She paused, and began to appear downcast at the thought that came into her mind. Jayla told me that she had just found out that she’s pregnant, about 4 weeks along. She didn’t know what to do; she was scared to talk to her mom about it, although her mom already knew. She didn’t think she was ready for the challenges that would come, and she was considering aborting the baby. Isaiah 42 was out and Psalm 139 was in! We read the word together, at which she exclaimed, “The Bible’s filthy!” which just means that it’s really cool. Talking about what it meant that her and I were knitted together by God in our mom’s wombs, that his workmanship is marvelous, and that God saw us before we were born. She asked good questions, “Would it be a sin?” “What if my mom try’s to make me?” We asked her questions. “What do you think the right thing is?” She knew the right thing would be to keep the baby. One of our volunteers looked her in the eye, “Jayla, do the right thing. You can do it! You have to do the right thing!” Jayla began to weep, saying that she wanted to do the right thing, but she was still scared of what her mom would say. She had had three abortions before she had Jayla.

I celebrated all week, thanking God that He has brought Jayla to us, celebrated that He had given me strength to get off the couch, thanking him for his word, and the power which it holds. I celebrated that He had moved on Jayla’s heart, and a new life was coming into the world. I told everyone, and we all celebrated. Until yesterday, yesterday the call to celebrate turned to the call to grieve.

Jayla called me last night, we talked for a while, and then I asked about the baby. I don’t really know what she said, but I heard her. The baby was gone. She decided that she couldn’t handle the responsibility; she wanted to stay in school, and grow up before she had a baby. Her mom had taken her to Planned Parenthood, and 30 minutes later the little life that I spent the week celebrating over, was dead.

I know God called me to engage in a war that is raging everyday in my city, a war that many would say shouldn’t even be fought, a war where the bad guys seem to be winning. And so I fight, identifying life and victory, pushing back the enemy in prayer, trumpeting what I know to be true, and prophesying the end of the war. I know Jesus is going to win, and until that day I’ll celebrate life, and I’ll grieve over death.

In the midst of heartache and tears, I will cling to hope and the truth. For the one that was lost this week, more were kept. For the ones, that will be lost tomorrow, still more will be kept. A second baby boom is coming to our nation, and I will celebrate over every one of them. And I will grieve over every little one that is lost. And Jesus will win this war.