If you are a “people watcher”, you know that the best place to go to observe people. People of all kinds, from all around the world cross paths in airports. Their stories are beautiful, tragic, romantic… I almost ran right into a woman today because I was all caught up in the reunion of a man and his 3 small children who were waiting with a sign “WE LOVE OUR MOMMY”. My favorite thing to do while people watching is to imagine what their stories may be. I imagine that most of the scenarios that I dream up are far beyond what the reality is, but maybe not.
Gene and I are in Denver, CO right now. We are here to be a part of a mentoring program for our friends, Gayle and Jamie Pund (on the left in the back row) who just this week received their appointment with World Venture as career missionaries to Italy.
Years ago we sat around a dinner table at TGIFriday’s with some of our friends, our church planting team in La Crosse. Our conversation that night went to what we thought was a fun little game of seeing what we could come up with to “outdream God”. We got silly, we thought, as we dreamed of all going to Italy, that seemed like a nice enough place to serve God. Since that night, Gayle and Jamie and their 3 kids have spent 3 years in Italy – at a camp that hosted soccer camps for kids, among other things. I think that everyone at that table that night has been part of the ministry in Italy. The Punds are now on a journey toward returning to Italy for a longer term.
Have you ever tried to “out dream” God? It’s dangerous…you might just find yourself one day living out the dream.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” Eph. 3:20
As kind of a side note, tonight we visited a church that goes by the name, SCUM of the Earth, we heard a pastor, a homeless man, a woman and then a well known theologian, all talk on Psalm 23. None were given more of a platform than the other. All were given equal time. That is the Kingdom of God present in our here and now just as Jesus intended, I think. I left processing these things…. A well known theologian, a paid Pastor and a homeless man, and a woman, were all parts of the same Body there. All seemed at home there.
If you are part of the Body of Christ – can you be “homeless”? Powerful.
