“Lombada”

Last night in youth group we talked about how Jesus has authority over everything and how his authority compels us to go. The question was raised how does Jesus’ authority impact you and me as we follow him on a daily basis?

Does it?

When we came across that question it really made me stop and think, how does this effect me? Am I living like Jesus truly has all authority over my life?

Megan and I are nearing our first full year of marriage and I can honestly say this year wasn’t without some bumpy spots in the road. When I lived in Brazil I quickly learned the word for speed bump in portuguese, “Lombada”. They seemed to be everywhere, even in the middle of the highway. Every time we were about to go over one the driver of the car would yell “Lombada” to warn us it was coming, unfortunately sometimes the warning came late and I hit my head on the roof of the car a few times.

Sometimes we need those lombadas to slow us down or have someone yell out a warning for the bumps coming up. Through all the bumps of this first year of marriage Megan and i had to slow down, refocus, and rub the bumps we got on our heads from hitting the roof. Recently, I would say in the last three months Megan and I have been working on reestablishing the fact that Jesus has authority in our marriage. But even that has not been easy, we discovered our need to spend quality time together each morning and inviting Jesus into that time.

In a way our reestablishing the fact that Jesus has that authority in our lives helps us warn each other about the “Lombadas” up ahead, communication has improved and joy has started to unfold it’s peddles in full flowering blooms.

Sometimes we need to ask hard questions like “Does jesus really have all authority over my life and if so how is that effecting my daily life?” We need those questions to slow us down, to help us think and grow. Because once we see that Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth we should be compelled to go. As followers of jesus we should be relentless to love.

I have been reading a book about David Livingstone, who was a missionary and explorer in Africa back when much of Africa was unknown and dangerous. One of the things that really stood out to me from the book is how relentless Livingstone was, he often didn’t wait for others to give him the approval to go and seek out other tribes and peoples. He went when others would not. God gave him the courage to face lions and dangers unknown.

When we come to grasp the knowledge of God’s authority we will began to live fearlessly because if God is for us who can be against us. We as spirit-filled followers of Jesus need to be more like Livingstone and the early Christians who were relentless to love.

Let our lives be relentless acts of worship to our God. I believe the words in Psalms 150 verse 6, “Let everything that has breath  praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

 

-Caleb Hunter

Day 5 “A Year of Thought”: Searching Eyes and Beating Drums

Yesterday I was working on my photo for project 365 and I took an old National Geographic magazine and after flipping through the whole thing I used the cover for part of a picture. However, from flipping through the magazine I noticed some portraits of some people from Africa. It struck me as I took some time to look at all of them. In each picture their eyes seem to catch mine and hold them, as if they were speaking to me… I know that sounds a little weird and out there, but if you look into their eyes they are all searching.

The eyes are searching?

Searching long and deep.

Searching for something.

Anything.

But how can we give them what they are searching for?

A few years ago I started writing a poem that I thought might turn into a song, but it still sits somewhere under a pile of uncompleted lyrics and from time to time I find it flowing back through my mind.

Can you hear the beat of the drums

echoing through these plains

as children dance and sing a song

show me what it means be alive

fill it up, fill it up again

spark my heart to love

every nation that cries out to you

as God wipers louder

in your ear

take heed and listen

and hear

can you hear the beat of the drums

as hearts turn to the healing one

blind see and a people redeemed

show me what it means be alive

It’s a poem about Africa, I wrote it shortly after hearing Caleb Bislow speak about how he was chasing this crazy dream that God had given him about going to Africa and serving the people there. One of the things that Caleb said that night has really stuck with me, he said when he was fighting with himself about going he just came to this point where he said “I’m tired of being inspired and I’m ready to do something”. That quote hung on the wall in my room for years and has been an inspiration to me when I’ve been trying to figure out what to do.

Finding inspiration is easy, doing something about it is the hard part.

Each of those faces that I tore out of that magazine was searching, their eyes are like those of the next generation that I’ve dreamed about. They are searching. Searching for love, for healing, for grace, forgiveness, nourishment, and Life. They are searching for everything that God can give them. That God can give them through us.

When the world stops and looks at the face they ask why?

Why the searching?

Why the tears in their eyes?

Why the scares on their faces?

Why the fear?

When the world asks why we answer with Love.

Love when the world asks why?

Can you hear the drums?

I hear the drums of a changing generation that is learning to live life to the fullest every single day. It sounds much like the beating of my heart, sparked by my own searching for healing and finding it in the one place that I can, I want to learn to love those with searching eyes. I want to keep the drums beating so we can dance and sing with the children of the world, Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so, little ones to him be long they are searching and he is found!

Next time you look into someone eye, ask what are they searching for?

How can I answer with Love?

The world is waiting for us to stop being inspired and to start doing something…

-Caleb Ross Hunter