Walking in Step

Walk in step with the Spirit. Christians speak these words as instruction and encouragement. It’s also the desired way for Christians to live their lives. The apostle Paul, in a letter he wrote to the Ephesian church, said, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV). Christians believe that God has prepared good works for them to accomplish and that they are, as Paul says, to “walk in them.” In other words, a Christian’s life is to be about doing and accomplishing the good works that God has prepared for them.

Walking in step with the Spirit is the way to accomplishing these good works. As a Christian, this is a reality for me every day. I believe that God has prepared things for me to do, things that He wants me to walk in, things that He wants me to accomplish and not so that I can attain to a certain level of status or renown but so that God’s Kingdom advances. How do we accomplish these good works? We walk in step with the Spirit. Sounds easy. Until we try to do it. Then, we discover it’s anything but easy.

This afternoon we visited the children's home, Casa Libertad y Sanidad. We played with the children on the trampoline and enjoyed a long game of soccer (the photo that leads this post shows the soccer game). (Pictured from left to right: Chloe with Jeremy, Amanda, Liz, and Margine)

In 2 Samuel we find David preparing for two separate battles against the Philistines.

"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer." (2 Samuel 5:17-25, ESV)

Two battles. Two victories. Two different strategies. In the first battle (verses 17-21) David hears that the Philistines are preparing to search for him and to come against him and Israel in battle. David’s response is not to sit down with his top commanders and develop a plan. David’s response is to ask the Lord if He will give the Philistines into David’s hands. And the Lord tells David that He “will certainly give the Philistines into [his] hand.” David goes and defeats the Philistines. 

In the second battle the Philistines returned to the same valley and prepared for battle. David is not prideful because of his first victory. He goes to the Lord again and the Lord replies, but this time the Lord replies with a specific battle plan. That battle plan includes David waiting to “hear the sound of marching in the tops of the ballast trees” and then and only then rousing himself and his army to go and fight the Philistines.

In both cases Israel defeated the enemy and won the battles. Was David walking in step with the Spirit? He was certainly walking in step with the Lord. David sought the Lord, listened for and heard from the Lord, and then ordered his and his army's steps based on what he heard. If we view God as one God in three persons then we can see David walking in step with the Lord as a template, of sorts, for what it means for us to walk in step with the Spirit. 

Why is it difficult for us to walk in step with the Spirit? 

If walking in step with the Spirit is tantamount to our ability to accomplish the good deeds that God has prepared for us then we need to know the Spirit and how to discern where He is leading us. 

Our team visited an old abandoned house in El Crucero, a small town outside of Managua, as part of our discussion on spiritual realities. (Pictured on the right is Chloe, Liz on the left, and Bethany in the background)

So, how do we do this? 

I don't fully know. At least not in a way that I can describe in five easy steps or in some spiritual formula that can be applied in any setting or situation. What I do know well enough to communicate is that we should listen to Jesus. 

In the Gospel written by the apostle John we overhear Jesus say, "Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23 ESV) Specifically, Jesus is answering a question posted to Him by Judas (not Iscariot). Judas asked Jesus why He wasn’t going to manifest Himself to the whole world. Jesus’ reply indicates that He will manifest (make Himself known) to those who obey Him. Even more than that, Jesus and the Father will make their “home” with every man and woman who is obedient. Obedience, according to Jesus, means keeping His word. It stands to reason, then, that what Jesus is saying to Judas and all of the disciples and, by extension, to us, is that when a man or a woman is obedient to Jesus by keeping His word the Spirit will come and dwell inside of them. They will have the Spirit in them.

David kept the Lord's word as Jesus is instructing the disciples (and us) to keep His word. David was obedient, going into battle when the Lord told him and building his plans based on the Lord's instruction. David walked in step with the Lord in obedience and he defeated enemy armies. Would the same type of thing happen in our lives if we walked in step with the Lord in obedience? Would the Lord defeat armies, push back darkness, and reclaim territory for His Kingdom if we walked in step with the Spirit in obedience? 

Obedience is what enables Jesus and the Father in the form of the Spirit to take up residence in the life of a Christian. This is a simple conclusion and it is not exhaustive. The point, though, is clear. Want to be able to walk in step with the Spirit and accomplish the good works that God has prepared beforehand for us? Then, we must be obedient by keeping Jesus’ word and the Spirit will dwell inside of us. 

Is it possible to accomplish good things and not be lead by the Spirit? In other words, is it possible to accomplish good things and not be a Christian? Yes, it is. It absolutely is. We see people all around our city loving people well, improving people's lives, and creating beautiful things who are not following Jesus and who are not seeking to walk in step with the Spirit. I also believe that we can accomplish more good, in fact, a good that is eternal in the lives of people and families in our city and world when we follow Jesus and seek to walk in step with the Spirit. 

Want to do today or tomorrow what God has prepared for you to do before time? Then, seek to be obedient to God and His commands. Walk in His ways. Develop His character. This isn’t an easy three step process and it isn’t a formula. It’s an encouragement. It’s me sharing with you one of the things that our team is learning this week, something that everyone who calls themselves a Christian should learn. Want to see God at work in and through your life? Practice obedience.

Our team gathered together at the house in El Crucero as part of our discussion of spiritual realities.(Pictured left to right: Bethany, Chloe, Amanda, Sam, and Christine) 

Meeting the Parents

Today, we met the parents of the children and we saw their homes. We listened as they told stories about their family, talked about raising their children and they challenges they face, and we prayed for them. Meeting the parents helped our team to better understand the children that Daniel and Jessenia care for and that live at Casa Libertad y Sanidad.

We visited Tatiana's parents and home first (I'll get pictures of the children later this week and put them on the blog for your reference). Her mom, Damarys and her step-father, Cesar, welcomed our team into their home and allowed us to look around and ask questions about their lives. I asked Damarys and Cesar what they enjoy most about being parents and, after a long pause, they answered that parenting is difficult and they are looking forward to when the children are grown and can move out of the house and care for themselves. Daniel has discussed with our team that the parents of the children in Casa Libertad y Sanidad do love their children but that they don't understand sacrificial love. They don't understand placing their children and their children's needs above their own. They don't place their children's well-being above their own. They love their children but not more than themselves.

Years ago I had several conversations with a friend who served in the Student Ministry and who told me, "Every parent loves their child." I wanted to believe my friend but could not fully accept the statement. I've seen many parents who didn't seem to love their children and who acted toward their children in unloving ways. I think Daniel's words are accurate. I believe every parent does love their child and not all parents love their children sacrificially. When we see parents who cannot see beyond themselves to love sacrificially and when we see children affected by parents who don't know how to love sacrificially we should pray. We should pray for both the parents and the children. Love, as Jesus demonstrates for us, is sacrificial. Every person is made to offer and receive sacrificial love. When we don't offer it or when we don't receive it parts of us get warped and distorted. Our need for a Savior increases and, in the absence of Jesus, we begin to look to other things, to other people, to fulfill that need. 

Sam, Amanda, Daniel, Demarys, and Cesar (from right to left). Sam and Amanda are part of the mission team. Daniel is the North Way missionary we're partnering with. Demurs and Cesar are Tatiana's parents. Tatiana is one of the girls in Casa Libertad y Sanidad. 

Also in the house is Celeste and her eight month old son, Darwin, and Esther, who is Demarys and Cesar's eight year-old daughter. Between Demarys, Cesar, Celeste, Darwin, and Esther, there are five people living in a small two bedroom apartment. The living situation is challenging and when Tatiana comes home the challenges increase. We prayed for Demarys and Cesar and their family. We prayed that they would know the Lord, that He would be at work in them and in their children, and that they would take hold of their identity in Him.

Next, we visited Francisca, Bianca and Jeremy's mom. We did not go into Francisca's house. We stood outside and we talked with her and we prayed for her. We asked Francisca what she enjoyed about being a parent. She, like Demarys and Cesar, paused for a long time, raised her eyebrows, and thought. Then, she answered that parenting is hard, it's difficult, it's challenging, and she is ready for them to grow up and be able to contribute. 

Francisca standing outside of her sister's house where she is staying.

We visited Alba last. Alba is Marjine's mom. Alba is living with her children in her boyfriend's house. Her boyfriend has children of his own. It's two families living together and not being one family. Alba works at a sorting facility in the trash dump that is adjacent to the community that she lives in, the trash dump that she used to live inside of. She works the morning shift. Her boyfriend also works at the sorting facility. He works the afternoon shift. Alba is able to go to work and leave her children with her boyfriend and in the afternoon her boyfriend leaves and Alba stays with the children. But when her boyfriend is gone his children remind Alba that she is not their mom and that the house is not her house. Alba talked openly with our team but not deeply. She expressed the challenges that she is facing but she did not dive deeply into those challenges and the steps she could be taking to resolve them. Instead, she is focused on saving money so that she can buy a house for her and her family.

Alba standing outside of her boyfriend's house, where she is staying, talking with our team.

The community (the photo that leads this post shows a street in the community with La Chureca in the background) that Demarys and Cesar, Francisca, and Alba live in is adjacent to La Chureca, the trash dump for Managua, Nicaragua's capital city. Every family that now lives in the community had lived in the trash dump. Some had been relocated out of the trash dump following a flood. Others were relocated later as part of a join Spanish and Nicaraguan government project. Years ago our team would drive right into La Chureca and park our vehicle  near the community where the families lived. We'd spend time in their homes, constructed from the trash that they picked through during the day looking for recyclable materials that they could resell for money. The water that ran through the community, then, was black and it smelled. Two years ago the joint project was completed and the new community had been built. A sorting facility had been built, as well, and the people who had lived in the trash dump were trained and provided jobs at the sorting facility. Many of the families no longer work at the sorting facility, but Alba and her boyfriend do. They earn a living wage. In fact, they earn more than 70% of Nicaraguans. Yet, they haven't been trained in saving their money or spending it wisely. That's something that Daniel and Jessenia seek to do through their relationships with the families of the children in Casa Libertad y Sanidad. Daniel and Jessenia's mission isn't just to see the children restored but to see the entire family restored. Our team joined Daniel in that work today. We spent hours in homes and in the community. We listened and we asked questions and we sat in silence. We prayed. 

There's a part of me that has, at points, struggled with going into the community, meeting families, and praying with them. Not because I believe doing these things is worthless. I struggled because I felt that we cold do more. The picture below show's Demarys and Cesar's backyard. It's filled with trash. Why wouldn't we just pick up their trash? Why wouldn't we just clean their house? There are good reasons why we don't do those things. The thing that God has taught me, though, is that picking up trash is not the greatest thing that we can do for Demarys and Cesar, Francisca, or Alba. If I really believe that the greatest good that Demarys and Cesar, Francisca, and Alba can know is God Himself, then I should primarily be focusing my efforts on bring them before God and asking Him to make Himself known to them. I might be able to justify picking up trash as helping, but it also steals agency. Demarys and Cesar lead their family and own their house. They are the people that God has entrusted to raise their family and care for their home. 

Demarys and Cesar's backyard.

I realize that I'm leaving two topics unresolved: parents loving their children unconditionally and whether or not we should be picking up the trash in Demarys and Cesar's backyard. It will take a lot more words to fully discuss these topics and, honestly, more reflection on my part. Our team talked about both of these realities and struggles. What kind of love do parents need to offer their children? What should our response have been to the trash in the backyard? We lived in them today as we met the children's families. The hardest part of the day, though, wasn't parents and love or trash and picking up. It was attempting to picture the children who have stolen our hearts living in this community and in these conditions. It was attempting to see God in the midst of the brokenness and the dysfunction and the mess, both physical and spiritual, of the community. Much as we spent our day, our team gathered together at night's end and prayed. Asking that God will heal us and that He would heal these families.

A Weekend Review

We climbed to the summit of a mountain and played hide and seek. The photo that leads this post is the view from the summit of the mountain we climbed. We made the ascent after eating lunch with the children at an ecolodge in the mountains of northern Nicaragua. We played tag in pairs, one child with one member of our team. I was paired with Jan, one of three young boys who lives in Casa Libertad y Sanidad. We won the last game of hide and seek and as I carried Jan back to the mountain's summit he said, "Thank you," over and over. At dinner Diana, Bianca, and Margine, three of the girls who live in the children's home, sang songs and danced for us. That was Saturday for our team.

On Sunday, we ate breakfast and read and reenacted the Exodus story. Then, we ran relay races, played soccer, and had lunch before making the three hour drive from the ecolodge back to Managua. As Daniel and I were discussing which Bible story we would teach this morning he said that it had to be one that we could act out. I must have looked at him funny because he said, "We used to do it when we were children. We loved it." He told me that when his family couldn't make it to church they would read a Bible story and then act it out together. I doubt that Daniel's parents, Bruce and Kathy, ever thought that their family tradition would impact seven children in Nicaragua. Yet, it has. It made me wonder what my wife, Julia, and I are cultivating in our family that will get passed on from our children to their children and have a meaningful spiritual impact. If you're reading this and you're a parent, take a moment, maybe right now, and think through the culture you're creating in your family. Which parts of it do you hope your children will pass on to their children and which parts do you hope will not get passed on? If you don't have an answer to what you hope your children will pass on, then create something this week. Seriously. Don't wait. If you had an answer to what you don't want your children to pass on, then stop it this week. Seriously. Don't wait.

The goal of the weekend was to build relationships between our team and the children. For our team, despite a language barrier for some, to play alongside the children and through a shared experience begin to build a relationship. Our team came to Nicaragua wanting to love the children. I don't think our team came to Nicaragua expecting to receive love from the children. On the way to the ecolodge Diana and Bianca fell asleep on Liz, a member of our team. On the way back to Managua from the ecolodge Margine slept the entire way in Chloe's lap (Chloe is also a member of our team). In between we played alongside the children, held their hands, hugged them, laughed with them, and smiled with them. 

Our team offered love and received love this weekend.