Spring is here! And so are my allergies. I never experienced
allergies in Michigan, but they make their presence very known with heavy
sleeps, fuzzy brain, and the sniffles- cute and not so cute. But really, this
is the extent of my complaints! God has been and is so good- I'm excited to
write this letter to share His work in my life, in this program, and to connect
for you my current context to my future plans (God willing).
I'll start with my next steps. I'm headed to graduate school
in Michigan at University of Michigan to begin my Masters of Social Work starting
this coming Fall. Momentum starts to build in July, however. This reason
combined with a family reunion at the end of June and some family plans in
mid-June makes leaving on June 1 the most pragmatic departure date.
These next steps bring with them waves of emotions including but not limited to
excitement, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and happiness. The last five years
of my life have been transient largely by choice, but I am becoming weary of
the moving. In full candor, I thought this is where I would stay for a long
while. I invest wherever I am, but this location carried a larger weight and a
deeper pursuit in growing my roots. My heart hurts when I think about leaving
my coworkers, my clients, my lovely roommate, the KCB community, my hospitable
church, and the friends and family I have here that have embraced me beyond
what I could have asked. Before I move on, I just want to say a deep, heartfelt
THANK YOU.
Next, an update on our neighborhood relationships. There are
2 relationships on our property that I embrace and that God has led us in. I'm investing and solidifying the ones already created while
leaving room for new ones to be built and for prayer to make them possible. One
way you could pray for us is to give us the words and the action to have more
meaningful conversations with our friends on our property.
Secondly, I've been involved with the Eucalyptus street
neighborhood outreach. This is the most exciting part of the community
development for me right now. I see the fruit of long-term relationships that
have developed over time and patience and love for the youth on that street. I
see the power of God's hand in their lives and our lives especially when the
lives are lived side by side. My part in this outreach is limited due to
timing, but I'm so grateful to have a picture and sense of where prayer is
needed, so that I may pray while I'm away. I ask for prayers for our Wednesday
nights when we are with the young adults, that hearts are opened and trust is built,
that the Holy Spirit moves and breathes in our interactions.
Our Church is a bit of a different picture right now. In my heart and life, this issue hits close
to home. Deep in the heart. My mother attended Calvin Theological Seminary and
my younger sister is now accepted at Western Theological Seminary for this fall
for her Masters of Divinity. Clearly this topic won't go away in my life, but
my own personal conclusions didn't move me to discuss this issue anymore since
I knew where I stood (and still stand). So when I was placed at this church and
was informed this was their view, I put up walls. I came in hostile. I was
thinking there was a huge mistake made. Like this was one big joke and KCB would
jump out from behind a complementarian wall shouting GOTCHA!!! and then every
idea I held dear would come together in a Utopian church community. But more
realistically and spiritually, I was fearful God was going to teach me, stretch
me, and humble me there, all of which terrified me to no end. Because when God
moves, I can't deny it or look away.
My church is more and more like home. I'm ever grateful for
the hospitality they show and the friendships I've built with my fellow
members. I deeply care about the church and how it's doing, so the most recent
discussion on women in office is something for which I'm requesting prayer. The
topic is now on the table and being discussed in the church. I am learning more
and more about myself, the church structure, the church body, how people
disagree, how people (myself 100% included) find comfort in arguments based off
of interpretations, and how pride is a primary driving force in many of these
divisive arguments. My pride included.
Here is my request: please pray that we disagree well. That
we seek to listen and understand before we build walls, accuse, judge, and get
hot-headed. That we look inside the church at all the different lenses we bring
to our discussions, our logic, our arguments, and our fears. And ultimately, I
ask for prayer that we ALL submit to the Holy Spirit in the decisions being
made.
Thank you for reading!
I want to end this letter with proclamations of love: I love
Bellflower. I love Kingdom Causes. I love BellOne. I love InJOY Rosecrans. I
love my communities here. And ultimately, I love Jesus.
Malachi 4:2 (I'm soaking up this verse right now. I just
love the analogy.)
Lindsay
