Just got back from a ministry leadership conference. It was awesome. A lot of young thinkers. I truly believe my kids generation will change the world – end starvation – things like that. I have decided that I will be a voice cheering them on instead of the voice fussing in the background about how times are changing.
These extremely idealistic yet not unrealistic thinkers and speakers are doing ministry in places like Atlanta, LA and Austin - in fairly extreme communities. One speaker that I loved and mostly agreed with, sorta slammed the suburbs, remarking that we are all pretty and dressed up, we all look and talk the same. He made it sound like a nauseating group of upper middle class plastics. And although I would agree there are some priorities a little out of whack around here, let me tell you why I love living in the suburbs and I know that God is a work here, too.
Today, I drove over to a friend’s house to pick up one of my kids from a typical suburbia Sunday afternoon play date. We were allowing the kids a few minutes to finish playing a typical suburbia game, as we had a typical suburbia conversation in her driveway. A neighboring mom walked over to see if her kids were over playing in the yard and she joined us for conversation in typical suburbia fashion. Only 20 minutes in conversation I found out that her 40-year-old husband is on a one-month soul searching trip in the dessert in Utah. He is looking for some enlightenment and inspiration after living on this earth for forty years. He’s hoping to find it on a cleansing and somewhat self-mutilating voyage to the dessert.
Inwardly I welled up with tears. I’ve known this woman through PTA and grocery shopping for the last 2 years. She is a very kind woman, as a matter of fact, one of my favorites at the school. Foolishly I assumed they were already involved in church because she is so nice, of course. That’s why ministry in the suburbs is a challenge…since we all look the same, dress the same, talk the same…we can make many assumptions. In reality, many suburbanites are looking in the dessert for inspiration. Why would I wish for any other demographic to minister to? I speak the same language, I dress the same way and I shop in the same places. I’m not going to apologize for it. This is right where God has me and has called me to live.
So, that’s when the Holy Spirit did his thing….I was moved to ask her if Jonathan and I could take her and her husband to dinner 2 weeks after he got back from his trip. She seemed surprised. I told her that I would love to her what he learned during his month away…I am extremely curious to see what nature and being practically starved will show him. Will he come home enlightened? God may show up and move in his heart. He could come home completely defeated and disillusioned. I want to know. I’m dying to know.
She was so surprised, She said no one has responded this way to her….most have said that is the craziest thing they’d ever heard and that they were so sorry for her to have to put up with his mid life crisis. The Holy Spirit showed up and began to do his thing…she opened up and shared more about his trip, his character, his dreams. We will go to dinner and I will ask some of questions. I will listen a lot and wait for the Holy Spirit to do things again. I love living in the suburbs. God is moving here, too.
Lost, wandering souls live everywhere. Desperation and despair is a dark cloud over all the earth. People need the love of Jesus throughout the whole world....not just in remote parts of the world or inner city slums. On the soccer field, on your street corner, on the treadmill beside you at the gymn. Suburbia Northwest Arkansas is where the Lord has the Hannons on ball fields, tennis courts, big Walmart, and Razorback games for a reason. God IS moving.
ReplyDeleteIt's a privilege knowing we serve and love NWA alongside the Beasleys.
Now I have to carpool my kids to school and get my suburbia Sonic drink while I'm at it (:
Great post Elisabeth- I for one know I need to take time to listen more - God is moving here! I see it all around and am honored that He is using us in the amazing and holy process of Him changing lives - it is humbling.
ReplyDeletethanks Elisabeth. Great thoughts and thanks for sharing some things that you learned at the conference and how God is working in your life. We will be praying for your friend and her husband and that you and Jonathon can lead them to the Lord at your dinner.
ReplyDeletePowerful stuff, Elisabeth. Wonder what God is really up to in this place? Let's be on the lookout and jump in where He is working. Maybe this place of conformity is full of hurting people hiding behind a mask of "fitting in". (Sounds a little like middle school.) Maybe as we unveil our masks with some authenticity we will allow them to do the same.
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