I like the rawness of this interview and the honest telling of the origin of this song.
I hope you took the time to listen to the video with an honest heart. Rich was a genuine man who was completely authentic in his walk. He offended many who called themselves Christian, and yet his upfront approach to life carried more truth than a convention of pastors.
This is the type of Christianity that reaches out and beckons others to follow. If you watch the video, you will see the sincerity of his heart and you will feel the power of his testimony.
At about 2:20 he starts singing the song... and it is my inspiration.
I realized today that my past couple of blogs have had a certain amount of struggle and pain in them, and it made me pause... because although I may have some struggle in my life, I welcome it. It is this struggle that lets me know that the battle is not lost. It is this struggle that continues to shape me into who I am to become. I welcome this struggle and any pain that comes with it with open arms.
A trip to Guatemala will forever change you. It is a trip that you can never return home from. I have seen hardships that I had only read about, and I have seen the evidence of faith that I have only heard of in Sunday School.
I have felt the gravity of their belief pull on the foundations of my very soul.
I have learned that it is not always shameful for a man to shed tears. I have learned that it is appropriate to embrace a stranger. I have learned that there are worst things that can cover us than dirt. And, I have stared at this picture now... for hours.
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| Courtesy of Larry Renner |
And... did you notice the boot-print adjacent to the right foot?
This dichotomy grips my heart. I realize that through all my experiences in his country, I have not walked a mile in his shoe-lessness.
The emotion when coming home from a trip like this can be overwhelming. No matter how much you did, and how much you gave, you realize that there is an endless amount of need there... and you walked away. You left feet uncovered, stomachs empty, and bodies unclothed. You sit in your house with a flat panel tv, air-conditioning, and a fat dog... and people you hugged only days ago are without.
Coming home is hard. I have explained this to my friends, but you really don't understand it until you experience it. I love this song by Rich Mullins, because it captures the sharp intake of breath that is my soul. I cling selfishly to the God who can be my Prince of Peace.
Surrender don't come natural to me.
I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want,
than take what you give that I need.
And I beat my head against so many walls,
and now I'm falling on my knees...
I need to tell you... I have found peace in my heart. I have been searching all my life for my place. I have looked in honorable places that simply were not the fit to my heart, and I have looked in places that caused me great pain. I have literally beat my head against walls... and when I gave up, and fell on my knees-- God placed Guatemala before me.
It isn't the poverty there that grips my heart... it is the belief and spirit of the people. My dear friends and family... I implore you to join me on this worthy madness. This is the calling of God. This is the great commission. We have an opportunity to live out our beliefs.
The plight here is real.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
-James 1:27
Do you also remember the scripture, "as you have done to the least of these, my bretheren, you have done to me?" How can I see these things and not be moved?
I will soon be approaching some of you, and asking you to donate money to me, so that I can return to San Cristobal Guatemala in November, in order to build a home for a man who lost his arm in an accident while working on his job. His wife, and his children are desperate for a break in life.
You can be a part of this. I need you to get me there. I am insane with desperation to get there and be the provision of God to this community. I am about $600 short.
Kellie and I are re-examining our lives even as I type this. If you know us, you will see dramatic change in our life over the next 24 months. We have been forever altered by our experience. But, in the short term, I find myself with my hat in my hand. I am begging for donations so that I can get back to Guatemala in November, and fulfill the need for this family.
A line in the song by Rich states:
Well sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
and my faith just seems so small.
So hold me Jesus 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf.
You have been my King of Glory,
won't you be my Prince of Peace.
I am here to tell you... the mountains do indeed seem "so big."
But, I do not walk alone. We hold hands together as we look up to God.
And by his strength, we hope to be made perfect in our weakness.
And by his strength, we hope to be made perfect in our weakness.
Please, contact me today at 513-292-1521 and contribute $50 0r $100 so that I can go and embrace orphans and widows. I will raise walls that they will sleep under for the next 20+ years. We can give a new generation a chance at a better life, while we introduce them to the One who loves us, and holds us while we shake life a leaf.
It is time for us to embrace and introduce this... Prince of Peace.
If you are uncomfortable giving money to me, then please, contribute directly to Catalyst Resources International. You can specify whether you want your money to go to building projects, or directly to the girls at Mimi's House... who are shattering stereotypes and beating the odds. They will continue to spread salt and light in their communities.
Please... give yourself a chance and walk down this road with me. Today.
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