I ran in to an acquaintance today. He knows about my family's church planting adventure, so when he approached me, I figured he wanted to get an update on our life. But the words that tumbled out of his mouth weren't followed with a question mark. They were followed with an unspoken plea for prayer.
"My wife left me."
As soon as his heart-ached words hit my ears, my heart ached for him. He said she left him... the kids... the house... everything. And as she pursues her selfishness, she leaves a hurting family in her wake.
Now, I've been in ministry too long to not realize I was only hearing one-side of the story. (And because of where our conversation was talking place, it was forced to be an extremely short conversation.) There's most definitely more to this story than just the abandonment of a spouse. But my friend's words did something in me.
His confession made me want to plant a church all the more.
You see, Ezekiel 47:12 (which, by the way, is the key verse for our 47:12 Campaign) is a prophetic verse about the people of God. This verse describes God's people as trees along the bank of a river. Because their life-source is the river (which is Jesus Christ), they will always have fruit and leaves. It says, "their fruit will be for food," (which gives nutrition, sustenance, and life) and "their leaves will be for healing" (which restores, refreshes, and renews).
With this imagery in mind, I want to help create a place filled with these "trees" who will use their resources (time, ears, money, homes, etc.) to bring healing to these weary souls. I want to continue the expansion of God's forest that can be used by God's Holy Spirit to restore, refresh, and renew these hurting people.
I want to be part of a team that creates an environment...
- ...where the abandoned spouse can cry out to the ever-present God.
- ...where the running spouse can run into the arms of Jesus.
- ...where the addicted twentysomething can find freedom in Christ.
- ...where the type-A executive can find rest.
- ...where the woman with a past can find a forgiven future.
- ...where the adolescent man would mature into a servant leader.
- ...where the messed up, sin-beaten, weary, dry, lifeless souls who look to earthly eyes to have it all (but are nothing but ashes in the depths) can find true life in Christ, healing among His people, and nourishment for their journey ahead.
So that's part of this crazy dream I believe God has given me: To start a church that He can use to draw people to Himself, even in the middle of their hurts. Because unfortunately, my friend's story is all too common in Iowa.
If you live in Iowa and find yourself in a tough marriage, may I recommend you contact Marriage Matters of Iowa. And may I also recommend you get connected up with a gospel-centered local church if you aren't already.
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