on the other side of their engagement story: eternity, joy inexpressible, and evangelism of all things!

A shadow of things to come.

These are the words I find swirling about inside of me whenever another wedding rolls around - and believe me, there’s been loads of them this year. Weddings bring a minute when a bit of eternity breaks into our earthly living and dying, when the essence of the God-Man taking a people into a covenant relationship is seen in some love-struck guy’s face when his dream comes waltzing down the aisle all gussied up in silk and diamonds. It’s a minute where we get a glimpse of the unseen, a peek into the future at the most momentous occasion in eternity. It’s when the Son takes His Bride, and when the Church utters the deepest commitment humanity has ever known how to make: “Till death do us part.” And then the Son leans in, grinning the smile that has captivated a universe for a thousand years upon a thousand years. “Except that I have conquered death, so actually nothing - ever- will part Me from you!”

This last week I found myself getting a further glimpse into the picture of the Son’s story that somehow seems to invade every last inch of human life. It’s another step into His story, another level of depth in my understanding of His emotions.

A dear friend of mine, Ryan, decided to make the plunge for the woman of his dreams and propose to his girlfriend Allison, also a very dear friend of mine. As I do a lot of my living and working and loving Jesus with both of these brilliant people, I found myself caught up in a romantic drama unfolding around me this week. Ryan’s sister Brittany and myself were scurrying about the few days preceding the proposal, helping Ryan pull off the perfect engagement scene. I think its the first time I’ve ever really had the privilege of seeing the proposal planning from the guy’s side of things. It was incredibly fun to see the great amount of thought and affection Ryan was putting into his plans to surprise Allison in the most loving ways he knew how.

Brittany and I were purely giddy with excitement over the mounting occasion, thrilled for Allison, and so proud of Ryan. We listened to Ryan spell out all of his ideas, then Brittany went shopping for the necessary pretty things, while I cooked up a fancy little breakfast. A photo album, a poem he’d written, her favorite songs, her favorite food, a shirt that said “Will you marry me?”, a photographer ...Ryan had thought of everything!

So early on the morning of the engagement, Brittany and I snuck over to the park to set everything up so Allison would be thoroughly surprised when Ryan brought her over. As we piled into the car with our arms full of goodies, we could hardly contain our exuberance. The sun was shining gloriously, and the morning was just perfect. Joy began to ooze out of my heart as we drove across Midtown, Kansas City to Loose Park. My heart burst, and the prayers started popping out of my mouth for the morning to go smoothly, for Ryan and Allison to experience the delight of the Father over them. I honestly hadn’t had such pure fun in ages, as I’d been having over the course of those few days of preparations.

It was on the drive to the park that I saw it. I saw how the Son has a perfect plan to romance every heart, how He thinks of every last little detail to convince individuals of His deep affection, how He is eager to twirl each one around in dance, and how He has already committed Himself to covenant relationship with each one. And then I saw that we who are already in His Family get the privilege of helping Him win them over. As Ryan’s sisters, Brittany and I had been extended the invitation to be apart of the whole incredible process. We gleefully agreed and proceeded to have a blast!

Evangelism is not a drudgery. It’s not a chore, it’s not a monotonous duty, it’s not a heavy task to perform. It’s not something to fear, it’s not something to dread. As friends of Jesus - as His closest and dearest friends - it is our deep honor and delight to spread out a feast for the ones He is looking in the eye and calling out to love. We laugh and jump around, we clap our hands with excitement, and we can’t even help it! We love Him, so we love that He is so infatuated and so faithfully giving Himself over.

After Allison said yes to Ryan’s long-awaited question, we threw a little party with much squealing, lots of jumping around, and many hugs. Over cake and coffee, they animatedly told their story, and the oohs and aahs and chuckles were going all around the table. I was sitting on the edge of my chair the whole time, even though I already knew how much of their went. I was on the edge of my chair, because it wasn’t just the story of Ryan and Allison being told. This is the story of a God-Man in love with the human race. This is a shadow of things to come. This is the story I am walking out... rejoicing with joy inexpressible!*



*1 Peter 1:8, NKJV

("...at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love.  Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible...")

Preston, My Preston

   It struck me the other day that perhaps my most promising disciple at the moment is an eight-year-old towhead named Preston, who lives in my neighborhood.  I befriended his mom at the local pool last summer and since have spent time nearly every week with this precious, but broken family.  I started telling Preston bedtimes stories about Jesus last fall when I would babysit him and his two year old sister Makala.  At first in his young mind, Jesus ranked right up there with Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk.  But many aches of intercession & many conversations about God later, I’m beginning to see his little heart come alive with unadulterated passion.  Lately, Preston has been beating me to the punch - every time he sees me, the first thing he’ll ask is a question about Jesus.  The other day he started telling me everything he knew about God... how God made people and trees, and how when the wind blows it’s really God breathing on us.   Preston thinks that every time it rains, God is crying.  After I attempted to explain to him about hell and why sin makes God sad, he said, “So if everyone stopped being bad, it would never rain!”  Perfectly logical conclusion!  

“Do you know any songs about God?”, he asked one day this summer on our way to the pool.  I started singing a kid’s song I learned in South Africa called “Telephone to Jesus.”  Preston stopped me.  “Can you really talk to Jesus on the phone?”  “W-e-l-l, nooo...” I started to say.  “I know how you to talk to Jesus though,” he butted in.  “You pray!”  I had to grin at his exclamation.  “That’s right,” I said.   “And we can talk to Jesus just like we talk to each other, because He was a real Person,” I said.  Preston promptly corrected me, “He IS a real person!”

After 15 minutes of this kind of conversation, I was in serious awe of everything this eight-year-old was telling me about the Lord.  I knew he hadn’t learned it from me, and besides one trip to Sunday School, I’m virtually his only spiritual influence.  “Preston, did you learn all of this in Sunday School?” I asked, genuinely puzzled.  I’ve never heard him talk about God for so long.  “Well, I didn’t go to Sunday School for very long, but sometimes, I just think about God and I think He likes it when we think about Him.”  I was floored.  The Holy Spirit is teaching this little kid about Himself! 

A few weeks ago, I in the prayer room I’d helped set up for university students at a Student Church Planting Experience.  I was pulling one of those 3am slots, and had entered the prayer room intending to intercede for the university students participating in SCPX.  But instead, the Lord had other matters to discuss with me.  I couldn’t stop praying for Preston.  I felt like the Father was asking me to write a letter to Preston from Him.  So I grabbed a piece of construction paper and a marker and started writing from a place of supernatural affection. 

On my way back to SCPX a few days later, I picked up Preston a few days later so he could spend the day with me.  He lit up with excitement when I told him that I had a letter for him from Jesus.  He wanted me to help him read it right then, so I read it mostly from memory (as I tried to keep my eyes on the road!)  “Preston, My Preston...” the letter began.  And the whole first paragraph was the Father just wanting him to know that He loved all the questions that Preston was asking, and that His heart did cartwheels when Preston thought about Him.  I’d barely finished the first part,  I looked over and saw the biggest grin you can imagine taking over Preston’s face.  “Can you thank Him for me?” he asked intently.   “You can thank Him yourself, you know,” I gently reminded him.  “Right now?” he asked.  “Sure!” I said.  And so, with as much passion as his little voice could muster, he let out a loud, expressive “THANK YOU!”

My heart almost melted, but I kept reading.  The middle part of the letter was praising Preston for being such a good big brother and for always watching out for his little sister Makala.  She’s very special, I had written on the Father’s behalf.  The letter also praised Preston for his obedience to his parents, saying that they too were very special.  The last section spoke of how Preston was becoming strong and brave, and of how proud Jesus was of him.  “Listen for My voice, because I’m always speaking.  I love you so much!” the letter finished.  

Preston could hardly contain how thrilled he was over God’s words to him.  The little guy let out a huge contented sigh.  “I just LOVE Jesus!” he exclaimed.  He began to tell me his plans for hiding the letter in a special place in his room so that Makala wouldn’t tear it up.  He then began to re-read it silently, stopping every once in a while to tell me how much he liked particular lines of the letter.  The presence of God was thick in the car as Preston engaged with heart of God over a few simple words scratched on green construction paper.

When we arrived at SCPX, I took Preston up to the prayer room so he could draw a picture for Jesus to hang up.  He drew a picture of a rather chubby person with stick legs and a giant smile.  He asked me to draw a heart next to Jesus and together we hung it up amongst the other prayers. 

Something in me is deeply stirred as I write this story out.  I think today I believe more than ever that there is much to consider in Jesus’ recommendation that we come to Him as children.  Preston is in no way “out of the game” just because he is eight years old.  He is coming to the Kingdom, running freely with a wide open heart, running faster than most grown-ups I know!  Today I’m also convinced more than ever that new life is birthed in the place of prayer and that the Most High God is eager to engage with us in capturing the hearts of the ones He loves.