Posts by The_Embassy

You’ve probably heard the saying “I’m not all that I want to be, but thank God I’m not what I used to be.” If you can say that today, that means you’re on the road to progress. The truth is that all of our lives are under construction, and sometimes the road to progress is messy and slow. When you’re tempted to get discouraged, remember what the apostle Paul says: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). You’re a work in progress. You will get to the completion phases, because God is going to fulfill His promises to you.

I was out running errands one Saturday. City traffic was a little wonky, but to be expected, especially since I was near the mall and other shopping centers. Oh yes, and don’t forget to factor in construction on every major street and highway in the city.

Anyhoo, I was driving in the right lane, ready to turn at the next light, when I realized that everyone was making their way into the left lane. As I continued on, I noticed that an officer had someone pulled over. Of course, I needed to make my way over, so I put on my signal, in hopes that someone would slow down enough to give me space.

Rejection—it’s so personal. It sticks to our souls. It does not respond to reason, and is not easily dislodged from our hearts. We can try to talk ourselves out of the indictment that comes with it, but the words we use are mostly ineffective, reinforcing our shame.

I have experienced all sorts of rejection. I still feel the sting of certain family members not ever returning my phone calls and good friendships that are no more. I have heard things like, “you are not a good fit for our small group” or “since you homeschool, we didn’t think you’d fit in with us.” These words pierce. There is a finality about them. They do not leave room for further conversations.

I was having coffee with one of the women I’ve been discipling last month. This is her first year in Kansas City, and in the few short months she’s been here, her growth has been exponential. The opportunity to be discipled, combined with an increased love for learning and heightened capacity to understand theological truth and apply it to her spiritual walk has made her year unforgettable.

Seeing such rapid and significant growth has been fascinating. The Bible uses cultivation language to talk about the lives of believers and how they interact with teachers, disciplers, and others who have influence in their lives – some water, some plant seeds, and some get to witness the harvest.