It's good to know that CRAZY has company

If I had a dollar for every time we've heard, "Y'all are crazy," well....let's just say our ministry would be almost fully funded.

Yes, I agree, we are crazy. But you know what?

There are others like us.

Sure those other families may look different and maybe they don't dance quite as well as we Beavers do. But they are crazy too. And I take some comfort in their craziness. These families are sold out for Jesus, serving Him radically in missions. And I'd like to introduce you to some of them.

(Click on their names to go to their blogs)

This sweet family are the Helsbys. We "know" the Helsbys through an ongoing relationship via email. They are serving orphaned and vulnerable children of Tanzania and they have SIX kids as well. We "met" them through Chris and Lindy since they stayed at Livingstone Guesthouse when Becky neared her due date with their littlest one a few years ago. Becky has not been afraid to be real, practical and encouraging to me through many, many emails. She's set me straight on things I thought I knew and tenderly encouraged me in areas where she sees my heart aching.

We are crazy, so are the Helsbys.

Then there are the Swansons. We met this sweet family the 1st night of Candidate Week. The first thing Geoff asked me was, "So, do y'all know where you are going?" When I said, "Not a clue" we both breathed a sigh of relief that neither of us had any idea where the Lord was leading us.

The Swansons have 3 kids, one of whom, Sophia, has a manageable, yet serious, medical condition. They are leaving for Namibia (pronounced: Nuh-mi-bee-ya) in 2012.

We are crazy, so are the Swansons.

Then there's the Bentz Family. They are current Africa Inland Mission (AIM) missionaries heading to Lesotho (pronounced: Lee-sue-two) at the end of December. They have 4 children. I don't know them personally but from reading their blog it's obvious they have been on a faith journey since their initial pursuit of missions.

We are crazy, and from the looks of it, so is the Bentz family.

We also met the Tuckers at Candidate Week. Their sweet girls (along with Sophia from the Swanson family) loved on our kids so much during that week. They let our kids join the "big kid" table and Elizabeth really assumed the role of teenager much too easily.

The Tuckers are leaving to serve with AIM Air in December of 2011. Their servants hearts were so apparent to us while we were at Candidate Week.

We are crazy, so are the Tuckers.

Also there's the Lockwoods. Again, I don't know the Lockwoods personally. They have TWELVE children and serve the people of Mexico. Jaynee writes with such love for the Lord and such a heart of service. Talk about people who are CRAZY! Twelve kids AND missionaries.

We are crazy, so are the Lockwoods.

And then there are other families we know that aren't what normal people would call "missionaries" but are, in fact, on their own mission field.

There's this family who adopted from Rwanda when the world said, "Why? You already have enough kids?"

And this family who fostered then adopted a son. And if that wasn't enough they are now fostering a teenaged boy and LOVING IT.

And this family who is adopting from Ethiopia when they too "Already have enough kids."

And this family who is fostering two little ones while their own kids are still "young."

And finally, this family, who just adopted their 4th child (and it's their 2nd adoption) from China. Both adoptions were special needs children. Both frowned upon by the world around them.

And so many others that I can't even begin to list them all. Folks I know planting churches in cities that border our own. Folks loving on kids, teenagers, adults, people with special needs and orphans and following God's calling to pursue something crazy and beyond their own ability.

We are crazy, and so are most of our friends.

I hope that if you are reading this and not feeling a little crazy that you'll pray about the area of your life that God wants, desires and dreams to use in a crazy way. And join our family and our friends in being crazy in the eyes of the world.

Apparently, we Beavers aren't alone in the crazy. It's so good to know that CRAZY has company. And what awesome company it is, too.

Her Words, My Heavy Heart

I love reading blogs. Mostly because the ones I choose to read are about real lives, with real people, with real families with real emotions. Of course I understand that it's a glimpse at the authors real life and that, in effect, they truly don't blog about everything in their life, just as I don't. But for the most part they are open, honest and truthful about things that are often hard to be truthful about.

And I love that.

Courtney over at Storing Up Treasures has a beautiful family. She's the main character in a real, live, beautiful story of the Lord's redemption. It's her life, outloud, for all to read.

And I think she's been secretly reading my diary.

After weathering many seasons of uncertainty, pain and restoration, she wrote THIS post on Sunday. I promise you it was almost like reading the words right from my own journal.

She wrote,

I just wish that those in my life could understand that my life is mine. I know it doesn't look like what you think it should. I know that it looks a little crazy to you. I know that you would do things so different from me. And that is okay. I love you. It makes no difference to me what you choose in your life. I love you irregardless. My love is not based off of some list of requirements that I think you should be subscribing too. And just because I live a life that is different from yours, and just because I write about my thoughts, my views, doesn't mean that your life has any less value or purpose, or that what you are doing isn't what is exactly right for you.

and then later, in the same post, she said,

And you know who you are. Those people I LOVE so much that my heart aches that they can't get past my life and my choices. I love you. So much so that I am broken that you can't love me back and know that I am still me. The same me I was when we were wild and crazy kids. The same me that you loved then.... just with a much different looking life. And maybe there are things that have changed. Some for the better, but I am still me.

And you can love me. You don't have to get me. You don't have to understand. But, you can accept that we have taken different paths in this world. And that is okay. Your path is yours. My path is mine. And I know that those things at the end of the day don't really matter. We are family. And we always will be.

This is just a blog. It is just a blog. It isn't who I am. It doesn't define me. It doesn't change me. It is just a place I share my world. What I say here isn't the end all be all. And most likely someday I will look back on these posts laughing about the girl I used to be, amazed by the way things have changed, and hopeful about the future. But, I will still be me.

I love it when I find another person's blog and through their words I understand that they just get me. I have no doubt that the Lord gave Courtney those words on Sunday so that she could minister to my very heavy heart.

Heaviness.

That's just about how I feel lately. Heaviness that people I love don't want to talk to me about the important things in our lives. Heaviness from pain caused from comments and rejections and overall disapproval. And I carry this heaviness with me all day, and have for many months, and I'm tired.

Yes, I admit, I want to be accepted by people. But moreover, I want to be approved by the One who calls me His child and who I willingly tie myself to as His bondservant. If obedience to God means walking through the rest of my life with the folks I hold dearest being cold and distant toward me, then I guess that's the calling I will follow. Sadly. Though I pray that isn't the case.

My love for the Lord does not equate unlove for those who will be affected by our choices. I realize it hurts. IT HURTS ME TOO. But for now, walking in obedience is the only path I choose. Hurtful or not. Scared or not. Fearful and trembling, I choose the path of obedience.

Truthfully, we can either walk together down this road and cry, laugh, mourn, rejoice, fear and turn to the Lord together. Or, we can do it apart. I choose not to back away from this hard season of life because I can see the tangible evidence that God is drawing me closer to His holiness.

And that's exactly where I want to be.

With you at my side.