Thursday, August 9, 2007

Loving Others for the Sake of the Gospel

OK. Who wants to look inside my heart? Not me!

This afternoon our family enjoyed a beautiful drive through the Red Rock Canyon just west of Las Vegas. Absolutely breathtaking! I've posted a couple of pictures. Just before our drive we stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant for some lunch. Over our meal Angie and I were talking about ways in which we will try early on to integrate into our new community. One of the things we spoke about is my desire to tutor in the high school just down the street, as there is a tremendous shortage in Las Vegas schools for teachers who specialize in the sciences and mathematics. For those of you who don't know it, I love math. Pray that those doors will open.

I told you that so that I can tell you this. You'll remember that the purpose of this blog is to communicate our progress and to share the challenges of our work. I'm finding again and again that progress at this stage of the work (and no doubt through a lifetime of ministry) must take place at the heart level. After we returned home from our short day trip I was watering some new grass seedlings at the home where we are house-sitting. At once our daughter came out the door looking for help with her "floam" that granny just shipped to us and our oldest son asked me to help him install some new software for a network card that my brother sent in the mail. I gave a half-hearted, "Yes, I'll be right in to help." I didn't want to help. I was tired.

Just then I realized that the desire I have to tutor young school boys in order to love them as image bearers, and to demonstrate the truth of the gospel, is unmatched at times by my desire to demonstrate the truth of the gospel to my own children through loving service to them. Why is it like this sometimes? I can't answer that, but can only thank our Lord for the grace to realize the need I have for repentance and growth.

Pray that we will be known as Christ followers by the love we have one for another, as well as the love we show the lost.

1 comment:

Stephen Leung said...

Touche! That is such a common temptation, isn't it. I'll go and say "yes" and mean it right now...

Me and Angie

Me and Angie
December 2010