I re-listened to a sermon yesterday on the theology of suffering from a pastor (Levi Lusko) who suffered immense pain after losing his daughter to an asthma attack in 2012. The following quotation has caused me to stop and think so many times since initially hearing it that I couldn't help but share it and relate it to my new career endeavor.
"If we take away suffering altogether, we take away the ministry. The Bible tells us that we're a royal priesthood and holy nation and we like that! But most of us forget that Kings and Priests have to be anointed. What are they anointed with? Oil. Where does oil come from? Olives-- olives that have been pressed and crushed and broken down so that the goodness can be drawn out from it. Who was crushed in order to be anointed? Jesus. He was crushed at Gethsemane (literally meaning "oil press") so we could take His anointing as kings and priests of God's kingdom. In return, we sometimes feel crushed by the things in this life."
Whoa... I mean, I've always been a fan of Romans 8:28 because it explicitly tells us God is working EVERYTHING together for the GOOD of those who love Him. But this is next-level theology. It's solid reasoning for why suffering happens but gives me reason to believe that God's plans are bigger and He wants good for all of us, even when brokenness is so visible.
As I began to apply that theology to my life, especially in light of my recent career move, I can trace back some pretty significant stories of brokenness that have lead me to this opportunity. Allow me to walk you through the process of finding this job:
August 2012: Moved to the Philippines to work at Faith Academy
July 2014: Moved home from Manila, Philippines to work at a camp
Began working at the camp and met Matt Swigart, a former pastor at New Life Church who "just happened" to be selected as a first-time speaker for my first week of the camp job.
August 2014: Lost my job at the camp; moved to the Twin Cities and took the first job I could find.
September 2014: Reconnected with Matt Swigart who connected me with his old church (New Life) and consequently got me the job as a youth intern.
April 2015: As a youth intern, I planned a portion of the mission trip we were going on to Ecuador. Met Joyce and Al Anderstrom (pastor and wife) as part of the church.
June: Nearly took a job in Chicago and considered uprooting my whole life again. God said no. I was dumbfounded as to why.
July 2015: Met Robbie Anderstrom (son of Joyce and Al) on the mission trip to Ecuador that I helped plan. He encouraged me to try his church after I was done at New Life.
August 2015: Tried Robbie's church, ended up liking it and staying. Met Robbie's roommate Luke. We all become good friends.
January 2016: Luke tells me about his boss' wife's daycare and their need for a lead teacher.
February 2016: Luke connects me with Jodi, who, as of tomorrow, will be my boss at the daycare...
So, to review: If I hadn't moved overseas, I wouldn't have needed to take the camp job and I would've never met Matt, who would've never introduced me to the youth internship which connected me with Anderstrom's, who connected me with their Robbie. If I had taken the job in Chicago, this is where the story would end. I would've never taken Robbie up on his invitation to church where I met Luke, who "happened" to mention his boss' wife's need for a daycare lead teacher and eventual owner... That's too many steps for any one person to orchestrate. That was God. Oh! And as a fun sidenote, Matt Swigart has a daughter going on the mission trip I've been invited back for this month, so I will get to minister to his family like he ministered to mine. So cool!
If you would've told me in August of 2012 that four years later I would be the eventual owner of a daycare in SW Minneapolis, I would have laughed you out of the room SO fast! I'm still reeling at the pace that this has happened in, but when I trace it back, this was a divine appointment YEARS in the making--predestined, if you will. God knew I would take this job someday, but four years ago, I didn't know a single one of the people who lead me to this job.
There's an incredible amount of brokenness not recorded in that scarce timeline as well. I mean, it's easy to type "Moved to Manila," but the emotional, cultural, and relational impact that has on a person is something that can hardly be articulated because it's so vast. Similarly, the transition home was anything but easy. A lost job, some broken and rusty friendships, and a really tough financial situation had me feeling pretty broken and wondering IF God even had a purpose for my life in 2014. I felt like I had completely swung and missed at God's calling on my life and I had the rejection slip to show it. And I'd be lying if I said the 2014-2015 school year was an easy one, because it wasn't. I had to sort through some tough stuff to figure out who I am in Christ, where I'm headed, and what has to change to get me there. But as the timeline so clearly demonstrates, my toil was nearly in vain (and the worry was worthless!) because God just kept planting the right people at the right time to say the right thing and spark the right idea to keep me headed the right way.
Every bit of brokenness, change, and difficulty was used as an olive in God's oil press. Everything I felt was valid. Everything I walked through was real and is now part of my story. Several times, I asked God to take away whatever circumstance I was "suffering," and while He did bring me through that season, nothing was a quick fix. Like Levi Lusko said, "If you take away the suffering, you take away the ministry." And for this chapter, I finally get to see the product of all the crushing and smashing that existed in 2014 and 2015 -- the beautiful and life-giving oil that has been pulled from the brokenness to show me how good and faithful and sovereign God is. And honestly, I'm trembling at the enormity of it. This job intimidates me. I didn't exactly ask for it. I don't deserve this anointing -- this daycare business is so much bigger than what I ever prayed for. And as of tomorrow, it's my new normal.
But God rarely uses the already-powerful to lead the weak. In fact, He specializes in using the weak, the broken, the poor, and the powerless to become great and humble leaders. And in the last 18 months, I have been week, I've been poor, I've been broken, and I've even felt powerless. I'm not saying I'm the next Daycare Queen or that I have all this figured out, but I want to make sure that God gets the glory for every chapter of my story and this chapter has a pretty epic ending.
In the same sermon, Levi Lusko simply states, "Storms reveal foundations." Through this season of searching and brokenness, I can attest to it's truth: you will quickly find out what you're made of when everything falls apart. In the same way that you can't build a basement in the hour before a tornado, you can't build stability and spiritual wisdom overnight. This storm has revealed my foundation, my Solid Rock. Everyone who asks how I got this job will see, it was the hand of the Lord that aligned my steps to cross paths with all those people and it was Him who sustained me in the meantime. It was the sum total of my experiences that have prepared me to step into this role and just dig in.
Storms are coming, friends. Where is your foundation? The oil press of life is turning all the time and my hope is that you can see the good God is bringing out of the season you're in. Walk the hard yard. He's walking with you -- my story of becoming the Daycare Lady is just one tiny example. The lyrics to this classic hymn have been scrolling through my mind this week as I said goodbye to my preschoolers and in a couple hard conversations this week.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' love and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace
Through every high and stormy gale, my Anchor holds within the veil
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood
When earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.
"If we take away suffering altogether, we take away the ministry. The Bible tells us that we're a royal priesthood and holy nation and we like that! But most of us forget that Kings and Priests have to be anointed. What are they anointed with? Oil. Where does oil come from? Olives-- olives that have been pressed and crushed and broken down so that the goodness can be drawn out from it. Who was crushed in order to be anointed? Jesus. He was crushed at Gethsemane (literally meaning "oil press") so we could take His anointing as kings and priests of God's kingdom. In return, we sometimes feel crushed by the things in this life."
Whoa... I mean, I've always been a fan of Romans 8:28 because it explicitly tells us God is working EVERYTHING together for the GOOD of those who love Him. But this is next-level theology. It's solid reasoning for why suffering happens but gives me reason to believe that God's plans are bigger and He wants good for all of us, even when brokenness is so visible.
As I began to apply that theology to my life, especially in light of my recent career move, I can trace back some pretty significant stories of brokenness that have lead me to this opportunity. Allow me to walk you through the process of finding this job:
August 2012: Moved to the Philippines to work at Faith Academy
July 2014: Moved home from Manila, Philippines to work at a camp
Began working at the camp and met Matt Swigart, a former pastor at New Life Church who "just happened" to be selected as a first-time speaker for my first week of the camp job.
August 2014: Lost my job at the camp; moved to the Twin Cities and took the first job I could find.
September 2014: Reconnected with Matt Swigart who connected me with his old church (New Life) and consequently got me the job as a youth intern.
April 2015: As a youth intern, I planned a portion of the mission trip we were going on to Ecuador. Met Joyce and Al Anderstrom (pastor and wife) as part of the church.
June: Nearly took a job in Chicago and considered uprooting my whole life again. God said no. I was dumbfounded as to why.
July 2015: Met Robbie Anderstrom (son of Joyce and Al) on the mission trip to Ecuador that I helped plan. He encouraged me to try his church after I was done at New Life.
August 2015: Tried Robbie's church, ended up liking it and staying. Met Robbie's roommate Luke. We all become good friends.
January 2016: Luke tells me about his boss' wife's daycare and their need for a lead teacher.
February 2016: Luke connects me with Jodi, who, as of tomorrow, will be my boss at the daycare...
So, to review: If I hadn't moved overseas, I wouldn't have needed to take the camp job and I would've never met Matt, who would've never introduced me to the youth internship which connected me with Anderstrom's, who connected me with their Robbie. If I had taken the job in Chicago, this is where the story would end. I would've never taken Robbie up on his invitation to church where I met Luke, who "happened" to mention his boss' wife's need for a daycare lead teacher and eventual owner... That's too many steps for any one person to orchestrate. That was God. Oh! And as a fun sidenote, Matt Swigart has a daughter going on the mission trip I've been invited back for this month, so I will get to minister to his family like he ministered to mine. So cool!
If you would've told me in August of 2012 that four years later I would be the eventual owner of a daycare in SW Minneapolis, I would have laughed you out of the room SO fast! I'm still reeling at the pace that this has happened in, but when I trace it back, this was a divine appointment YEARS in the making--predestined, if you will. God knew I would take this job someday, but four years ago, I didn't know a single one of the people who lead me to this job.
There's an incredible amount of brokenness not recorded in that scarce timeline as well. I mean, it's easy to type "Moved to Manila," but the emotional, cultural, and relational impact that has on a person is something that can hardly be articulated because it's so vast. Similarly, the transition home was anything but easy. A lost job, some broken and rusty friendships, and a really tough financial situation had me feeling pretty broken and wondering IF God even had a purpose for my life in 2014. I felt like I had completely swung and missed at God's calling on my life and I had the rejection slip to show it. And I'd be lying if I said the 2014-2015 school year was an easy one, because it wasn't. I had to sort through some tough stuff to figure out who I am in Christ, where I'm headed, and what has to change to get me there. But as the timeline so clearly demonstrates, my toil was nearly in vain (and the worry was worthless!) because God just kept planting the right people at the right time to say the right thing and spark the right idea to keep me headed the right way.
Every bit of brokenness, change, and difficulty was used as an olive in God's oil press. Everything I felt was valid. Everything I walked through was real and is now part of my story. Several times, I asked God to take away whatever circumstance I was "suffering," and while He did bring me through that season, nothing was a quick fix. Like Levi Lusko said, "If you take away the suffering, you take away the ministry." And for this chapter, I finally get to see the product of all the crushing and smashing that existed in 2014 and 2015 -- the beautiful and life-giving oil that has been pulled from the brokenness to show me how good and faithful and sovereign God is. And honestly, I'm trembling at the enormity of it. This job intimidates me. I didn't exactly ask for it. I don't deserve this anointing -- this daycare business is so much bigger than what I ever prayed for. And as of tomorrow, it's my new normal.
But God rarely uses the already-powerful to lead the weak. In fact, He specializes in using the weak, the broken, the poor, and the powerless to become great and humble leaders. And in the last 18 months, I have been week, I've been poor, I've been broken, and I've even felt powerless. I'm not saying I'm the next Daycare Queen or that I have all this figured out, but I want to make sure that God gets the glory for every chapter of my story and this chapter has a pretty epic ending.
In the same sermon, Levi Lusko simply states, "Storms reveal foundations." Through this season of searching and brokenness, I can attest to it's truth: you will quickly find out what you're made of when everything falls apart. In the same way that you can't build a basement in the hour before a tornado, you can't build stability and spiritual wisdom overnight. This storm has revealed my foundation, my Solid Rock. Everyone who asks how I got this job will see, it was the hand of the Lord that aligned my steps to cross paths with all those people and it was Him who sustained me in the meantime. It was the sum total of my experiences that have prepared me to step into this role and just dig in.
Storms are coming, friends. Where is your foundation? The oil press of life is turning all the time and my hope is that you can see the good God is bringing out of the season you're in. Walk the hard yard. He's walking with you -- my story of becoming the Daycare Lady is just one tiny example. The lyrics to this classic hymn have been scrolling through my mind this week as I said goodbye to my preschoolers and in a couple hard conversations this week.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' love and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace
Through every high and stormy gale, my Anchor holds within the veil
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood
When earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.
Your fresh squeezed olive oil is a soothing balm to others who are feeling the squeeze! +Joyce
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