Up Hill, Falling

Have you ever noticed that whenever work is hard, we always use "up hill" metaphors to describe it?

• That's an up hill battle.
• It's like pushing a boulder up hill.
• I had to walk to school every morning without shoes, in the snow, up hill, both ways.  (This one's my favorite.)

I find it kind of strange that we also use the term "falling" to describe when things are going well.  (ie. "Things are just falling into place.")  I often use a variation of this picture to describe how God is working in and through His people in the church.  

"It's like an old World War 2 bomber filled with wood, nails, and other building materials.  The airplane flies over an empty field and opens the doors.  The materials fall to the ground and when they hit, it is a perfectly built building."

This is the way I feel about being a part of the Church in general.  Christ is the head.  Christ chooses parts of His Body to fulfill different functions.  Christ gives direction through His Spirit.  We all do our parts, sometimes not knowing what the others are doing, but trusting it will all fall into place. When we do, it does.

A lot of our ministry at Life Bridge has been an up hill battle, like pushing a boulder up a hill (in the snow without shoes, I guess). I'm starting to see signs, though, of things falling into place again.

Traci and I spent over a year (2013-2014) learning seven new programming languages and starting to build an infrastructure that will allow us to empower one million to walk together with God.  Now, we are starting to create programs with those languages that will actually be a blessing to people on a day in and day out, week in and week out basis.  (Some of you are consistently receiving prayer texts now, for example.)  Excitement is starting to build.  One piece is falling into place.

The Life Bridge web site has been hacked and taken down over and over again over recent years.  The tools we had been using simply weren't secure enough, so they were shut down completely in 2013.  A temporary web site was put in place using a different, more secure but limited tool.  We have been limping along with this site for two years now.  Finally, the tools Traci and I have been learning can be used for our Life Bridge web site as well.  We have a new team member (Missi) who is learning this new tool as well and working on a new, better web site for the church.  Not only that, she knows how to tie it all together with social media (like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, etc.).  Excitement is starting to build.  Another piece is falling into place.

Tim and the team were overwhelmed with fire-inspection work and our toolbox team was drained of funds from that work.  The team is rallying again, though, and getting ready to reconfigure the big room (worship center?) for easier traffic flow and to allow us to safely set up more chairs. We won't be able to fit a million in there, but we will be able to fit at least one more. ;) Excitement is starting to build.  Another piece is falling into place.

Sara had the opportunity to make a job change and felt the call from God to come volunteer at Life Bridge more often.  She has been seeking wisdom and asking God to show her how He wants to work through her.  She is being led to use her gift of hospitality.  Throughout this week, then, she has been cleaning up and organizing parts of the building, playing the Christian radio station in the background, making coffee, and even baking something each morning to help the building smell like "home."  She wants to create a safe environment where people will enjoy coming to meet, sit and use the WiFi, or even read and/or pray.  (By the time she gets done, Panera bread will have nothing on us.)  Excitement is starting to build.  Another piece is falling into place. 

Do you see it?