Dangerous Surrender Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Gloriously Ruined
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"I'm simply not the person I used to be, although who I was before wasn't a bad person. But I've been shaped by these new experiences and I will never be the same. Moreover, I don't want to be the same. I can't see what I've seen, met the people I've met, experienced what I've experienced, only to turn away and return to life as usual. I now look at life through a different set of lenses."

I think this is my new theme song.



She talks about existing in 3 worlds. My world where I am a wife, a mom, a member of Trinity Bible Church, a teacher, a friend, a daughter, and a sister. This world includes trips to the grocery store, leading games for VBS (even though my kid is WAY too young for VBS), finger painting with pudding, giving my son 3 baths a day, calling my husband to make sure he remembers things, having it out with the copy machine 5 minutes before my school starts. These things are important to me, and this is where I need to make my faith real.

The suffering world. This is a world full of "spiritual emptiness, extreme poverty, corrupt leadership, pandemic diseases, and crippling illiteracy. You and I have the opportunity to be Jesus' hands and feet to these brothers and sisters, making him known by our love."
This is the world God calls us to serve in.

The spiritual world. "This is the unseen and most real world of all- in which I am united with God through a personal relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the world I draw the strength, courage, integrity, and love I need to live in the other two worlds. If I didn't experience the spiritual world with its eternal perspective I would burn out from fatigue or emotional overload. God's Word, quiet times of reflection, worship music that refreshes my soul, and the companionship of other "ruined" friends keep me spiritually healthy. Because of that I am happy and content to be a citizen of all three worlds."

"Living with my feet in all three worlds is a challenge as I constantly evaluate where to spend my time and energy on a daily basis, but being spiritually grounded makes it all possible."

I think that this is so important because I have a really hard time balancing my worlds sometimes. I know God has called me to be a wife and mother first. But I also know he has called me to serve his people. I know that when one world gets out of balance then everything tumbles down. Keeping my spiritual world first keeps things in perspective.

"When suffering becomes personal with faces and names, and when you hear their stories, you won't be able to remain disconnected."

I think this is the adoption community for sure. We are all touched by our children's past and we have been "gloriously ruined" by it.


As always, comment me with your perspectives:)