This can't be good

At midnight my wife’s phone lights up from what would appear to be an urgent text.  Typically, when people text or call at that hour of the night, the news isn’t good.  And this wasn’t good news.  About a week before “the text of midnight” we had new neighbors move in upstairs.  They pulled into the driveway and started unloading their car while we were eating dinner, so I went outside to introduce myself and offer to help.  They had just flown in from Indonesia and seemed pretty tired, declining my offer to help.  We had some food left over after dinner so Kristy went upstairs and offered them what we had left.  They declined that offer as well.  As a few days went on we started to get the impression that they didn’t really want to have anything to do with us.  So Kristy made some cookies for them and wrote a note apologizing for our noisy family and offering to help them in any way we could.  No response was given.  A few more days passed and Kristy was baking again.  As is her custom, she packaged up a few cookies for our neighbors and left them on their mailbox.  It was the midnight following that delivery of cookies that Kristy’s phone lit up with a text from our landlord that read, “I’m really sorry to have to relay this message but your neighbors asked that you stop sending them cookies and notes.”  I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to be kind of awkward in our little duplex. 

If only this was the only negative experience we had this past week.  On Sunday we needed to leave a church service early.  So I went to the Sunday school area to pick up Elijah.  When I got there, the teacher didn’t know where he was.  She checked in a couple different rooms and then found him.  When she did, he came running out to me with his head down and his arms up.  I immediately knew that something was wrong.  I asked Elijah what happened and he told me that a boy pushed him into the wall in the bathroom, grabbed him by the shirt and wouldn’t let him go.  Now, this isn't a criticism of the church or ministry, in fact, I think it's evidence that they are doing a good job.  Because when churches are reaching people and allowing them to be real, there are going to be real issues.  But for me, to hear Elijah struggle to get these words out and feeling the fear in his little body as I held him just made my heart break.  It kills me to think of what was going through my little man’s heart as he felt completely alone, vulnerable, and physically hurt.  He hasn’t experienced anything like this before. 

We understand this is just a part of raising little kids.  I sincerely hope that our experience will be able to benefit us and others in the future.   But it is so hard to watch our kids go through hard things even for the good of other people.  Me?  Sure.  I’ll go through something hard or painful to help someone else.  But offer my kids?  Not a chance.  And then it hit me like a flood. 

“How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.”

This week has been challenging but good.  I’m grateful that God has allowed us to experience what we have.  The reality is that in church planting, we will experience far more people who ask us not send them any more cookies than people who offer us their numbers so that we can keep in touch.  And the greater reality is that God loves us so deeply that He would willingly put His Son in harm’s way, leaving Him alone, vulnerable, physically and spiritually broken so that we would never have to be alone and through His brokenness are made whole.  What a great privilege we have to point people to this God who grants us eternal freedom at the cost of His Son.