With February’s end, we celebrate seven years of LIFT in Houston!! Each week at LIFT I take notes in a little spiral bound notebook recording attendance, message notes, worship music and then reminders of what we talked about in Small Group (Ladies). We have never been more excited about where God will take us this year...our 8th year.
It’s been therapeutic for me to look back through the pages and realize how many individuals and families have been impacted by LIFT. And to picture each of your faces as we sat at the table during intake together. It’s a deep honor to journey with you. We’ve cried buckets of tears and we’ve cheered you on as you chose to surrender your sexuality & see what God would do with that. We’ve encouraged you as you serve Him in your churches and seen you take giant leaps of faith. We’ve held sacred space(s) with you as you’ve tried on many different ideas, ideals, convictions and held them up to His Word for final approval. And we’ve watched with heavy hearts just a few walk back into the lifestyle embracing the practice of homosexuality and assured them that we would be on the porch waiting and praying for them if they chose to come home.
At “intake” we try to be clear that every JOURNEY is uniquely yours. We try to explain to those considering joining LIFT that it’s more like a marathon than a sprint. The struggle isn’t something we can give you 3 points and a poem to achieve “success”. (If only we could – we could be rich, but we’d give it to you for FREE!) In fact, the “struggle” has been described as an invisible, yet LOUD lion roaring at intake and then fading to possibly a sleepy kitten or even a butterfly over time.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
SO, I wonder if it would be good for you to look back at your JOURNEY and consider from where you’ve come and to where you’re arriving. How has the Lord grown you personally, emotionally, and spiritually? Where is He taking you next? To what new levels of intimacy with Him will you go?
A Blessing for the Dance of Healing by Aundi Kolber
“Somewhere along the way, you picked up the belief that healing would be like a line you’d finally cross. And then, like a boulder in your bag, you carried this stifling, yet seductive idea with you.
For years, it has weighed you down; hitting your back, reminding you of your un-finished-ness. Whispering that you’d finally matter when, if ever, you arrived.
But then, one day, the brightness of Hope touched your eyes. Inviting you to see reality as it is, not as it is expected to be. Finally, you considered putting down the boulder, because perhaps your value isn’t up for dispute.
Perhaps, perhaps, Hope said—you can lay that down for now and come join me in the Dance of Healing.
And then, you did.
You put down the devastating weight and let yourself join into the truer truth of your identity: Belovedness.
Of course, sometimes you stubbed your toe and sometimes you picked the boulder back up; because you thought you should. Yet, your body never forgot what it’s like to dance with healing.
Now you know. And you’ll never not know again.
Now you can dance.”
It's time to own your belovedness!!!
LISTEN to this song - "Belovedness" by Sarah Kroger!
"You've owned your fear and all your self-loathing
You've owned the voices inside of your head
You've owned the shame and reproach of your failure
It's time to own your belovedness
You've owned your past and how it's defined you
You've owned everything everybody else says
It's time to hear what your father has spoken
It's time to own your belovedness
He says, "You're mine, I smiled when I made you
I find you beautiful in every way
My love for you is fierce and unending
I'll come to find you, whatever it takes
My beloved"
You've owned the mess you see in the mirror
You've owned the lies that you're just not enough
You've been so blinded by all you're comparing
It's time to own your belovedness"
Happy 7 years LIFT family!
Thank you for being you.
Here’s to 70 X 7 more!!
*Taken from LIFT weekly email.
