Engaging in Mission begins by seeing it from the foot of the Cross.
“The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
“She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” – Luke 2:19
“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” – Psalm 126
Last weekend, CFC-Youth Montreal’s Area Core had their year planning. It was the first time ever that this was conducted over a weekend instead of just one day and this made a difference. With more time to not only plan but to properly recollect to in truly discerning the leading for the Area, small region big dreams were really sifted out in full detail into a very deliberate plan that left us – both incoming and outgoing leaders- not the “typical” empowered at the end of a praisefest, but in tears.
What kind of tears were these? Were they sad or happy tears? There was something about these tears that were different, so different that both Ellen and I had to process in private afterwards… They were neither. They were tears of resolve after contemplating the many difficulties (no CCs, no programs heads) up ahead. The same type I’m sure Mother Mary felt in her heart standing at the foot of the cross in seeing every detail of It (wood, size, colour) and of Jesus’ pain and suffering (crown of thorns, thirst-dried lips, wounds). There is no doubt that she felt the deepest anguish, pain, and helplessness. Yet, she never buckled down and stood by Him until the very end.
For many different reasons, if we see service as a Cross,(e.g. lack of CCs, demotivated leaders, etc.) God never wants us to be standing in the crowd watching It. We will slowly become part of the jeerers, demanding that Jesus reveals Himself (“save yourself!”) to us in order to believe and move. He wants us standing so close to the Cross that we will immediately see and recognize that It is also ours. And with renewed resolve, we must pick it up, carry it through our personal road to cavalry to where we will be moved again in meeting Christ on His cross.
(prayer): Jesus, we are deeply moved by your loving sacrifice. Let the tears we shed in our Mission of spreading the Good News lead us to true resolve, a place where we acknowledge that laying down our lives out of love for you is our only consolation and way to everlasting joy.