This is our cell group!
I was reading a blog, Stuff Christians Like. Let me just tell you, if you've never checked it out, you should.
So I was reading this blog, about three simple words: God loves you.
God loves you.
God loves you.
If only that could sink in.
Just like Jon in the tunnel at the Catalyst Conference, to hear God say to me, "This is small. The work you are doing, this is small compared to my love and grace for you."
To understand, yes, I am following the call of God on my life here in Peru. And we are seeing fruit of God's glory and grace and his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We are discipling three groups of people. We have been working with this family since Love Extreme FIVE MONTHS AGO. And we have seen it grow from just Sonia to her family, eleven people in all. That is amazing! And we have plans to unite it with another cell group that is ten minutes away, and it will become a new church. And we have plans to do amazing outreach next week. And we believe we are going to experience God and see more people come to the foot of the cross.
BUT...
This is small.
This is small compared to God's love for us.
Small compared to his grace in our lives. Small compared to the power that God wants to fill us with, the same power that the church of Acts had: power to heal, cast out demons, see people forgiven of sins and changed. Compared to that power, this is SMALL!
I am filled with comfort because of that thought. Extraordinary comfort. This morning, Ester reminded me of Colossians 3:23-24:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
We are getting attacked hard core. I have now been sick to my stomach for an entire week. And, without giving details, I mean really sick. And ever since we have hit our sixth month here, I have been getting sick every other week. And we have faced some really difficult things. Culture clashes. You could even call some of it persecution. We have been attacked.
But God's love covers us. His grace is sufficient. In our weaknesses, we are strong.