God says he provides for the lilies and the sparrows, how much more for us?
I am currently living with a community in Atlanta Georgia, and like many of the communities I visit, it is completely run by donations. They give much away, they do the Works of Mercy, the work Jesus told us to do, and trust that if the Lord wills the work to be done he will provide the way for it to be so. They live precariously, on the goodness and providence of others, and they are provided for.
Like the life of these communities, my life in this season is intentionally precarious. I want to trust in the goodness of God and others. I read Jesus’ instructions to his early disciples, to go from town to town with nothing but the bare essentials, announcing the kingdom of God through word and deed, trusting others for provision, and believe that this call is still relevant to us today. The heroes of the faith, like St. Francis of Assisi and Dorothy Day, seemed to do the same. God calls us to great things and his promise to provide remains true in every season.
I have seen his provision much on my trip. The other day I hitchhiked from Greensboro, North Carolina to the Appalachian Mountains on the western side of the state, and due to speedy rides and waits, managed to get to my campground, eat dinner, and set up camp before nightfall. A journey that potentially could have been stressful and pain stricken turned out peaceful and mild. I even had time in the night to walk into the small Appalachian town of one stoplight located beside my campground to enjoy some cider and journal-reflection. The bar played Bob Dylan and bluegrass, the folks upfront talked with thick, nearly unintelligible southern accents, the cider left a savory taste on my tongue, and my soul was overflowing with gratitude for the beauty of life.
A really great and unexpected provision God has brought into my life is a great friend and travel partner, Jack Leason. I met Jack at the Catholic Worker in New York City, shocked to find that he looked like my doppleganger and equally surprised to find that he had come to the States from New Zealand to do basically the same thing as me: tour the country and visit a bunch of intentional communities and friends. We quickly connected and have coordinated our schedules to travel together. A week ago, when I was in the Appalachians, we were attending a music festival and had temporarily escaped the crowds to rest in the shallow yet powerful river which flowed between the surrounding mountains and bordered our campground. We sat with our backs to the current and enjoyed the water’s natural massage. I thought aloud to Jack as a new realization crossed my mind, “God said he would provide for his disciples when he sent them out, and this was an important idea for my trip, but I didn’t pay as much attention to another detail of the story, God also sent the disciples out two by two.” I knew companionship was essential for the journey and knew I would need to seek it out, but Jack’s presence in that moment seemed a confirmation of sorts: that God still provides for his children, that they are still called to great things, and he will still make a way if we let him.
I will be leaving Atlanta tomorrow, to meet up with Jack and some other friends in Asheville, North Carolina. In a few days we will begin the Mid-West leg of our journey, visiting a number of communities and friends in a relatively short period of time. Keep us in your prayers. We are praying for you.
Links:
- The Open Door: http://opendoorcommunity.org/
I am currently living with a community in Atlanta Georgia, and like many of the communities I visit, it is completely run by donations. They give much away, they do the Works of Mercy, the work Jesus told us to do, and trust that if the Lord wills the work to be done he will provide the way for it to be so. They live precariously, on the goodness and providence of others, and they are provided for.
Like the life of these communities, my life in this season is intentionally precarious. I want to trust in the goodness of God and others. I read Jesus’ instructions to his early disciples, to go from town to town with nothing but the bare essentials, announcing the kingdom of God through word and deed, trusting others for provision, and believe that this call is still relevant to us today. The heroes of the faith, like St. Francis of Assisi and Dorothy Day, seemed to do the same. God calls us to great things and his promise to provide remains true in every season.
I have seen his provision much on my trip. The other day I hitchhiked from Greensboro, North Carolina to the Appalachian Mountains on the western side of the state, and due to speedy rides and waits, managed to get to my campground, eat dinner, and set up camp before nightfall. A journey that potentially could have been stressful and pain stricken turned out peaceful and mild. I even had time in the night to walk into the small Appalachian town of one stoplight located beside my campground to enjoy some cider and journal-reflection. The bar played Bob Dylan and bluegrass, the folks upfront talked with thick, nearly unintelligible southern accents, the cider left a savory taste on my tongue, and my soul was overflowing with gratitude for the beauty of life.
A really great and unexpected provision God has brought into my life is a great friend and travel partner, Jack Leason. I met Jack at the Catholic Worker in New York City, shocked to find that he looked like my doppleganger and equally surprised to find that he had come to the States from New Zealand to do basically the same thing as me: tour the country and visit a bunch of intentional communities and friends. We quickly connected and have coordinated our schedules to travel together. A week ago, when I was in the Appalachians, we were attending a music festival and had temporarily escaped the crowds to rest in the shallow yet powerful river which flowed between the surrounding mountains and bordered our campground. We sat with our backs to the current and enjoyed the water’s natural massage. I thought aloud to Jack as a new realization crossed my mind, “God said he would provide for his disciples when he sent them out, and this was an important idea for my trip, but I didn’t pay as much attention to another detail of the story, God also sent the disciples out two by two.” I knew companionship was essential for the journey and knew I would need to seek it out, but Jack’s presence in that moment seemed a confirmation of sorts: that God still provides for his children, that they are still called to great things, and he will still make a way if we let him.
I will be leaving Atlanta tomorrow, to meet up with Jack and some other friends in Asheville, North Carolina. In a few days we will begin the Mid-West leg of our journey, visiting a number of communities and friends in a relatively short period of time. Keep us in your prayers. We are praying for you.
- The Open Door: http://opendoorcommunity.org/
