THAT Kind of Important

It was a gorgeous spring morning on the outside of my house, but on the inside I was trying to figure out how on earth we were going to put food on the table as my unemployed boyfriend was pausing from his computer game to ask his mother to pay our gas bill (the gentleman from the gas company had just left after cutting it off) so we could use our gas stove and have hot water.  As I rocked my newborn son and prayed “God, I know I have landed myself in this mess…..” words were hard to come by.  I knew it was my own fault for allowing myself to be in this position.  So, when the knock on the door was a sweet gray haired gentleman saying “Hi, we’re from the Church of Christ.  We just wanted to see if there is anything we can do to help you today”.  I immediately fell to tears.  I never would have asked for help, but God sent help anyway.  Hind sight being what it is, I now recognize this as the beginning of my journey to reconciliation with the church.

I have made some pretty sketchy choices in my lifetime.  I've managed to ignore God more than once and find myself in some pretty painful positions.  God and I have had some pretty tough conversations over the years.  When my marriage fell apart at the hands of alcoholism I felt abandoned and judged.  I felt alienated from the Church as a whole, not just one particular denomination, or location, or congregation.  I had participated in numerous congregations where I thought I had friends, but when I fell out no one seemed to notice or care.  It was several years later that this man from the Mulvane Church of Christ showed up on my doorstep at just the right time.  To this day, I do not know what led to the knock on the door, I just know it happened when I needed most to know that God's grace was available to me no matter what pickle I had landed myself in.  When I couldn't find words for God, He was already communicating with local Christians who were listening and responding. 

Recently, I attended a meeting for the Wichita East District of the United Methodist Church where Pastor Rob Schmutz shared his passion for prayer walking and his heart for the community of Park City where he is leading a church plant.  He cited these verses from Nehemiah:
 

^{12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.}

            Nehemiah clearly had a heart for God, his people, and his country.  We see this clearly in the first chapter of Nehemiah when he receives news of the conditions of the Israelites and the city of Jerusalem.  He wept and prayed, repenting for sin not only for himself but also interceding for that of his people. His heart ached deeply for his people and he called on God’s promise to restore them if they repented.  His heart was so heavily burdened that he continued to fast and pray.  Chapter two takes us to the court of King Artaxerxes where Nehemiah is his cup bearer.  This is a position of trust and privilege in the king’s court as the cup bearer’s responsibility was to taste the wine ahead of the king in order to be certain it was not poisoned.  This placed him in a position of influence with the king, which he clearly recognized as part of God’s plan when the time came.  On this day it had been four months since Nehemiah received the news of his people’s suffering and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and he could no longer hide his sadness.  The king noticed and questioned him.  Nehemiah prayed and despite his fear recognized this God given opportunity.  He openly explained to the king his sadness and asked for permission to go and lead the Israelites in rebuilding their city.  The King clearly valued and trusted Nehemiah, because he not only granted him permission, but he offered his help and supplied him with all that he needed.  Nehemiah gives God all the credit for having His “gracious hand” upon him in verse eight.  And when he arrived in Jerusalem to answer God's call, he took the time to pray, and listen, and clarify the vision for what needed to be done.      

           There is significant pain in this world.  As Christians we are called to pay attention and respond.  Throughout the Bible, from Old Testament to New Testament, we are commanded to respond to the needs of God’s children. As we listened to Pastor Rob share that day, he pointed out that Jesus didn't sit around and wait for people to come to Him.  He walked the countryside meeting people right where they needed Him most.  He PRAYED relentlessly, LISTENED to the Father's direction, and ACTED accordingly.  

            I left that meeting inspired to pay closer attention to what's happening around me in my daily life, to pray for the people I see walking, mowing, driving, living...doing whatever it is they are doing.  I wonder if the folks from the Mulvane Church of Christ were prayer walking that morning?  I wonder if they will ever really know the long term impact it made.  I didn't attend their church, I never even properly thanked them.  In fact, I never heard from them again.  But I'm certain they prayed for us for weeks to follow.  And so, here I am all these years later in a new place in life and seeking to somehow continue to pay it forward to the body of Christ as a whole.

           This Sunday, Oct. 2nd a group from Mulvane United Methodist Church will begin to do some prayer walking, also.  It's heavy on my heart that we will be attentive to what God would have us see, hear, and sense.  We have the opportunity to show up right on time for someone each and everyday, and on Sunday we have the opportunity to do so as members of the body of Christ, not just the United Methodist Church.  So, please pray with us and for us as we seek to walk humbly and take the next right steps in loving our community for Jesus.  That morning in March of 2004 left a mark on my heart and my life that changed everything.  It's THAT kind of important.