We are called The Vagabonds. We are a band of battered friends. We are a community. We are family. We are the body of Christ.
We've traveled miles upon miles together in planes, trains, buses, rickshaws...we've endured nights together in dirty places, passed through illnesses together, protected each other, prayed hard with each other; we've sat in worship together, raw with emotion, seeking & finding God together—our comfort, our shield, our strong place.
We've shared weaknesses, confessed sin, encouraged strengths, challenged hearts. We've seen each other at our worst & at our best. Proud brothers & sisters, walking together through the dark & the light. Searching, searching for our place in the Kingdom. Searching for a life of serving, a life of love, a life pleasing to God.
Many times we've all been at the end of our ropes. Traveled-out, peopled-out, Indiad-out. Some times we find ourselves simply living day to day in a state of self-preservation. Taking all of our energy to just keep ourselves moving. It's in these moments, our most human moments, when we can't keep our “every thing's fine” face up. The facade finally falls & we are exactly who we are—not the perception we put up for others to see. We are just broken down humans, searching for strength.
It's in these raw moments when we look into each others faces, stop comparing, stop judging & just realize that we're all human in desperate need of God. We need God to hold us up, to make us whole, make us right & good. We need God to put love in us when we have nothing else to give—so drained & empty from trying to live in this world. We need God to fill us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control—we don't have these in ourselves without God in us. He brings them to us.
In these moments of complete desperation, we cry out to God for help. For strength. And God shows up.
Lift up your head. He will fill you. He will give you the things your heart needs to go on.
{2 Corinthians 7, MSG}
“Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads & our hearts...
You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain...
And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.”
In my human weakness, but with God's undeniable strength,
Audrey
We've traveled miles upon miles together in planes, trains, buses, rickshaws...we've endured nights together in dirty places, passed through illnesses together, protected each other, prayed hard with each other; we've sat in worship together, raw with emotion, seeking & finding God together—our comfort, our shield, our strong place.
We've shared weaknesses, confessed sin, encouraged strengths, challenged hearts. We've seen each other at our worst & at our best. Proud brothers & sisters, walking together through the dark & the light. Searching, searching for our place in the Kingdom. Searching for a life of serving, a life of love, a life pleasing to God.
Many times we've all been at the end of our ropes. Traveled-out, peopled-out, Indiad-out. Some times we find ourselves simply living day to day in a state of self-preservation. Taking all of our energy to just keep ourselves moving. It's in these moments, our most human moments, when we can't keep our “every thing's fine” face up. The facade finally falls & we are exactly who we are—not the perception we put up for others to see. We are just broken down humans, searching for strength.
It's in these raw moments when we look into each others faces, stop comparing, stop judging & just realize that we're all human in desperate need of God. We need God to hold us up, to make us whole, make us right & good. We need God to put love in us when we have nothing else to give—so drained & empty from trying to live in this world. We need God to fill us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control—we don't have these in ourselves without God in us. He brings them to us.
In these moments of complete desperation, we cry out to God for help. For strength. And God shows up.
Lift up your head. He will fill you. He will give you the things your heart needs to go on.
{2 Corinthians 7, MSG}
“Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads & our hearts...
You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain...
And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.”
In my human weakness, but with God's undeniable strength,
Audrey
 |
| The Vagabonds, India 2013 Andrew, Chris, McKenzie, Audrey, Matt (& Jonathan) |
