The Heaviness of Life
 |
| Kindergarten English Camp with our neighbor |
 |
| Ezra was a hit with everyone |
 |
| Audrey bringing the red light/green light intensity! |
Greetings from Thailand!
This post will be a bit disjointed, but life often is. There is heaviness and there is joy running side by side, twisting together, and coming apart. Thanks for walking with us along the way!
 |
| Chester Bennington, Linkin Park |
A few weeks ago, the lead singer of my favorite band hung himself. His name was Chester Bennington and the band is Linkin Park. It is hard to overestimate the debt I owe them.
Music, like most art, is effective because it resonates with something in us.
It can teach, but that is not its primary function.
Resonance is the primary function.
It stirs us, moves us, inspires us, and it gives expression and voice to something we feel and experience strongly inside ourselves. Linkin Park gave voice to the anger and pain and hunger for redemption of many, many people. And it was therapy. It was a way of getting the anger and pain out. It was a sense of community: you are not the only one who feels like this.
I really did not enjoy being a teenager. And I had a wonderful family, lots of great friends, and a lot of good times. I cannot imagine how difficult those years would be without those things. Each of us is so complex and unique, no two journeys will be the same. But virtually everyone has trouble coping with those crazy, awkward years we call adolescence.
Linkin Park was to me what the Beatles might be so someone who grew up in the 60's.
I know virtually every song by heart, and every time it comes on the radio, part of me is transported back---back to those hard years, back to those unstable emotions. That is why it hit me hard to hear that Chester took his own life. He helped a lot of people avoid just such an end. What made this successful, talented young father of 6 take his own life?
One of his last songs might offer some insight into his heart and mind. The song is called Heavy. You can listen on you tube here: (I provided the clean version)
One line in particular strikes me:
"Why is everything so heavy?
More than I can carry...I keep dragging around what's bringing me down,
if I just let go I would be set free."
 |
| US Dept. of State training for workers combating human trafficking, very well done and informative |
 |
| My former coworker Kelly came to run a marathon in China and visit Thailand! |
 |
| We decided she needed to come back! |
In light of these thoughts, I was asked to speak at a Mien Church retreat this weekend. The Mien people are one of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand. The pastor is a good friend of mine whom I greatly admire; he is a gentle, humble man who loves his people. I was honored to be asked to share. The topic seemed timely too: Rest in Jesus.
I thought about Jesus' words in Matthew 11:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Heavily burdened? Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly."
Life can feel heavy. It can feel like a crushing burden, a relentless, inescapable cycle.
And maybe the most frustrating feeling of all, is when we see our own part in our misery,
but we can't seem to 'let go and be set free.'
As I talked with these young, tribal families I told them the about Chester (many already knew---rock music crosses borders). It broke my heart that this man had not found the rest that he, in some way, helped me find. His honesty about his own pain helped me cope with mine. But he had not found the relief from the heaviness of life. He had not found how to live freely and lightly---the unforced rhythms of grace.
 |
| Teaching the Chicken Dance! |
 |
| Tiida is student teaching and working incredibly hard--some well earned rest! |
 |
| These beautiful, silly girls from Home of Faith are ready for school! |
So in midst of my sadness at the loss of this artist, I tried to share the joy of being welcomed and loved by God.
That is the invitation of Jesus to all who find life heavy: come and find rest.
It is a Divine affirmation that life is hard, life is painful, life is broken.
But it is also a Divine remedy;
not to remove us from this hard, painful, broken world,
but to free us to live freely in it.
There is something incredibly comforting about someone as vast and grand as God, being concerned for the heaviness each one of us carries.
Audrey and I are glad to be home in Chiang Mai. It felt good to clean our little house and settle back in. Our neighbors were all excited to see Ezra, who continues to charm everyone he meets.
We are trying to get caught up with everything at Faithful Heart and enjoying reconnecting with all our friends and colleagues. We are missing Dave and Shirley, but looking forward to their return soon.
Ezra is1 year old on August 1st. He is such a source of joy to Audrey and I every day. It puts a beautiful reality to God being the Father of us all.
What delight He takes in His children, how precious is each and every one!
We can't tell you how much it encourages us to know that you are praying for us. There is something overwhelming about seeing so many people and so many needs, and knowing we don't posses the resources to help them all. It takes on a very real significance for us to lift empty, weak hands to God and ask for Him to come give these beautiful people rest. To come and do what we cannot.
Thank you for laboring with us by praying for us.
 |
| Audrey's sister took some family photos for us in Colorado! |
Would you pray for these things specifically?
1. Pray for wisdom to love and guide teenagers at Faithful Heart. As our kids grow, so do the challenges of caring for them.
2. Pray about the land we have been offered. In our hearts, we sensed God speaking to us through a sermon we heard in the US: "Put down roots, build homes, plant gardens, and pray for the city where God has called you." This is our dream for this land.
We still need about $40,000. Would you pray about Faithful Heart 'putting down roots' here in Chiang Mai?
We still need about $40,000. Would you pray about Faithful Heart 'putting down roots' here in Chiang Mai?
3. Pray for our neighbors. We loved helping a neighbor lady we met while walking by putting on an English camp for a school that could not afford to hire teachers. We are always looking for ways to creatively love and bless the community we are a part of.
 |
| Ezra amped up to weld, mom says it is too early |
 |
| Dragon fruit at Yay's house |
Much Love to All,
Matt, Audrey, & Ez
1 comments
Glad you and family are well settling back home. Thanks for sharing, Linkin Park is one of my Matthew's favourite too, we were sorry to hear from the news re Chester. Pray for your continued wisdom to love and finding joy in Christ with the everyday encounters.
ReplyDeleteblessings, Susan