"In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be *the actual* El Guapo!"
Steve Martin as Lucky Day,
Three Amigos
I want to write a little bit about our El Guapos, maybe more for my own sake than anything else. I write this to chronicle what God is doing and will do only. I fully expect at some point in the future to look back on each of these things and write about how God worked them out. So here are our El Guapos.
- Last November, believing it was the right thing to do for our financial future, we consolidated almost all of our debt into a home equity loan. It upped what we had in the house, but we felt we were actually doing the right thing getting ahead of our "bad debt". So now we have no wiggle room in dropping the price of our house.
- Since we put the house on the market nearly two months ago, the market has been flooded with houses the same size as ours (if not bigger) and listed at lower prices.
- We put down first month's rent on a house in Massachusetts that seems to be a great fit for a church plant, but it is not without it's issues; namely, work on a bathroom and a security deposit that we simply don't have the money for right now.
- Our fund raising has been sporadic, at best, so far. We need $5000 a month, right now we have $1965 pledged.
- We have $1000 pledged to help us move. That might get us to Fredricksburg, maybe.
Dusty Bottoms: Time for plan B. Plan A was to break into El Guapo's fortress.
Carmen: And that you have done, now what?
Dusty Bottoms: Well we really dont have a plan B. We didn't expect for the first plan to work. Sometimes you can overplan these things.
We didn't come up with this on our own. If I had, I would be ministering to Oklahoma Sooner Football players and rich oil men. God called us to this. We are sure of this. Our faith grows.
Thanks for letting me mourn out my fear.
RYan
6 comments:
Sometimes God calls us to do something beyond our wildest dreams, and usually that also means beyond our biggest fears. First, Philippians 4:6-7. Peace that surpasses all understanding. Ryan, when I look at my life smetimes, I think about where I should be. I should be a crackhead or even worse, a sooner fan, but God has shown me so many times in this life that it is only by His grace that I am able to conquer each new obstacle. Think about gideon. I can imagine that the moment God tells him he shall conquer the Midianites as one man. I like to think of Gideon as this PeeWee Herman / Steve Urkel type who's standing there knees knocking and suspenders rattling. God says to him, "Is it not I who send you?" God calls him out, so he listens, presses on, now dude has bibles with his name on the in every hotel in the free world. I know you're thinking, relevance? Well, God never gives us a burden we can't bear, at least with the help of others. I have sensed through your newsletters that this is a time of great uncertainty. I have been diligent in praying for you guys. I have my life as proof of your ability to minister in profound ways. I have no doubt that this is a God thing, and he will work it all out to His glory.
Fallon,
I love you to death. Thank you so much for that post. You are such an encourager (and not like stupid kind of vague sugary encouragement, but real, biblical, spiritual gifts kind of encouragement). We can't wait to see you.
Love ya,
Ryan
You have absolutely no idea how much that means to me coming from you. =)
Well I was going to post a picture of a kitten with a ball of yarn with the caption "Keep you chin up" That somehow seems inappropriate though. All I can say to you is you know the vision you were given. Do I see it? No because it wasn't for me. God has given you a peace in your heart to kno wthat you are called to this people. I would like nothing more than to tell you to come back to Oklahoma and let your kids grow up with mine. I would like nothing mor ethan to serve Christ in the same church with you. I wiould like nothing more than to MAN I respect more than you will ever know here with me living life day by day. The only problem is, I'm not God. He has told you to do something and he will not fail you. Your desire is to do His will and He will honor that I think. If we really believe what the bible says we know GOd feed 5,000 with a little kid's lunchable. He got tax money out of a fish's mouth. He can do in your situation whatever he wants to do. If he has told you something don't let anyone change that in your mind. Don't let any lack of something remove that from your vision. Keep you mind on Christ because he will provide as he see fit. Sorry if I ramble.
Mattsquatch
Matt likes me. He really likes me!
Thanks man, it is amazing having you as a friend!
I should proof read
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