i must go

Tim Hughes: God of Justice

God of justice
Savior to all
came to rescue the weak and the poor
chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, you have called us
freely we've received
and freely we must give

we must go
live to feed the hungry
stand beside the broken
we must go
stepping forward
keep us from just singing
move us into action
we must go

to act justly every day
loving mercy in every way
walking humbly before you God

you have shown us
what you require
freely we've received
now freely we will give

we must go
live to feed the hungry
stand beside the broken
we must go
stepping forward
keep us from just singing
move us into action
we must go
(x2)

fill us up and send us out
fill us up and send us out, Lord

move us into action
we must go
as we worship you through song
we remind ourselves that we must go
as we seek your face
we remind ourselves of a broken world

~~~~~~~~

i might have had a minor heart stop tonight when i realized that a month from tomorrow i am moving away from this city where i have lived for 10 years. i hate the feeling of making some kind of "facebook announcement" so if you didn't know i'm moving, please write me and i'd love to share the scoop :)

the song typed above is one way i can articulate the deep urge inside my heart to make this leap. it's because of our great God of justice that i have any hope and any reason to wake up in the morning at all, and it's because of Him that i am making a leap of faith into a new season of life. it doesn't hurt the leap is going to land me in sunny california, pursuing a really incredible masters program at Fuller!

it's not that i have it all figured out, or even that i have fully understood the love of Christ Jesus. but i know one thing for sure, freely i've received and freely i must give.

about 9 years ago i went to the urbana conference and one of the organizations there was handing out cards that had this verse and a picture of a hungry crying little boy:

2 Corinthians 5:14
For Christ's love compels us...

for years i've had that card in a frame somewhere visible. it's the only way i can make sense of why i've sold most of my belongings and am bidding farewell to good friends to make this crazy (and very exciting) step of faith. the images of children i've met and held around the world never leaves me, and so here i go to pursue my degree studying Children at Risk. it's the love that Christ has for those kids whose hands i held in Kibera that compels me to do something more, and God has opened the door for this to be the next something i do. it's not Fuller, or having a masters, or moving to california that has my bags packed. i pray it's Christ alone and i am trusting Him to continue showing me what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.

i must go.

i'd love your prayers :)

whether you traveled with me overseas or taught me about God or walked with me through making this step... thanks a million to you and so many others that have been used by God in my life!

praise God for the way He works and for His great love.

california, see you soon.
next stop, africa?