"After the time of Abimelek, a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon."
This is all we know about Tola and Jair. They both served as judges, faithfully until they died, and they both died with honor and dignity for their service to God.
That's what I want. To serve the Lord faithfully until the end, and that is all I want people to know about me when I am gone.
Oh, but one more thing.....I want people to know that I loved a whole bunch of kids into the kingdom of heaven with me.
This summer has been long, stressful, challenging, and exhausting. The last two years I lived on Cohea Street and was there in the community and fully present for the kids (and all other ages of beautiful people) at all times. Not having a home there this summer has been extremely difficult. It has for sure made me value the necessity of living right in the middle of where you minister, a whole lot more. Even the simple things like....having to find a place to use the bathroom in the middle of the day, to the bigger things like.....needing a place to really spend quality time with people that is safe and comfortable.
I am so ready to be done with this house. I am so ready to live there and just, just be there. I feel like the Lord has pushed the pause button on this movie over the last month or so. Things just kind of slowed down and almost stopped, yet there is so much that is still left to be done. But in this moment of pause, I have not stopped with investing in people. Actually, the people Jesus has given me to love has expanded. Maybe that is why the work on the house has slowed down, so that I don't forsake the reason He gave me the house - for His beautiful children.
More people = more time = more issues = more miracles.
While the house is there, just waiting to be finished, my capacity to love and give continues to grow. The house is least important when you measure those two against each other. Still, I find myself thinking so many times through the day, "If I was just in the house I could do (fill in the blank)."
I am $10-$15,000 away from being able to fully complete everything. That is really not a lot when you have the richest daddy in the world.
"For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10
And how the Lord continues to provide, is just plain crazy. And how the Lord continues to remind me that He planned all this out in His time, constantly amazes me. And how the Lord uses even the hardest and longest days ever, to give me more of what I need to keep going, never gets old.
I just wonder what all Tola and Jair did in those 23 years of service each one of them had. What all did they have to wait on and trust God for? How many hard days did they have giving to those in need? What creative ways did they have to come up with to do their job? All aside from this, I know they did it well. And as Jesus said, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!" Matthew 25:23
People ask me a lot, "how many kids do you have?" And I have been saying, "About 30 or 40" but today we actually counted and called them by name, and here is the number we ended with. I hope it grows even more, and we are ALL ready to have a house to fit us in.
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