When Everything is a Mess!
by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director
It´s Summertime, and Mission Adelante has been hopping! We just saw our bright and precious group of interns off after several weeks of non-stop and fun-filled activities, including but not limited to, chauffeuring them back-and-forth between Mission Adelante and their homes, weekly Sun Fresh grocery runs, Spanish lessons, Arts Camp, a Soccer Clinic, workshops, and huddles. I am the Adult Ministry Director, so this season is always a little challenging and mentally exhausting for me since I am accustomed to working with adults. Adults who don´t send me to do a Google search every other day to decipher their new, ¨gas¨ words, and who are generally quiet. I love the joyful, carefree laughter of kids and the bantering that comes with it sometimes, but I really love the quiet! Although I genuinely enjoy being involved in all the Summer hustle and bustle of the kids and youth ministries, I begin to long for the slower-paced, ¨normal¨ rhythm of the adult ministry.
The calm after the storm always makes me realize how much I need to enjoy and soak up every moment of stillness and peace that I am given. Sometimes we have events on our calendar that we can prepare and plan for days (and even weeks) in advance, but we also run into the unexpected and have to find a way to fit it into our plans. It can be tricky and seem impossible, though. I have found myself at times thinking ¨I don´t know how I am going to get all of this done!¨ I don´t recall how I handled this before I truly realized that I can call out in faith to Jesus and He will come running, but recently when I´m feeling like I don´t have enough hands or hours in the day, I just give it all to Jesus. I humble myself before Him by acknowledging that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and that because of Him, I can trust that He will help me through the endless number of tasks that I need to get done. Just imagine the type of faith that Jesus had to exercise as He walked to the cross that fateful day. And we know, without a doubt, that this was a terrible and messy situation! Despite what it looked and seemed like to Jesus, He kept putting one foot in front of the other because His faith in His Heavenly Father was bigger and greater than the gruesome situation that lie ahead.
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
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Now I know there is no way that my overbooked and hectic schedule can by any means compare to Jesus´ dying on the cross in our place; but just as God cared enough about us to send His one and only begotten Son to die on a cross so that we could be reconciled to Him, He also cares about every detail of our lives, big or small. Jesus did not die to make a way for us to be able to have an intimate relationship with God for us to go through life excluding Him from everything because we think we can do it on our own, or because we think He has bigger and more important things to worry about. Let us remember that we serve an Awesome and Wonderful God. He is a Promise Keeper and a Waymaker. Redeemer and Healer. The Beginning and the End. And He cares deeply about you and me!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Let´s end in prayer!
Heavenly Father, thank You for another day and for everything You have done for the person reading this article and me. Thank you for Your provision year after year, for the beautiful moments you allow us to experience, and for seeing us through our worst times. Thank You for allowing us to come before You and rid ourselves of our burdens! Many times, life just happens to us, and we have no control over it. It can get messy and complicated, and we can feel isolated and intimidated by life´s issues, especially when we don´t include You in our search for the way through. Forgive us, Lord, for not putting You first in everything that we do! You offer us so much more than what we tend to accept. After trying everything we can to fix our problems through our strength, if we are wise, we surrender our will to Yours. What a blessing it is to realize in the moments we feel that everything is out of our control that You are in control, and Your throne is never vacant! Even when the mess is our fault, You are an ever-present help. Thank You, that no matter what, we can expect You to show up. You don´t give up on us. You are faithful, Lord, and your mercies never fail! Help us remember to invite you into our lives daily and to never try to do anything without your help. In Jesus´ mighty and precious name. Amen!
Key Dates in 2025
Trimester 3
Volunteer Orientation: September 6th - 9am-12:30pm
Come and See nights: November 10-13 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm