Live Like You Mean It

We have moved around much, in our almost 11 years of marriage, nine times to be precise.  It's not that we enjoy moving, it just seems to be the path that God has us walking.  Over time I have had to learn that in order to live with passion, I have to grow deep roots into the community in which I am planted.  I now love forging new relationships, as well as keeping touch with old friends.  I anticipate finding new places to shop for groceries, visit the doctor and get haircuts.  I relish finding new tracks to walk, new neighbours, and places of beauty, in which to unwind and relax.  When I meet new people, I share much of myself, as well as listen in order to get to know others on more than a superficial level.

Here in Yarra Glen, we walk through the park to get to the main street.  The park is a mass of colour and new life this time of the year.  A breathtaking difference from the stark and bare contrast of when we arrived in the Winter months.  The temperature is mild, and so different to the searing heat of QLD.  We walk to the bakery and buy fresh bread, and pass many tourists that wander in an out of the quaint tea rooms, and antique stores that dot our town.  As we walk, we meet all of the people walking their dogs, and there are many!  Every dog requires 5 minutes of petting time, as we no longer have pets of our own.  This provides time to chat to the locals and share our story, and we hear theirs as well.

As I meander and live this new, well watered life, I think of Jesus, and Him living and teaching in the communities he came to.  As I read the gospels, I sometimes envision Jesus sweeping through a community, speaking words of truth, transforming hearts, and then moving on, all in a seemingly short period of time.  Jesus knew the art of immersing yourself in a community.  He spoke in ways that were familiar to the people, He lived with them, He ate with them, and He spoke of things that were beyond the weather.  He held some of them close, and healed them, stopping in the middle of a throng of people and handing out unmeasurable mercy.  And as he moved on, he left something behind, a peace that was unheard of in the world they had known.  An excitement from witnessing the power, that they knew was the Kingdom of God touching earth.

And so I yearn to learn more about the walk of Jesus, in order to know His ways more perfectly.  I will keep living on purpose, and hopefully when I leave, the people will know that there was something different about that woman that walked her children everywhere. I hope that they will notice that the Kingdom of God lives inside this little Yarra mother.