Woman on a mission

Today was my fifth meeting with the missionaries.  They always bring one other person from the neighborhood so lately they've been bringing my neighbor and best friend.  Last week I would have said they have sucked the life blood out of me.  I was done.  I was frustrated with the way they cherry pick Bible verses and use them however they like--usually out of context.

Since then I've had a trip to Washington and had some wisdom given to me from many friends.  One mentioned if I start looking like a cartoon character  sucked dry from a mosquito (reference: Far Side), stop meeting with them.  Or if Trent sees that I am losing too much energy from this endeavor he needs to tell me to stop.  It was freeing to hear that . . . even if this is my mission right now, I don't have to adhere to their schedule or any schedule at all.

I'd kind of felt like a failure last week because I couldn't address each of their cherry-picked verses they use to verify they are the only true church.  So I thought I would meet one more time with a bit different approach and see how it went.
It went much better.

Today instead of focusing on what I was going to say, I just prayed.  My time I spend to solely read the Bible I spent praying in between each chapter I read.  I read one chapter of New Testament, two of Old Testament (histories or prophets), one of Psalms and one of Proverbs.  But my focus was prayer and if I didn't finish my Bible reading that was OK (I didn't).  The kids woke up before I completed the task but I felt prayed up.  I had friends praying in WA too.  I gave myself a lot more grace (because that's what Jesus did already) to not have to answer every question.  My goal was to encourage them to read their Bibles with the eyes of a child, like they've never read it before.  I agreed to read some of the Book of Mormon and in return we are ALL reading the book of Galatians.  Fantastic.  Mission accomplished.  If we can point them to the Bible and have them see it is the perfect living and breathing Word of God, we are doing well.

AND, for the best news: I met another born again Christian right here in Iona.  She goes to Bible Study Fellowship with me!  She came out of the LDS religion so we are going to have lunch together next week.  I felt like God just dropped someone straight down from the heavens in front of me.  She is the crosswalk guard at Evan's school.  Hallelujah!  God is good.

And I'll leave you with 2 Timothy 4:1-5

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.