Did you know faith could be demonstrated by unpacking Tonka trucks and animal puzzles?
Or that one way to show God you love Him is by unloading a rocking chair and a bin full of chunky board books out of storage every Sunday?
It may not seem like a testament of faith, but it is.
Of course, my Sundays weren’t always this way. When my family and I still lived in Missouri and attended First Baptist Church, Miller, our Sunday routine probably resembled that of most young families. We would hustle to get to Sunday School, send our older boys to their classrooms, drop my then 2-year-old off at the nursery, and then my husband and I would collapse in our own Sunday School room, exhausted from the busy morning.
But, since moving to Chicagoland because of my husband’s job and accepting God’s call for us to help plant a church in New Lenox, Ill., our routine has changed dramatically.
Like many new church starts, Crossroads New Lenox doesn’t meet in a typical church building. Instead, we transform a junior high school into church. We turn the history room into a children’s class, the English room into a nursery, and the commons area into our place of worship.
We set it up and break it down, making certain to leave every desk and stray textbook exactly the way we found it. It’s hard work. Demanding, too. Demanding on your patience and on your faith. In fact, since we launched six months ago, I’ve concluded that planting a church takes an extra big measure of faith … from everybody.
For example, as my husband and I became more and more involved in the planning phase of Crossroads New Lenox, I felt God tugging my heart toward children’s ministry. (And no, not JUST because my kiddos make up half the children’s roster.) I expected to do a lot of teaching and encourage others to help with this crucial branch of ministry.
What I didn’t expect, however, was to unravel Noah’s Ark large floor rugs and set up portable cribs week after week for … well … nothing. At least it felt like it was for nothing. No babies came.
I prayed and prayed, “Lord, here I am. I’m moving desks and setting this stuff up again. I’m doing it for you, God, because I believe families will come. So go on, Lord, show me the babies!”
And still, they didn’t come. I was discouraged, but not defeated. Because about that time God showed me a verse in Acts. (Paul, the church planting genius!) It says: “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands,” Acts. 14:3.
With this the Lord said, “Kayla, just count on it being a considerable time and keep doing what you’re doing. Be ready for the babies, believe they are coming because they are coming.”
OK, God. I’m listening. Our job is to prepare the garden for rain. We have to be ready and count on Him to bring the people. We have to pray, do what we can do and then give it all to God. Tonka trucks and animal puzzles. Faith.
A couple more months passed and then … it happened. A sweet little baby boy came toddling up the hallway holding his mommy’s hand.
I was so giddy I think I almost scared the mother away! (Talk about backfire. Glad I managed to compose myself.) God answers prayer.
So like I said, moving desks and getting out Tonka trucks is a definite display of faith. God brought a harvest and his name is Micah. I believe more children will come.
Oh, and did I mention Micah loves trucks?