Back to Life, Back to Reality

Go ahead, sing it. “Back to Life, Back to Reality.” Now that you’ll probably have that song stuck in your head for the next few hours... haha! (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, back in 89’ a British group named Soul II Soul released a song with that title. It’s been either sampled or covered by everyone from George Michael to En Vogue to Fat Joe... very catchy beat. Google it then you’ll see what I’m talking about) 

Anyway, it’s Back to Life, Back to Reality for us here in Brazil now that our oldest son (Michael) has been gone for a few days. Now we’re trying to get back into the groove of “normal” ministry. Having him visit us was such a HUGE boost to the family. We really miss him and being here without him is very difficult. Not being able to be a part of his life as he’s dating, and going to college and doing the military thing (he actually just got promoted to E-5, that’s Sergeant for all you civilian folk) is very hard on us. Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t we be near our son? Why can’t we be a part of his life? Why can’t we even be in the same country as our firstborn? Those are questions that we ask God all the time. Out of all the sacrifices that we’ve made to be here and to do what God’s called us to do, being here without him is definitely the hardest. But as followers of Christ that’s probably gonna be the case at some level, right? Or at least it should be. 

When I read through the New Testament, the people who were actually following Jesus and doing what He called them to do, were pretty much always having to make sacrifices and do stuff that wasn’t comfortable and stuff that they probably didn’t really want to do (if it was left up to them). 

Actually, if you want to get technical, doing what He wants and not what we want is one of the telltale signs of someone is truly a legit christian anyway, right? Jesus told people to follow Him 18 times in the Gospels. He didn’t say, pray this prayer so that you can escape Hell and then just live your life any way you want and I’ll be there for you. No. He said follow Him. And as they followed Him, they were involved in His activity. Not the other way around. 

To “follow Him” doesn’t mean that He’s gonna “follow us” around and do what we want Him to do all the time (like some kind of genie in a bottle) either. He told people that they needed to count the cost before they decided to follow Him (Luke 14:25-33). He also said that if “anyone” wanted to follow Him, the first thing they needed to do was deny themselves, then pick-up their cross (i.e., their assignment from God) , then follow Him (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). 

So in light of all that, what we’ve done (the Dunn family) isn’t anything heroic, super christian-ish or even anything to be admired... it’s what “the norm” for a christian’s life should be. Nothing more, nothing less. Now that doesn’t mean that every christian needs to sell everything and move to a foreign country. And it doesn’t mean that every christian needs to adopt an orphan (or 5, haha!). It doesn’t even mean that every christian needs to change vocations and go into full-time ministry. What it does mean, is that if God asks you to do something... you do it! Even if it’s hard and something you’re really not diggin’ too much. Because your life isn’t your own anymore. it’s His. And if you think that you can be a christian any other way than giving your entire life to Him, you really need to check yourself (and your theology)... because there’s a strong possibility that you may have never become one (a christian) to begin with.

Does living for Him mean our entire life is hard, full of sacrifice and difficulty? No. But sometimes it is. The thing is, that we need to be willing and obedient no matter what the price or what the task is that he asks us to do.

But one of the cool things (and it’s something we cling to when we feel depressed because of where we’re at) is that Jesus promised us that “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 29:30). That’s what we hold on to. That and the fact that Jesus is totally worth any sacrifice that we could possibly ever have to make.

Passionately Following Jesus,

Jim and MJ

PS - The pics up top are of Michael right before we took him to the airport. All the other kids were in school and our car only holds 5 people legally (that's why they're not in the photos too). And as soon as I saw what I looked like in a beard (in the picture) I went and immediately shaved it off... what was I even thinking?!