Snapshot

Every once in a while, I feel the need to just document a snapshot of our lives in this season...so that 20 years from now, I won't forget how crazy and wonderful and overwhelming and blessed it was. Sometimes I just have to shake my head in disbelief when I think about how God has brought us from where we were to where we are now...it has been quite the journey.

I think it was about 2 years ago that I was feeling completely stagnant and bored with my life. I loved being home with my kids, but I had this very strong conviction that there was more to life than laundry, making dessert for our Care Group, being mostly just a church-attender/consumer, and focusing predominantly on my own little nuclear family and keeping within my safe circle of friends. It was driving me insane. And I then read this incredible book called "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller ...and let's just say God used it to completely reshape the way we see our lives.

Now this change didn't happen overnight and honestly, I sometimes doubted if things would ever change. Our first step was changing churches...which was hard but God's voice was so clear there no denying it. Still...we joined the new church and started serving, but it wasn't as dramatic of a change as I was praying for. However, slowly God's plan was beginning to be revealed. We became friends with some amazing Christians, who believe strongly in living like the Church in the Bible...pouring yourself out constantly for others (and not just for your family members or people in your church!), doing life together (like...all...the...time) and giving sacrificially, even when it's hard. Really hard.

And then all of these awesome people we had grown to love got the vision and passion to start a new church and somehow we got swept up right along with them. My little quiet life suddenly became very messy, complicated and exhausting...but the joy I've felt in this season is something I didn't think I would ever have again. I sometimes feel like I'm on a mission's trip that never ends, or back in college with its late nights and being in constant community.

Now this lifestyle can be a little rough on this introvert...and I'm not going to lie and say tears, fights and moments of panic haven't occurred. However, I'm learning to challenge myself to take on more than I think is possible and try to allow God to make it happen, when I clearly cannot on a human level. As much as I thought having three kids (including a newborn) was a pretty good excuse for taking a break, God clearly didn't. In fact, life just keeps getting busier and crazier. However, just when I think I'm heading for a mental breakdown, God always shows up. He gave Brooklyn the insight to potty-train herself when her mother was obviously slacking. He allowed Jackson to start sleeping longer intervals when I didn't think I could handle another sleepless night. He has given us many friends to take on the role of spiritual mothers and fathers for our kids. And somehow all of this has brought Mark and I closer together.

So here we are...23 weeks into our church plant. It has been nothing short of miraculous. We have people coming from all walks of life, from atheists, to a UFC cage fighter (I'm not kidding), to a former pro football player, to our amazing school custodians. God is moving and somehow we got invited to His party. This month, we are working our rears off getting ready embark on a crazy Easter outreach that we are praying reaches hundreds of people in our community. It is going to be awesome.

So what does our life actually look like? Well, if you were to peek into our home on any given day, you'll probably see me working on the final draft of the handbook for the Federal Heights Community Center Volunteer Program that I will be helping launch next month (so excited!), or practicing lines for the skits Mark and I put on every other week for Thrive Kids (the children's program Mark is directing), or writing newsletters, on the phone with a church plant team member problem solving something or another, prepping curriculum, preparing dinner for Life Group, getting ready to flyer our neighborhood for the Egg Hunt, or getting ready to go to a church plant team meeting....oh, and feeding, diapering, and clothing children and getting them to preschool, Rainbows (like AWANA), and soon soccer, swim lessons and dance and still trying to keep my house from looking like a tornado struck.

It is insane, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I love that my kids are always begging to go to a church "meeting" (since they get to play with other kids whose parents are just as nuts as we are), seeing Mark and I be dorks as we attempt to "act" in front of Thrive Kids, and participating right along with us in the madness. I hope that one day this will be so normal to them that church planting will seem like just something they do....like brushing your teeth or taking a bath.

And as exhausting as this all is, I hope our lives look similar to this "snapshot" next year, five years from now, and even when I'm 70 (although potty training better be over by then!).

Nothing like play practice at The Mitchells