It’s going to take more…

My yard was overdue for mowing today.

We’ve had so much rain that it’s been hard to find an evening to do it (and I put it off on Saturday cause I was tired from mulching…and I’m old). I really didn’t want to do it tonight, I was tired and work was busy today. Alas, I looked at the forecast for this weekend and decided I’d just mow as much as I could until it got dark (fun fact – I got it all done, just barely).

I’m so glad I did.

While I was listening to praise music and pushing right along, one of Brandon Lake’s new songs “Daddy’s DNA” came on. I was pushing through and listening, internally singing along with the parts I’ve learned so far.

I started thinking about my own prodigal story, years ago. Of the testimony I have on this side of that season. And I heard the Lord say “it’s going to take so much more to reach them.”

Let me tell you something, as words began to pour into me, I nearly choked and sobbed while I pushed that mower.

Y’all…we can’t win the lost or the prodigal with harsh words described as love. “But Teresa, they need to hear the truth” – yes…you are correct but the tone and manner you speak that truth in matters.

It’s going to take us sitting in some messes side by side with some people.

It’s going to take us rolling up our sleeves and meeting people right where they are.

It’s going to take us being willing to wade in the messy and hold some people up.

It’s going to take so much more than a Sunday morning message can strengthen you to do.

It’s going to take prayer closets, digging in the word, fasting, and being the heart of Jesus.

So often I’ve asked the Lord “what is the good coming from this season I’ve been in” and I believe tonight is the first installment of showing me pieces of that.

In order to truly be able to understand brokenness, we must be broken. There is an authority we possess over the places we have victory in that allows us to speak life into others in that place.

Not because of ourselves but because of who he is IN us.

I was thinking about the Samaritan woman.

She didn’t need someone to come, wag a finger, and point out all the ugly “truth” about herself. She already knew those things. Jesus made his way to that well at that time of day just FOR HER.

He didn’t speak to her to condemn her in some harsh “truth” to help her see how sinful she was. He told her the truth about her circumstance, yes, but his focus was HER. Not the circumstance she was aligning herself to in false identity, but who she WAS in HIM. A true identity. An identity rooted in grace. An identity she was worthy of – not circumstantially but by inheritance because of her “Daddy’s DNA.”

And THAT made the difference.

She didn’t find grace in her community.

She didn’t find kindness in her surroundings.

She was searching but was condemned and alone.

It was messy. It was ugly.

And Jesus met her right there and made the difference.

It’s going to take so much more.

I think about times I ran into religious people during my prodigal walk. People who I genuinely believe were well meaning in their intention. People who rebuked me but not in kindness, in condemnation.

The thing was, I knew I was wrong. The enemy was already piling on condemnation and shame. I didn’t NEED more of that. As a matter of fact, what it taught me was to hide from church people (not quite the impact anyone intended).

Don’t get me wrong…we are to hold one another accountable (believer to believer, even a prodigal) but the Bible tells us to “restore one another gently.”

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That’s how Jesus does it.

He RUNS TO the prodigal.

Not to shame them, but with arms wide open.

We have to be willing to be uncomfortable. To leave our bubble. To get our hands (and arms and clothes and shoes – you get it) dirty.

This is not a time for sitting in pews.

This is not a time for hiding in our homes.

This is not a time for blindly yelling scriptures from our keyboards.

This is the time to put our shoulder to the plow. The time of the harvest is coming.

It’s going to take so much more to reach them.

❤️