I met a new mom last week at the playground. She has great kids, is married and is seemingly normal. In this society, she’s a rare gem. I was excited to tell my husband about her later that evening. His response poked a hole in my party balloons.
“Is she a Christian?”
“Yep.”
“That’s cool. But we need to make friends with people that don’t know Jesus yet.”
He and I have talked about this a number of times. We say that it’s a core value of ours. I have written about it and claim/aim/try to live out our ideas of not being a monastery mommy who raises bunker babies.
Monastery mommies raise their kids in a petri dish or a greenhouse. The perfect environment, watering at the proper time, feeding and nourishing in ideal conditions. Not a weed or other bacteria in site. Safety.
Bunker babies have lived behind a concrete wall of protection, playing and interacting only with others previously approved to also live in the bunker. The only things that leave the bunker are attacks launched toward anyone not in the bunker. Safety.
Our efforts in living in the monastery or bunker are exhausting and exclusive. Out of the world and nowhere near it. In the end, we end up being a people that have nothing in common with the world....so much so, that we can’t even hold a conversation with anyone outside our walls. We don't even make sense to each other.
Sounds like Satan’s perfect plan.
“If Satan cannon succeed in his Plan A of taking your soul to hell with him, Plan B is to ensure that you do not take anyone else’s soul to heaven with you.”- Chole, The 7th Year.
The Enemy loves our monasteries and bunkers just as much as we do. He’s pleased when we keep ourselves so busy gathering with others just like us that we have no more time to meet people who aren’t like us. We have willingly relinquished the weapon we have- relationships. He laughs when we make the rules and spend time enforcing them.
“Steal them or sterilize them”, Chole says, “might be the kingdom of darkness’ brutally efficient mission statement.”
Yep, we are going to heaven. But we aren’t taking anyone else with us. Ouch.
Don’t get me wrong. I am total support of having like-minded friends and a support network around your family. We need to brush up against other believers for encouragement, growth, sharpening. I want my kids influenced by great role models and I desperately desire mentors and Christian friends for my family. We need to be in a community of believers and worship together. Going rogue isn’t wise.
But, there is a difference between making your home (or life) a monastery or making it mission control.
Mission control preps and de-briefs before and after intentional interactions.
Mission control sends out.
Mission control trains.
Mission control monitors and sends support when extra help is needed.
Mission control is visited often for resupply, rest, re-evaluation and recalibration of the original mission.
Mission control is pro-active.
Are we living to make it through unscathed?
Are we living to multiple ourselves?
Are we avoiding the thorns because we are afraid of a few scratches and hard work, therefore letting them grow effortlessly?
Are we fighting them back with everything we’ve got so we can see the real life-giver do his thing?
I am glad I made a new friend last week. It’s nice to have people in our lives that we can relax with. But I am also glad my husband frequently reminds me that we are be strategic in who we spend time with. He is a result of a trained agent leaving mission control for a purpose.
Satan won’t steal us or sterilize us.
I know it sounds scary. It's terrifying, actually. But that's ok. Mission control has prepped us.
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This is my reflection of the readings from weeks 8 and 9 in The 7th Year, an intentional e-journey of discipleship. You can find out more about it at www.the7thyear.com
Have a great friday!
