Swimmingly: The Delight of Witnessing God @ Work

Late. The session yesterday went, swimmingly! I luv that phrase/word. I luv it for so many reasons. Mostly because it speaks of skimming along with limited friction. It speaks of fluidity and there is a natural essence to the work.

If you imagine a dolphin bobbing along and gliding at warp-speed at the front/bow of a boat or ship, you see them hurling along and daring the sea to slow them down or in any way thwart their advance. That is what it means to move: “swimmingly.”

The session teaches me a great deal. Let’s go over a few lessons:

It Takes A Village: it really does. I mean from ________ (the facility) to _________ (The Cameras and the back-end work) to __________ (the gift to feed and bring sustenance) to _________ (co-laborer and true and lasting partner) to __________ (help with admin) etc. you begin to get your mind around what in the world it takes to drive one piece of ministry forward. I can only pray that God sends greater and greater provision
It Leans Upon and Into God: this is Spirit work. This is heaven in motion. This has nothing to do with prospering anyone-but The Gospel. This is heaven’s bidnez. This moves along ‘swimmingly’ because it is 100 % pure and completely undefiled. This movement of God is the right and righteous current iteration of St. Alegis leans deeply into God. This movement is 100 % pure. We lean deep and long into God
It Rises From Humility: I mean solid and stolid brokenness and yes, even: shame. For I have been in an awful place. I stumbled and errored. My ‘error’ was 100 % unknown. But the error is present and active nonetheless. I am ever reminded and aware of myself prostrate before the kings and rulers of this world. I understand humiliation and have endured long-bouts of separation from my family. This forced separation only intensified and galvanized my desire to help those who are broken and deserve ‘a chance’
It Pardons the Foolish: this is perhaps the true and lasting message of my days. I see no permanent scarring. I only see pardon. I see not the flaw. I see only the glisten of the possible polished gemstone. I see not the injury. I work hard to redeem the impairments
It Provides Support: true and lasting support. Not hocus pocus. Not flowery languish that languishes in the morass of need. Our task is to bring direct and real aid. We do not seek to rescue-that is a moral mistake from the past-rather we seek to find ways to grow gravitas and backbone inside of the recipients
The true and lasting ‘essence’ of the work validates the effort through two distinct and highly visible manifestations: empowerment and encouragement. Empowerment is that the people feel strengthened. The people stand a bit taller. The people feel that maybe, just maybe there is something to this Christianity thing.

The people feel encouraged. You can see their comportment change. You can sense the physicality of the work. Their faces ‘light up’. Their spirits spring forth. Their emotions and spirits become lithe and hope-filled. The more we are able to physically add to their improvement, the quicker and more astute their attitudes and statures straighten.

For me: this is the very definition of ‘incarnational faith’. Jesus arrived. Jesus did things. Jesus mended souls. Jesus healed broken bodies. Jesus taught a new way to view and approach God, The heavenly Father. Jesus walked with the people. Jesus embodied ‘incarnation’. Jesus brought ZO-A, “LIFE!”

All I can ask is that God give and grant us the chance to do and act in similar ways. The Lord told us we would do greater works ourselves. I have seen the hand of God move in ministry work. I have witnessed his Spirit shift people. Now, we pray that God allow us to be a small part of the global shift that brings about resurrected lives.

Please Dear Father, let it be so! Through Christ our Lord, amen.

Standing Amazed in His Presence…

Dr. Steve Bonenberger,