Changing the World and Other Normal Things

Times like these in our home, where just allow for God to move, have been some of the most impactful and life changing times I’ve seen since being here in Spain

The other day I took my van to get the ITV (yearly emissions test) renewed. As I was sitting in line waiting for my number to be called, I was thinking about how this was probably the most “normal” thing I had done in awhile. I didn’t feel like it was mundane…just normal and,strangely enough, kind of fun! I don’t think I’ve always had the wisdom in the past to separate the normal and the mundane, but recently things have been changing…

The last couple weeks I’ve been back in Spain coming off another incredible summer. It’s nice to be back home after driving nearly 10,000 miles, meeting tons of incredible people, and getting more vision than ever for what God is doing and wants to do in the continent. But surprisingly this is isn’t what excites me the most right now as I think about life.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s a strange thing when traveling almost becomes more regular than staying the same place, and it’s something I’ve had to deal with in this last season of my life which has had its ups and downs. I made it a point after getting back from the Burn Wagon to make my house in Spain a home so I painted, hung pictures, and even bought a chair, footstool, and lamp so now if I move I have to do more than just pack a couple bags! I know it sounds simple but it’s made a huge difference in my life.

One thing that has been a goal of mine in ministry is that if I was seeing incredible things happening around the world I would only be satisfied if it was also happening wherever I called home. This mindset is what it means to build something that takes you farther in life than you could go by yourself and that will last long after you’re gone. I came here to change a culture and to do that you have to create a subculture that’s worthy to rise up and take it’s place. For us it’s the Kingdom of Heaven touching earth and changing all aspects of society as the church not just changing the church or making it bigger.

I think it takes time. I think it means sacrificing doing things and going other places you would like to.  I also think it looks like a lot of small day to day things.

I “think” because I’ve never done this before. It’s new ground for me personally and for the people with me.

This is probably why it was such an invigorating experience to sit in line and wait for my van to be inspected. Despite the unmoving line, I felt I was finally going somewhere in this country. Sure it’s a small step, and I still have to take tests for my license here and keep on with learning the language, and eventually renew my residence next year but these small steps are big things.

I again got the privilege this summer to work with musicians all over the UK and Europe at David’s Tent. I walked away more encouraged than ever that I was finally building something for God rather than just putting on an event for him. One of the reasons I felt this was because of the differences I saw in the community of musicians this year. One of the criteria that I had for inviting musicians was the fact that they all were involved with building something locally in the cities where they came from. It’s not always the most glamorous thing and sometimes it seems to pale in comparison when we put on such a massive event like David’s Tent, but I could see what really mattered. The intimacy they had with their Father, the family they exhibited with their bands, and the authority they carried mostly came because they understood how beneficial the “normal” was to building the Kingdom.

For me this next season looks awesome here in Malaga! It’s finally getting colder, English classes are starting, we’re having weekly times of worship at our house, and I’m finally starting to dip my toes in the music and art scene downtown which is something I’ve wanted to do for awhile. I’ll still be traveling around Europe to some different Burns every couple months or so and I’m excited to not just do it as a man that spreads fire but as one who carries it because he is maintaining it at home as well and setting the example for what it should look like!

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