upside down kingdom

    

 Here I was sitting in my Manhattan of all the places.. Just enjoying myself in the beautiful, new High Line Park.  Reading “Radical” by David Platt, thinking how true it was that “success in the kingdom of God involves moving down, not up.” (pg.80) I began pondering about my life..

    When I completed my master’s degree, and moved back to California to begin my career. I got a job with a good salary and all the benefits.  After working there for less than a year I realized how miserable I was.  I begged God to either give me the strength to go on, or to move me.  He chose the latter.  

My volunteering at Alternatives Pregnancy Center followed by an offer of a full time position, which involved losing all the health benefits and lower  salary.  However I could not be happier working there.  After 4 years of being in ‘Gods University’ at Alternatives, He taught me tremendous truths about Himself and His love for people, after certain healing He has done in my own heart, He called me to leave that ministry, and sell all the things I have accumulated over the years.  I followed His call and quit the professional world altogether.  I lost the stable salary, and connected with a Missions Organization (Connect International www.connect-inter.org) living off ‘pay’ that I had to raise myself.  I went thru extreme purging of my closet, and personal library, giving away tons of scarves, espresso machines, books and other things.  

 Here I was, ‘unemployed’ in the eyes of the world, sitting in Manhattan.  With people in business suits rushing just down the block to their million dollar offices, missing out on the life they continuously try to improve.  

I couldn’t be happier, being 'employed' by the Creator of the Universe Himself.  

I took a deep breath. 

  It began to rain.  

 
  I continued to sit when everyone else rushed for cover.  I didn’t have to rush anywhere, I didn’t care if I got soaked, in fact I haven’t played in the rain since careless college days. I kept reading: “He was calling them to abandon their careers.  They were reorienting their entire life’s work around discipleship to Jesus.  Their plans and dreams were now being swallowed up in His.” 

 Enjoying the outpour of Gods vivid blessing, I couldn’t help but smile up at the sky that seemed to overspill its riches of living water, drenching me in it, solidifying the Truth that “One can be extremely Rich without having much Stuff here on earth.”