The space to be - Jesus Army Life, Day 284

I like waking up early. I love waking up to the promise of many hours ahead. I like getting up and getting active and still having time to dilly dally when I need. I love musing on the things of God, exploring the hidden corners of His character as He reveals it to me through this journey with Him. I like having time for breakfast. I like the familiarity of all those morning noises as the children thump across the floorboards above, and the cat comes to say hello, even if everyone else is still too tired to.

I love getting home. I love the greetings that are shared as friends in community see each other for maybe the first time that day. I love the business of the kitchen as hungry saints clamor for toast and cups of tea or coffee. I love that peace just before the melee of the evening meal together.

I enjoy the evenings after everything has finished. The rustling of the paper as someone catches up with yesterday's news. The blessing of beautiful friends sticking around, hanging on for that one last drop of brotherhood and fellowship. The peace after the activity. The appreciation of tired goodnights as friends retire to a last chat with their room partner or a few more pages of that engaging book before they go off to sleep.

And yet, and yet, there is a fight to be had, there is work to be done, we have a cause to strive for. And I would gladly sacrifice all this to the greater work of building Christ's church. Even where we are, after almost four years at White Stone there is much to do and our household must not settle. Coming as far as we have in this short time, gaining so many brothers and sisters, means that we can go further, and, God willing, become a mother church to many others.