Being Led vs. Leading
As a planner, my flesh has had to die over and over again. For God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). And yet I struggle with the Lord because He gave me this brain, so can’t I use it? And yet over the last year, He has been stripping away my reliance on self and my wisdom. He’s asked me to bask in His presence and press into His leading more. Not to strive but to rest. For some, this comes naturally, but for those like me who want a plan, I know you can relate.
When God called us to Australia, we did not have the finances, but there seemed to be a “plan” in place. The plan gave me comfort as we trusted Him for the finances. With only days until we were to leave, finances started to come through (click here for details), and God continues to come through even though we still technically don’t have all the finances we need each month (click here).
I, however, hadn’t fully grasped how grassroots and relying on the Holy Spirit, this project was going to be. I saw the “plan” of all the places we were going to visit, and it just seemed that everything would fall into place quickly. But like many grassroots and Holy Spirit-led endeavors, everything takes way more time than we’d like. Therefore, the “plan” has not been as firm as I would like. Instead, the “plan” has become “hold the schedule lightly”.
Meaning that instead of one month, it has taken our team two months to focus on building relationships and scouting locations. We have all heard so many intense stories from people who have been affected by suicide in one way or another. People have held their own views on why this topic has become an issue within the Aboriginal community, and we’ve also been seeking the Holy Spirit's wisdom on how to address these complex issues through film.
As we’ve been pressing into the Holy Spirit, it has been beautiful to see how He has unfolded His answers through key connections. An example is that a couple of weeks ago, the guys went into a community where they knew someone who was working with the local artists. As they chatted with those artists, they heard about an Aboriginal men's camping trip, and they were invited. Over the next several days, the director attempted to follow up and gather details, but progress was slow. Finally, the day before the camp was to start, he heard back from the contact, and they were provided with the details.
Not long after arriving, they realized the camp wasn’t the same; instead, it was a camp put on by the state, and they were discussing mental health issues with the Aboriginal men. Our guys were the only guidas (white people) or Christians. However, here was an open door to hear multiple yarns (stories) about mental health from Aboriginal men and healthcare professionals as they sat around the fire and lived with these Aboriginal men throughout the day. They also got to go hunting with the group that caught wild turkeys and a kangaroo. The guys proceeded to bury their catch in the ground with burning hot coals, and a delicious meal was served a few hours later.
On the last day, as they were about to embark on the five-hour drive back home, one of the guys told them they should visit his boss as they drove through his town on their way home. The guys decided to take the man up on his offer and stopped by unannounced. As they began thanking the woman for a wonderful camping experience and sharing their vision for the film, she became increasingly excited. She told the guys they had to come into her CEO’s office right then. The CEO was not only this woman’s sister, but she was also a Christian. As the guys proceeded to share their desire to create a film to help bring healing to Aboriginals affected by suicide, she instantly asked if our team would come help with a camp and share the movie with those at the camp. So many people she works with have been hurt from this horrific plague of death, and she wanted to utilize these films to bring healing.
The guys were utterly taken aback. This was not something on their radar. Was God in the middle of doing something different than their expectations? They told her they’d bring the idea back to the rest of us and we’d pray together. The following day, our team cried out to the Lord. As we prayed, the director was reminded of a vision the Lord had given him a week or so before for how to distribute the film. He had seen people watching it, then sitting around a fire sharing. As they shared, the Holy Spirit brought healing. Yet how would we have a film ready by the end of July when it’s already the middle of June?
Through prayer time and multiple discussions, the team realized that the most effective way to make an impact was to tell the story through a series of short films rather than a single long film. As you can imagine, suicide doesn’t have just one root, but instead it has multiple different deep roots. Therefore, the team plans to capture one or two short stories that they can show at this camp. Then, after establishing these connection points, we will be able to assess the effectiveness of the content. We will also be able to determine if we need to add or tweak anything before proceeding with the rest of the short films. We are excited about the direction the Lord is leading us into and look forward to seeing how it unfolds over the next several months. And how He will use it to bring healing to those who have been affected or who are contemplating suicide.
Please join us as we continue to be led by the Holy Spirit. We do not want to get in the way. He is the only one who has the answer to suicide. He is the Only one who will bring the healing. We are but a tool, and if we are not careful, we can get in His way with our wisdom. Please pray we don’t allow that to happen!
