RADICAL by David Platt

     Have you ever read a book that really messed with you?  I'm in the middle of one right now, Radical by David Platt..."Taking Back My Faith from the American Dream"....

     Sometimes the word "radical" has such a negative connotation that we don't want to use it, especially associated with religion, but if we read the Bible and accept it as absolute Truth...we realize, IT IS RADICAL!   For instance, in Mark 10:17-31, when a rich, young man asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life...Jesus tells him about the commandments to keep-do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your mother and father. . . and the young man says he has done all these things since he was a boy, (so far, it's looking pretty good for this guy to go to Heaven), however, Jesus then says, "One thing you lack, go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come follow Me."  Uh oh, that's where the young man turned away sad....this young man had acquired great wealth and apparently, the thought of giving up all that to follow Jesus and have eternal life was just too much for him to bear.  Ouch.  Big O' American Ouch!

      If you think about it, the American Dream does not line up with the Gospel.  Many times, Jesus tells people to leave their home, their family, their possessions and take up their cross and follow Him.  When I think of people that do that, they fall in the "missionary" category, but not in the everyday people category, which is where I land.

     Two years prior to going on a mission trip to Nicaragua in June, 2008, I had been "jokingly" telling Gary that "we should sell everything and move to Costa Rica and become missionaries."  I said this in an effort to run from the "rat race" we seemed to be in over here.  After our mission trip, I knew deeply in my heart that we, here in America, were somehow, "missing the mark" of what God wanted for His children.  I didn't believe God wanted His children to be stressed day in and day out, to not sleep at night, to constantly wonder if what we were doing was what we were supposed to be doing...but it's difficult to NOT get caught up in the American Rat Race...its a phenomenon, to say the least. 

   What I saw over there changed my heart.  I knew I wanted to stay involved with Savior's Tear Ministry in some capacity from then on.  When I'd been back in America for some time, slowly, but surely, the severity of what I saw diminished in my memory.  It became clouded and veiled by all that goes on over here in America...such as, total immersion in "wanting more" by seeing or hearing thousands of commercials a week, whether on radio, TV, billboards, you name it.  Or by trying to keep up with the Joneses.  I am guilty of it all, and most definitely, ashamed of myself.

One scene that has never left my memory from the horrific dump grounds of Managua, Nicaragua was a young little boy, dirty from head to toe, but smiling from ear to ear.  I thought to myself, "Lord, what on Earth does this little boy have to be smiling about while running around in this horrible dump ground?"  Do you know what the Lord replied?  He said, "Dawn, this little boy has everything he needs for today.  He doesn't know to want more because he hasn't seen "more."  His needs are being met today and he is perfectly content and full of joy."  Another big Ouch!

Reading the book Radical has taken me back to that place in my heart that I felt while in Nicaragua.  I loved that place, although heart-breaking at times, it was motivating to me.  I want to be motivated any way I can be to help the poor.  We, over here in America, are filthy rich compared to the rest of the world.  Why is it so unbalanced, God?. . . God says to me rhetorically, "I don't know, Dawn, why is it?"

I want to be a Radical, Jesus Freak, who makes a difference in this world.  I can't sit idly by hoping someone else will do something.  I have been blessed beyond belief. Why?  To give generously to the poor and bring glory to God's name.  Pretty simple calling, huh?  Want to join me?  Read the book Radical and join us for a discussion at Leal's Restaurant on Thursday, March 10th at 12:00 noon.  Everyone is welcome . . .I hope to see you there!