Suze Rinks. What a gal. While most of us from N-Squad went home to re-enter back to the States, she was one of the few to stay out on the field in pursuit of remaining obedient to His call. And while America sure does miss her and awaits her near homecoming, she is meant to be right where God has her, in South America, leading a team of freshie racers through new waters.
When we said our goodbyes, she sent me home with her favorite book, “Hinds Feet on High Places.” Over the past couple of months, I have been slowly reading the book and taking so many well-timed nuggets of truth and holding them close to my heart, then putting them in my pocket for a rainy day. I love getting to hold this beat down old book that looks like it’s seen some things… because it has. It went around the world with Suze on our race and was passed around by several members of N-Squad. It’s a beautiful thing getting to read through the bent, ripped pages and see the comments, circles, and underlines and wonder what each statement truly meant for the reader at the time the mark was left.
The book, Hinds Feet is all about this small and scared character, Much Afraid’s journey out of the Valley of Humiliation and into the Kingdom of Love. It’s not easy, in fact, it’s really hard, but theres this thing at the end of it all that is so worth every bit of pain. (I don’t know exactly what it is yet, cause I haven’t finished the book, but I know it’s good).
Towards the beginning of the book, when the Good Shepherd invites Much Afraid on this journey, He sees this deep longing to be loved in her heart. But her idea of love is not the same Love that the Shepherd wants to give. The Shepherd then offers to plant the Seed of Love into Much Afraid’s heart. Here’s the excerpt from the book.
“Please plant Love in my heart now,” she said faintly. Poor little soul, she was still Much-Afraid even when promised the greatest thing in the world. The Shepherd put his hand in his bosom, drew something forth, and laid it in the palm of his hand. Then he held his hand out toward Much-Afraid. “Here is the seed of Love,” he said. She bent forward to look, then gave a startled little cry and drew back. There was indeed a seed lying in the palm of his hand, but it was shaped exactly like a long, sharply-pointed thorn. Much-Afraid had often noticed that the Shepherd’s hands were scarred and wounded, but now she saw that the scar in the palm of the hand held out to her was the exact shape and size of the seed of Love lying beside it. “The seed looks very sharp,” she said shrinkingly. “Won’t it hurt if you put it into my heart?” He answered gently, “It is so sharp that it slips in very quickly. But, Much-Afraid, I have already warned you that Love and Pain go together, for a time at least. If you would know Love, you must know pain too.” Much-Afraid looked at the thorn and shrank from it. Then she looked at the Shepherd’s face and repeated his words to herself. “When the seed of Love in your heart is ready to bloom, you will be loved in return,” and a strange new courage entered into her. She suddenly stepped forward, bared her heart, and said, “Please plant the seed here in my heart.” His face lit up with a glad smile and he said with a note of joy in his voice, “Now you will be able to go with me to the High Places and be a citizen in the Kingdom of my Father.”
When I read this portion of the book, it hit me straight to my core. No wonder these particular pages were filled with brackets, ‘frick’s, underlines and stars.
“If you would know Love, you must know pain too.”
I think a lot of Christians today, believe that choosing Jesus, means choosing a life without pain and suffering. In reality, it’s just the opposite. Choosing Jesus and the Love he offers, guarantees us affliction. It’s vulnerable. It’s messy. It’s hard. The Seed of Love comes in the shape of a thorn, much like the ones placed on Jesus’ head when he hung on the cross for us, as the ultimate act of Love. Love is sacrifice. Love is pain. Oh but it’s SO worth it. Love is what ushers us into the Kingdom of God. Love is what takes us up to the higher places, and it gives us the strength and the courage to say yes to all the God wants to give us and show us. Love is what inspires us to bring others with us into the Kingdom of Love to experience God for themselves. Love is so powerful.
I am inspired by Suze and the way that she loves without fear of pain. I have seen God transform the way she loves and her capacity to sit in pain. She fearlessly continues on her journey to the higher places no matter where it may take her. She is bound and determined to follow the Shepherd wherever He leads because of the seed of love thats planted in her heart.
I know there are times where still being on the field is hard for her, where it would be easier to be at home. I know that adjusting to a different squad is painful because of the memories it brings back of N-Squad. I know she misses family and friends and the comforts of home. But it is Love that keeps her faithfully moving forward. It is Love that brings her back to sitting with the Lord no matter how hard the revelations He’s giving her are. It is Love that drives her to serve her team and model servant leadership to them daily. And it is Love that is going to bring her back home, no matter how hard re-entering is going to be.
I pray that each of you reading this feels Jesus’ love burning so strong for you. A love that would sacrifice everything, for the sake of knowing you. I pray that God gives you the courage to keep loving, no matter the pain. I pray that you would say yes to the things that fear is telling you to say no to.
“We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
You are so loved.
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A simple way to love a little deeper today, is to support Suze on this World Race 2.0. She needs prayers as well as financial support in order to be fully funded. Consider blessing her life and ministry by praying and by donating.
Thanks for reading,
Cam
