We Need It All

Nicole and I were in Kansas when it happened. The entire community was in shock and then utterly undone. He was only 8 years old. This kind of tragedy never considers the fragility of those in its wake. Joshua Station had been turned into a house of mourning, overnight.

A few weeks ago we all celebrated with ear to ear smiles and lots of hugs as we sent her off to college. We were all so incredibly proud of her for putting in the hard work it took to get here. It almost overshadows the weight and pain of the valleys in her life—almost. Nevertheless, we are celebrating, because this moment deserves to be celebrated!

What makes Joshua Station what it is? Is it the “success stories” that make us all feel proud to be in this place? Is it the stories of extreme suffering and pain? Is it the stories that don’t go the way we hope after a family moves into a new house? The only answer that makes any sense is yes.

This is a place of transformation. Sometimes that transformation makes us feel warm and grateful. Sometimes it breaks us and causes us to weep. And sometimes it causes us to throw our fists into the wall in frustration. Without the stories of success, this place is without hope. Without the stories of hardship, this place is not honest. It all blends together in a messy and beautiful way to create the community that I have gotten to know over the course of eight years. It’s all a part of it. We need it all.

Of course this is true, not only for Joshua Station, but for each and every one of us.  We are not all success, nor are we all failure or utter defeat. We are all of it. We are often told to deny that fact, to strive for a perfection (at least of image) that simply doesn’t exist. This pursuit causes us to become distanced from the truth of who we are. We are all of it. We need it all. And it’s exactly when we embrace it all—bumps, bruises, and beauty marks alike—that transformation truly happens.

* My thoughts in this newsletter are my own and not meant to be seen as representative of Mile High Ministries.