Gospel Lived Out

Nate and I have now been in NYC for two whole days.  Two whole days that seem like four years.  Not to mention the five days that it took to get us here that seemed like an eternity.  The truth of all is that God is in perfect control of all that we have done and all of what we will do.

I'm pressed for time to write this blog post so I cannot begin to express all that I want to or include some of the great pictures that I have taken so far of what we have been up to in the city.

What I want to express is the beauty of what has been happening.  From every revolution of the bicycle wheels and every mile I drove in my car, we have been living out the Gospel and that is what each and everyone of us has been called to do.

Creation: This was when God created the heavens and the earth and everything was perfect.  On our way to NYC I experienced God's Creation in a new way as we traveled on the road less traveled and took back roads and paths to end here.  God's intention for Creation is beautiful and to see and experience even a fraction of that beauty is breathtaking.  While waiting on Nate in Maryland I wrote in my journal, "The beauty of the landscape makes it look like poverty had never touched it."  It gave me a taste of pure.  It gave me a taste of God's Creation in a new way and was beautiful.

Fall:  This was when man sinned against God and calamity and oppression entered the world.  Creation was defiled.  Our travels and God's hand has led us to NYC and oppression and calamity is visible.  Yes graffiti and broken buildings are terrible but it is in no comparison to the brokenness of the people.  People are what truly matter and can experience God's love.  We are living in the shadow of the Fall but there is light in Jesus and what He has done for each and every one of us.

Redemption:  Nate and I are working at the Bowery which is a six-month to a year Christian-based program for men to get back on their feet, to turn from their way and run towards the Lord.  It provides basic needs to the men that enter the program, "the Students", but the Bowery also meets the needs of everyone outside, "the Community".  Nate and I have been working the front desk and have been the bridge between everyone.  Firsthand, we have seen men enter the program and have heard their stories of how they have met Jesus and been redeemed of their old ways and have received new life and love.  In no way has it been easy for any of them but it is beautiful and it is love and it is the Gospel.

Renewal:  This is the most beautiful part of the Gospel, this is the process of sanctification and the process in which we are each becoming more and more like Christ.  Since, I am in this process myself I definitely can identify with how I have seen it being played out in our short time at the Bowery.  The stories of each and every person who has entered the program and received Christ and where they are with the Lord now is the Gospel in its purest and most raw form and the Spirit of the Lord shines in the face of each man in their renewal.  Renewal also leads to giving back and living out the Gospel.  Its what the staff here does daily and it is what Nate and I are doing and want to do with our lives.  We didn't choose ministry, God has chosen us.

True beauty isn't from the success stories of the homeless, it's from their stories of renewal and the way that Jesus Christ has washed them clean and set them free and that is the most beautiful part of each and every Christian's story.

I wish I had more time to write and post pictures but the computer lab is about to have a class.  For the next couple of days, Nate and I will be working at MontLawn City Camp in the kitchen where we are needed and then will be back at the Bowery.  Please keep praying!  I love you all and the support and way the Body of Christ has formed around Nate and I has been amazing.

Big shout-outs to Susan Andrews & Rev. Rick, Josh Lowe & family, and Justin Graves & family for letting us stay with you on our journey and helping us be the hands and feet of Jesus!

"True beauty is from our renewal in Jesus and what we do with the Gospel."

It's Okay to Be Scared

Tomorrow morning, Nate and I are leaving DC to bike towards NYC.  Over six months worth of commissioning, praying, and preparing has culminated into the moment we pedal out in the morning.  That is going to be the moment it becomes real.  I am kind of freaking out. Honestly, I'm scared.

I left Harrisonburg on Tuesday and got to Nate's house in Springfield (Northern VA). I hadn't been to NoVa before except for DC really so over the past two days I have got a good dose of life up here.  It's pretty sweet!  So many of my friends from JMU are from NoVa that I'm glad I got to come check it out for myself and see what all the hype was about.  I like it here.

Tuesday night, we went to REI (first in store experience for me) and got some supplies that we had left to buy.  Nate's parents blessed us with some sick riding jerseys and I got some spare tubes for my bike. For a wake up call and in complete irony Nate had a flat tire on his bike when we got home haha.

Today has been a day with all my favorites.  We started with time with the Lord, worked out, helped out family, went shopping, had dinner, watched hockey, took a nap, and had ice cream... today has been great! But everyone who has been reading blog posts and updates really deserves this post and I'm stoked to end my night by writing it.

Since God told me He would give me a bike, I have had zero doubt about going on this trip and God's provision but now I am scared.  Being scared is okay.

Jesus tells us all in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  When Jesus said this, no where did it say it would be easy.  The cross is death.  Jesus is commanding us to die to ourselves to follow Him.  That is pretty scary but that death isn't the end of it.  The best part about the story of the cross is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, rose again in three days and offers eternal life to all who repent and believe.  He radically transforms our lives.  Radical transformation is change and change is scary.

When I return I will be different.  My beard will be back but that's not the change I am talking about.  The reason I am scared is that I know that this trip is going to radically transform my life. The Message gives Luke 9:23-27 in a little bit of a different way, "Don't run from suffering; embrace it.  Follow me and I'll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self."  This version of what Jesus is saying in this passage is exactly why I am going to NYC tomorrow, to surrender to Him and find myself, my true self.

The reason I am so humbled by the way people are praying and supporting me is because they aren't just giving money to the homeless of NYC but they are making investments in my life in the biggest way possible and I promise you it's priceless and I will never forget your words, prayers, and support.

Ultimately, I want you to know that it is okay to be scared.  We are all called in the Great Commission to, "Go and make disciples of all nations."  We are all called to have a global view on making disciples.  God designed each and everyone of us to be passionate and have specific dreams.  It is okay to be scared but don't let fear stop you from doing God's Will.  Don't let fear stop you from finding your true self.

Don't let fear of death stop you friends, 

we have the greatest victory of all, 

ETERNAL LIFE.

Why are you going biking?! (13 Days Away)

Some people say that the number thirteen is unlucky.  I'm not really worried about it. 
As many of you know, in thirteen days I will be leaving with one of my best friends Nate Smith on a bike trek to spread the Gospel to New York City.  
Today is the first day since God told me that He would give me a bike that I have felt assurance about going and absolute peace.

In my support letter I didn't have the space to really explain how and why the bike trip developed but it is a pretty sweet story.  In December a large part of my life changed and a long-term relationship that I was in ended.  This was a strange time for me and sometimes it's still weird.  My relationship ended because we were trying to make one another into what each other wanted and were missing out on the awesome individuals that God had designed us to be.  The majority of my identity was wrapped up in my relationship and my identity wasn't 100% in Christ alone.  The end of this relationship opened the door to a journey of self-discovery.

When I was driving home from Harrisonburg right after this all had happened, I gave Nate a call.  As
usual he answered and talked to me and it was just another phone call.  However, he told me that InterVarsity was looking for more people (and guys in particular) to go on the NYCUP Spring Break trip so I called the leader and applied and thats how that happened haha.

I came back to Harrisonburg to start Spring Semester and Nate called me to hang out.  I had got hired at Campus Cookies, delivering cookies around Harrisonburg at this time, so we drove around and I studied the city more and where the different apartments were and all that.  We ended up at Nate's house and talked about the summer and New York and biking.

For a long time, I had known about this trip being on Nate's heart.  He even got some camping gear for Christmas for the trip.  Nate told me that he had told some friends from home about the trip and asked them to go and they said he was crazy and told him no.

Since then, some people have told me I am crazy so I know the feeling.  In high school I read a book called, Under the Overpass, which was the story about two college guys who left school for a year and lived homeless in five major US cities and shared the Gospel.  The book changed my life and my heart towards missions in a big way.  


Nate's vision and calling for this trip wasn't crazy because the same feelings he had were part of what makes up my identity in Christ and my calling.  It made perfect sense to me.  If we are crazy, then we are crazy together.  

After telling me about his attempts of gaining members for his trek, half-jokingly semi-seriously Nate said, "Soooo... if youuuu want to gggggooooo letttt meee knowwwww..." and I looked up at him and said, "I think I do want to go."  I told him that I would pray and think about it and let him know.  To be honest... I think he was a little surprised ;) 

The next morning in worship at Cross-link, during worship God told me very clearly, "Eric, I will give you a bike."  I texted Nate in church and told him, "I'm going." He texted back, "To NYC this summer with me?!?!?!" And I said, "Yes."

Ultimately, God has known about this trip way before me and I have just taken steps to answer His call.  I wasn't telling Nate, "yes," I was telling the God of the Universe...

"YES, LORD, I AM ALL IN AND I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES."