Song of the Month: “Time To be Awesome” Zoe Saldana

 

Everything I needed to know about church planting I learned in my Underoos. Ok, so maybe not everything, but a lot.

It’s the beginning of 2018. I’m on my second month of being forty-five years old and I’m realizing that who I am, is really so connected to who I was as a silly, little, eight year old girl, running around in my….wait for it… not superwoman…but Incredible Hulk Underroos. Yes, I was a freaky little blond girl who loved her some Incredible Hulk. Still do as a matter of fact and I’m not ashamed to admit it…anymore.

It wasn’t the comic that first drew me in, but the highly emotive opening seen of the made for T.V. show. There was our Bill Bixby, sadly sauntering around a long, lonely bend in the road with his tiny (for now), thumb sticking out. So sad, so hopeless, so misunderstood!

We are who we are. We are who God made us to be. Sure over the years,  we take hopeful steps closer to heaven, learning a bit along the way about forgiveness, love, and grace. But our essence, the Soul that was born into this world, is one specially designed freakazoid that God sent like an astroid into His wold. Boom! And you created your pothole.

One question I get asked a lot by young women heading into the ministry is, “How do you…do it?” Whatever the IT  is that they are seeking to do. How do you be a pastor’s wife, church planter, pastor, preacher, evangelist, teacher, worship leader, lead children’s ministry,  juggle it all with kids, stand up against the scrutiny of others, put up with gossip, betrayals, etc.?  And how do you do it all while dealing with your own issues? Real life, everyday, human issues like depression, infertility, un-forgiveness, trials with grown children, death of loved ones, cancer, financial crisis, and so on.

Many (all?) church planters don’t feel they have what it takes. And to be frank, they don’t.  I didn’t. Don’t.  I just have what I have. The raw material that God gave me, much like Bill Bixby. But gosh darn it, once the Hulk came around, Bill had what it took to knock the bad guy to the moon and back!

  I’ll never forget the day I learned through a very important issue of The Making of the Incredible Hulk, that Lou Ferrigno was deaf. The Incredible Hulk! MY Incredible Hulk, was Deaf! The magazine showed in detail the hours of makeup Lou had to endure to become the Hulk ( Lots of makeup tips there girls:). It mentioned the struggles he faced as a deaf kid and all the Incredible Hulk had to overcome to become so incredible to me.

Anyone who knows great literature, knows every hero must have a flaw. In fact, their flaw is a part of their story, without it there would be no story. Without the Hulk, there would be no sad BIll Bixby to tune into every week. Will he overcome? Will he ever find love? If he can keep going, so can I! And on come those powerful Underoos.

So it is with us. Could it be that our very brokeness, or the thing we see as such a flaw in ourselves, or our biggest heart ache, is the thing God wants to use in us? Perhaps the very dent our butt makes in the earth, is where the rain will fill to water someone else’s garden? Give us humility as His Church? Bring restoration for someone who feels hopeless?  I mean he did choose to put the equivalent of the Incredible Hulk in jars clay right? Last time I checked 2 Corith. 4:7, I’m sure it said God put the treasure of his Holy Spirit (ie. Incredible Hulk) in jars of clay (us).

So next time you hear the lie in your ear that you just can’t do it, or no one wants to see your dirty Underoos, remember He chose you as you. Flaws and all.   People can’t relate to “Perfect” pastors, leaders, ministry workers. Its not real, nor is it even right to set ourselves up to crash all over their pedestals. “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God?” (Mark 10:8) So why pretend? Why play act?  Whew! Pressure off, Underoos on! Let’s go.

Define Underoos someone asks? …It’s what American kids wore in the early 80’s to feel invincible!

  If we had only had Shakespeare Underoos! How right this world would be.

 

 

 

 

(First Posted on Church Planting Is For Girls 2014)