Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started? Checkout the back story over here.
Want to join our favorite free writing exercise of the week? It’s easy and open to anyone.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt: “Broken” with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.
OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::
Broken…
:
GO
I’ve totally started this Five Minutes three or four times now. I’ve broken my own rules and edited. My daughter has stuck her feet all over the keyboard and I’ve tried to find a corner of the house I could write quietly and consistently and she found me at minute one. There’s a voice in my head that tells me I’m not good at things. Mostly I don’t listen to that voice. There are hot rollers on the carpet and a pair of sneakers. My daughter is chugging my glass of water and I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking about community and why we need it. Trying to teach other people what it is that makes real life more important than online.
Zoe has climbed up onto the bed next to me and is playing a game on my phone. She’s two. Both seem impossible to me. This year we’re going home to South Africa again for Christmas. I try not to think about how long it’s been since the last time. Two years. That hurts. My tummy hurts with homesickness and it’s easier not to call because hearing your dad’s voice from that far away can make it worse.
We were not created to live so far apart from the people we love. The people who make us who we are.
Our pastor has a phrase that has stuck in my head since the first time I heard him say it. He describes our faith this way – that God’s son, Jesus, came and moved into the neighborhood.
Think on that.
Moved into the neighborhood.
It’s so ordinary. So intimate. To think of Jesus living on my block. Walking around in this human skin. Feeling the same homesickness. And choosing to stay because we are His people. Just like Peter, Jackson, Micah and Zoe are mine.
It reminds me that Jesus was more real than sometimes the songs on the Christian radio station make Him feel to me. He was tired and hot and sweaty at the end of long days. His feet got dirty. His friends squabbled. He missed out on stuff and got left out of things. He was often misunderstood.
Surely there were days he got a stomach bug and knows what it’s like to lose your breakfast.
He held down a job and built up a community of close knit friends.
I’ve lost track of the minutes now, but I’m remembering why this Friday matters. Because the God who moves into the neighborhood to meet me in person, that God I want to follow. That God who walks His way up to the ransom drop, and unflinchingly pays the price for me, that God, I almost have no words for. Thank you is too small. I just bow my head. I lie down on the ground. I hold onto His feet. I stand at a distance. I whisper, Glory.
A broken, awkward, fumbling hallelujah.
Matt Papa says it much better than me. You’ve gotta listen to him tell The Story of God.
STOP
I love this post, especially in light of Easter weekend. Also, I thought it was TOTALLY cool that you linked Matt Papa’s video on this post. He is the worship leader at my church here in Durham, NC! :)
No way! He’s incredible.
Ohhh Lisa-Jo I get the homesickness, I totally do. For us it is two years since we were home too, and it will be another six months before we get back. Your words here mean so much. I’m joining you in the hallelujahs.
Hi Lisa-Jo! I’ve been a 5MF stalker for a while now and am finally linking up! Thank you so much for the opportunity!
Hey there Amanda -welcome!
Thank you so much for this post. What a wonderful and perfect view of what Jesus did. Thank you thank you thank you. It brought tears to my eyes :) In a good way :)
Love how your pastor put it…so humbling that Jesus did that for us, and not only did He move in, but He changed it, forever…Happy Easter to you and yours, Lisa-Jo :) Thanks for hosting and for being an awesome hostess :)
Each week I am so amazed at how the word fits into my life at that time. WOW!
I am glad you have broken the rules (too!) :)
I hope you will come by and pray for our friend’s “broken” baby.
Blessings as we celebrate our RISEN SAVIOR!
I loved reading this first thing this morning. I relate to missing family so much that it hurts and the quote from your pastor hit a sweet place in my heart: “that God’s son, Jesus, came and moved into the neighborhood.” More Grace to you and your family! Happy Easter!
Donna @ More Grace (donnaharris.wordpress.com or @donnamaeharris)
I’m so glad even the boss breaks the rules sometimes. :)
It’s hard to remember sometimes that Jesus came to earth as one of us–in the flesh with all the human functions. I don’t even want to think of Him going to the bathroom or losing His breakfast. He came down to our level and walked in our feet. Thanks for reminding us.
I can’t wait to see you in like 3 weeks!
simply beautiful and honest. thank you.
I love the idea of Jesus “moving into the neighborhood.” It’s so easy for me to forget that he was fully God and yet FULLY man as well. The sweat, the fatigue, the tears, the pain. I bet Jesus gave the BEST hugs.
Thank you for this today. I’m linking up for the very first time and I can see already I will be back again. Just wonderful.
I cannot think of any better day to break the rules than this one. I’m glad you let yourself keep going. So often, the reflection that takes place during writing is an act of worship, and this weekend is a time we should worship without boundaries.
I love the idea of God moving into the neighborhood. That’s why I love John 1- Jesus tabernacled among us. The tabernacle is no longer a place we have to travel in order to sacrifice, it is a Person who journeyed to us and became our sacrifice. It’s almost impossible to fathom how different life would be if that move had not taken place.
I’m all teary today because of Him. I’m overwhelmed with His Love.
xoxo
Really lovely.
Our Savior and our God are glorious. I have worshiped this morning. Thank you for including the video.
Great post. This is my second time to post with you. I really enjoyed the posts of those I got to read last time.
I plan on posting the video – thanks for sharing it!
Thanks, Jenn
Lisa Jo, I’m overcome with the love of the Father for you. I don’t know what He wants you to know, or feel, in this very moment, but there is some kind of message He wants to deliver to you today. I am praying for you, dear one. Praying for your beautiful heart. May you know what a beautiful blessing you are to this growing online community of sisters.
Blessings,
Janelle Marie
Wow, Lisa-Jo, what an interesting, insightful, fabulous, out-of-the-box post. I loved thinking about Jesus getting sweaty and living a full day. Nice job.
Beautiful post, and such a wonderful picture of Jesus, God in flesh moving amongst us, living like us. He’s such a good and personal Savior.
Glad you broke your own rules, because I really enjoyed your thoughts. It’s often so much easier to put Christ on a pedestal than to understand the depths of his humanity. It’s not just that he suffered the pain of the cross. He suffered tummy-aches and homesickness.
Laura Hedgecock
http://www.TreasureChestofMemories
http://www.twitter.com/LauraLHedgecock
Your disclaimer made me feel better, because I was wondering how I got so little after five minutes and you had all this :) First time (finally) joining in and so happy to have done so! Thank you!
I love the thought of God moving into my neighborhood. Your words struck my heart today. Thank you.
Thanks for hosting and for sharing that powerful video. The word broken was hard to write in 5 min. No worries- I didn’t do well with the rules this week either and so I felt relief that I was in good company :)
Sometimes rules need to be broken:) So glad you did – I get homesick for the grown-up ones not in my house – the way the house sounded with their voices, their input:) BTW – always call your dad – at least for those of us who never had a dad like that:) I am so glad He came. I can’t quite wrap my brain around it but because He came I am whole:) Wishing you blessings this Resurrection Sunday!
To Jen @ Raising Nats Fans … your site won’t let me comment … but didn’t want you to think I hadn’t popped in and read your beautiful post.
Here’s what my comment was supposed to say:
>>>for at this end of the brokenness is where we find the light.<<<
very well said.
Great post & looking forward to reading more from you.
Be blessed at Easter & throughout the year.
Beautifully put! Thank you. Be blessed, Maria from Delight Directed Living
Tremendous issues here. I’m very happy to peer your article. Thanks so much and I’m having a look ahead to touch
you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
hooray for real life. thank you for sharing honestly. virtual world can make somebody look completely flawless. http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2014/03/broken-5-minute-prompt.html