Thursday, January 29, 2015

to be a part of this family


Whenever someone asks me to tell them about myself, I always start with my family. Because they’re pretty great. And I like to brag about them.

So when my dad emailed my siblings and I a couple days ago and asked us what it means to be a part of this family, I had to really narrow down my answer. Because there’s so much that could be said.

What does it mean to be a Stutts? What does it mean to be a part of this family?

It means a lot.

Growing up, we had so many traditions from Christmas to the Super Bowl. We learned to celebrate as a family.

Swimming competitively, playing football, cheerleading... We learned to support each other. We learned discipline, commitment, and how to win and lose well. 

Christian values. We learned what abundant life with The Lord looks like. We learned what a godly, healthy marriage looks like. We learned that relationships are more important than material possessions.

But if I had to choose just one thing… Being a Stutts means you serve. Being a part of this family means you give your life away.

The majority of my parents’ adult lives have been spent serving in ministry. Whether it was through a church, Cru, Young Life, or writing, my parents have opened up their hearts and home to anyone and everyone. They've given their time, money, and lives away.

My brothers-in-law and my brother are three of the most courageous, respectable, and admirable men I know. Their service in the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy should bring pride and gratitude to the heart of every American.

My sisters, both pregnant, are two of the strongest and most sacrificial women I know. Every day their husbands were deployed, ready to literally give their lives up, was a day my sisters gave their lives away too. And soon they’ll welcome two little babies into this world, and they’ll put their children’s needs before their own.

So my family… They give themselves away. It's rarely easy. But they do it anyway.

There aren’t enough pages to describe just what it means to be a part of this family. But I thank God I get to call these people my own. Because the more I get to know this broken world, the more I realize that people like them are rare. So if you get the privilege of knowing my parents or siblings, don't take it for granted. Because they’re incredible.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

american-minded


I spent the last two weeks in St. Augustine, Florida at Young Life’s New Staff Training and Cross-Cultural Orientation, which, like everything else Young Life does, was executed with brilliance and excellence. But before you get too jealous of Florida in January, know that I spent 95% of my time in hotel conference rooms and was deprived of the beautiful, warm streets and weather. But I wouldn't trade that 95% for anything. I learned some pretty incredible things and met some pretty amazing people in those conference rooms. That you can be jealous of.

I’m still processing everything I learned, and believe me it’s a ton. But if there’s one thing that has really stood out to me, it’s this idea of “American Christianity.” It's actually been a badgering thought in the back of my head for a couple years now, but not until recently has it boiled so close to the surface.

Let me preface with I love America. Like. A whole, whole lot. I saw American Sniper this afternoon, and my heart swelled with pride, patriotism, and emotion. I hold my American values and beliefs near and dear to my heart, especially as my move to Germany gets closer and closer. 

But as I process everything I’ve learned over the last couple weeks, I realize how American culture has shaped my view of Jesus. Not in a bad way. But it’s definitely limited how I live this so-called Christian life. I’ve been studying the Jewish culture that Abraham and Jesus lived in, the Greek culture that Paul reached out to, present-day German culture, my own American culture, and a few others. It’s broadened my mind, and if I’m being perfectly honest, there are times when I don’t like or want that. It’s hard, painful, and challenging to step outside of my American worldview.

So this I struggle with: I’m not called to be an American-minded Christian… I’m called to be a Kingdom-minded Christian. Now, that doesn’t mean I abandon my American values. I believe God is sovereign, and He 100% intended for me to grow up in the south of the United States. But being Kingdom-minded means I become a student of other cultures. God is so much bigger than my little corner of the world, whether that corner is Fayetteville, Arkansas or Munich, Germany. His mission is bigger than that. His mission is to everyone… Everywhere. Including, but certainly not limited to those corners. He’s been calling people from every nation and culture back to Himself for thousands of years, and somehow I fit into His mission at this point in history. And not in my home country.

It’s deeply humbling.