RG.

If you look at the Smeddle calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen, you will see lots of abbreviations.  "LG" could stand for "life group" or "living grace".  "Jubs" is short for our church Jubilee.  "PM" will be miss Penny Marco's engagements, and for 11 weeks twice a year, our Tuesday nights will say "RG".
RG is short for Redemption Groups.  One of the many ministries of our beloved Jubilee, RG is a small group support model developed by a man named Mark Wilkerson, the aim of which is to get people into community where they can journey to a place of healing in various areas of their life.  AND YOU THOUGHT MY LORD OF THE RINGS POST WAS RANDOM! Well, you were wrong, cause each Tuesday, Simon and I get to be the Sam to a room full of Frodo's.  We get to walk with men and women out of the pain of carrying a sinful burden, into the freedom that comes as they shed the weight and receive the shalom peace of God.

From their website, "A Redemption Group™ is an intense small group where participants experience the love of God shining into some of life’s darkest areas of sin and suffering.  Redemption Groups™ is a ministry designed to help local churches minister to the deepest pastoral needs in their congregations while equipping volunteer leaders to be the primary ministers. A thriving Redemption Groups ministry can help to transform a church culture into a robust redemptive community."

 While not having babies (again, see previous post for context clues…), Simon and I are called into this ministry and believe in it strongly.  It changed our lives as participants in the beginning of this year, and it is changing us as intern facilitators as the year closes.  While Simon interns in a men's group, I help by interning in a ladies group.  
To be blunt, I wasn't sure what to expect from our group.  Obviously its all a bit unknown, and things can only progress as fast or as deep as the participant allows.  As an intern, I have no magic formula (think they save those for the real facilitators!) or wand to wave that makes someone see their suffering and their sin more clearly.  God is really the one we all look to, and in weeks where we as facilitators feel inept, we look at Him and wait.
Waiting has paid off for our group, and God has done magnificent work.  We have all changed in ways you would have NEVER imagined.  We are alive and awake and blossoming like the flowers we were made to be. God is digging deep into our soil, and I stand amazed.  
A few weeks ago at "LG" aka life group, I was asked to name what my spiritual gifts are.  I didn't know, and so I said "well I like to watch people get better, so I suppose healing would be one".  I don't claim to have a gift of healing, but I claim to love the King of Glory's manifest presence in those who are being healed.  I love being part of the process.  I am Sam in those moments, willing to all but fling myself in the flames for the sake of someone who is so near their redemption.  It makes me come alive to see God breathe life into people and that "calling", if you will, helps me understand some of my life choices (moving to random countries, adopting a hurting child, working as a drug counselor, etc). 

 RG is pretty rad, even if its another commitment far away from my cozy little flat.  It's so worth it, as I sit on the edge of another group closing for the year, to be part of God's redemption in this city.  

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