Reckless Love & Square Dancing

One of our Swedish guests brought some stuffed toys for the
patients. I love the colour in this picture and the look
on her face! PC: Saul Loubassa

A few weeks ago, I hosted a joint Vision Trip from Sweden and Norway, which included some teenagers from a Maritime school we have partnered with and someone from Stena Line, the organization that is helping us to build the new Ship. Then I did something unusual. Instead of dropping them off at the airport and returning to the Ship, I got on the same flight as them. I was embarking on my own trip ‘home’. And what a trip it was. But before I tell you a bit about my speed visit to Ottawa/Toronto/Fort Wayne, I want to bring it back to what is most important – Christ. One of the things that has been on my mind in relation to living in Ottawa again is wondering where I will go to church. So on the one Sunday I was home, I went to check out a church with my friends. To end the service they sang I hadn’t heard before. It was called Reckless Love. Before singing it, the worship leader read from a post that the singer, Cory Ashbury, wrote to explain what he meant by reckless, a word that our culture would view as mostly negative. This is part of what he said: When I use the phrase, “the reckless love of God”, I’m not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so. What I mean is this: He is utterly unconcerned with the consequences of His actions with regards to His own safety, comfort, and well-being. His love isn’t crafty or slick. It’s not cunning or shrewd. In fact, all things considered, it’s quite childlike, and might I even suggest, sometimes downright ridiculous. His love bankrupted heaven for you. His love doesn’t consider Himself first. His love isn’t selfish or self-serving. He doesn’t wonder what He’ll gain or lose by putting Himself out there. He simply gives Himself away on the off-chance that one of us might look back at Him and offer ourselves in return. 

Tyler and Breanna during their first dance.

Great, some food for thought. And then, a few days later, I was in the truck with Tyler on the way back from work and the radio was playing in the background. Tyler said, hey have you heard this song? It’s going to be our wedding song. Or maybe he said that it was going to be played at the wedding. I don’t remember because I was too busy trying to figure out what song it was. Where had I heard this before…Oh yeah, that Sunday at church! Interesting. And then, during the wedding celebration, that moment came where they asked the couple to come for their first dance. And what song had they chosen? Reckless love. I got the hint. I proceeded to download the song and have had it on repeat since then. What a reminder of the lengths that Jesus goes to get us. I can sometimes walk the line between bold and reckless, but whenever I dive in head first and someone says that it's reckless, I never think of it as rash, thoughtless or irresponsible. Rather, I think of it as doing something with abandon, without restraint. What a model of how to love others. Without restraint, without thought for the consequences, with abandon. “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away”. I needed that reminder in this season. I probably need that reminder every day.

When your cousins get old enough (and smart enough) to
beat you at board games... :)

Okay so home! I had an evening with my parents filled with the best things: browsing the bookstore, making Indian food, watching a movie that prompted some interesting discussions (Race). I mean what’s a visit home without an intense disagreement with my dad about immigration and politics in general? Then it was off to check out a new church, lunch with friends, checking out a potential new apartment with my sister, getting my old job back, games and laughter with my cousins and grandma. Then I whisked my sister straight from class to head to Toronto where we checked in on some people, had some good but difficult conversations and said a goodbye. Then it was off to Indiana. 

Jess and I showed up 4 days before Tyler’s wedding and I am so thankful for that time. Even though people say that the U.S. is very similar to Canada, I always experience some culture shock. Maybe it’s just the difference between living in a small town versus living on farm land. We got to help feed the chickens and cows (one was huge and about to have a calf). I was introduced to their pig and told that it was being raised for a hog roast for another wedding. We got to live out a country song and drive a big green tractor (Jason Aldean). At one point, Tyler’s mom announced that we would be having sloppy joe’s for dinner and Jess responded with a lot of enthusiasm. I gave her a strange look but said nothing. Maybe she’d had sloppy joes in the time I’d been gone? Because we certainly never ate that growing up. When dinner time rolled around I had to ask for an explanation because I didn’t quite understand how the meal worked (there was also corn casserole?), and they were surprised to find out I had never had sloppy joes. How come Jess has had some? We turned to look at her. Oh no, I’ve never had it, I've just heard of it in movies, she responded. We laughed so hard. I got to spend one day going to work with Tyler which involved putting in earplugs and cutting concrete for about 10 hours (I just held the hose and turned the water on and off). They did let me drive the skidloader though which was slightly terrifying but also super fun. We had an evening of bonfire and beer, played basketball with the boys, had family dinners and helped with wedding stuff (I’m now a professional napkin folder).

Jess & I in borrowed outfits, ready for
the rehearsal dinner.

Upon arriving in Indiana we were informed that we had been invited to the rehearsal dinner, which was incredibly kind of them (and something we were unprepared for – thanks for the dress Breanna!). It also meant I had to keep my end of a promise I made to Tyler a long time ago, that I would read his first email to Breanna, out loud during the rehearsal dinner. They asked me to start off the speeches and I proceeded to read this email which is Tyler bluntly laying out how their penpal relationship was going to work. It’s hilarious. I was able to share a perspective of their relationship that others hadn’t heard or seen since Tyler was on the Ship for most of the ‘courting’, and realized what an amazing season that was and how thankful I was to have that time. After all, life changes, we grow, distance makes relationships different, and it’s so important to cherish every moment we are currently in. After the dinner we were invited to his best man’s house and it was like they had never met a Canadian before. They spent two hilarious hours making a list of why Canada sucks, most of which was false, although some hit a little too close to home – our women’s hockey team (they lost the U.S. in the Olympics…). After hearing so much about all of these people, it was great to finally meet them. 

Our lovely Mercy Ships table + Jess (and baby Dahlia).

THE WEDDING. On the big day, all the groomsmen came over to the Shroyer household for breakfast and by the sheer fact that everyone was in the wedding and needed to do stuff to get ready (and I was doing nothing), I had the absolute privilege of driving Tyler to the church. I had never been to a Christian wedding and I’ll be honest, I cried for most of it. To see the way he looked at his bride, to think about how Christ looks at us, His bride, to see the love of Christ so evident in the room, it was overwhelming. I was also filled with such joy for them, for all God had done to bring them together, for the way they glorified Him in everything. The wedding also provided the opportunity for a mini – Mercy Ships reunion and it was so nice to see some people I hadn’t seen in a while (we were all at the same table, of course). We were also the last ones dancing, after everyone else had stopped, because we are that awesome. 

Now I have to bring up a very cultural experience I had regarding dancing. Specifically, square dancing. It turns out, it’s actually SO MUCH FUN. It’s very inclusive (everyone gets a turn to do every move) and not too difficult to learn. In thinking on the experience, I couldn’t help but compare it to my experience following Christ. I wasn’t exactly eager to try, and gave the excuse that I didn’t know what I was doing, but my excuses were all overcome and I reluctantly agreed. I had a partner who knew exactly what he was doing (Tyler’s dad) and was able to lead me even though I was so lost. Once I kind of figured it out, I couldn’t stop laughing and was filled with so much joy. As we went along, people started adding more spins and complexities. Later on, we did another square dance and this time I had a partner who had never danced before. I found myself trying to lead him/explain something that I only had a semi-grasp on. We still needed one of the other pairs in the square to lead us by example. It made me think of how in the beginning of my walk with Christ I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into but He overcame all my objections, took the lead even though I had no idea what to do or how to follow him, and following Him became something filled with joy. As I followed him, I learned more and things got more complex, there were more challenges, but still He was in the lead. Then there came a point when He stepped back and I was called to lead another in the beginnings of their walk with Him. At the same time, I was able to look to others who had been walking with Him longer, for guidance and was able to follow their example. This is not to say Jesus is far away – He is nearby, smiling as He watches us walk out what He has shown us, ready to catch us if we fall.

Warrie and I with the 'Swiss Mafia' - Val & Sandrine ;)

Coming back to the Ship was interesting as I jumped straight into hosting a team from the UK, struggled with jetlag and waited a week to receive my luggage. But none of that really mattered. I realized how blessed I am to have such a wide variety of relationships and friendships aboard the Ship. The last week has been filled with long-term goodbyes, a volleyball tournament, a dance party, birthday celebrations with Frisbee and dinner and movies and brownies and laughter, a visit from several ministers and the Prime Ministers’ representative, engaging Bible studies, family meals, lightning storms, and a Ship full of people with hearts ready to serve Him. What’s next? A visit from my mom and sister!

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ~ Philippians 2:1-2

Our amazing Ponseti team with the patients they treated in the second half of the field service - after our Ponseti Celebration!