Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 5/3/2012
You know that feeling when you feel like your heart is going to burst? Yeah, that one. Whether from overwhelming joy or sorrow swept up in tragedy, it’s intense, it’s immense, it’s thick. My heart feels like that right now. Because I am currently sitting in a room with 20 incredible, amazing, talented, inspiring, gracious, humorous, tremendous people who have devoted their lives, talents and gifts to the King. They all have different stories and different journeys but we are all here, right now, at the same time and I feel so blessed.
I am writing to you today on their behalf. On behalf of the individuals who want to bring Hope to women scarred by emotional, physical and spiritual enslavement. On behalf of those stirring up a new movement among men to not participate in sexual exploitation and in turn see human trafficking decrease. On behalf of those who see the passion and fire in the hearts of youth and want to encourage them to become the men and women of God they are meant to be, thus literally change the world. On behalf of 20 people I believe in with all my heart; they are children of the Most High who I’ve been so privileged to meet and live life with.
I love each and every one of these awesome people, and I know they all will spread Truth and Love wherever they are. I am asking that you pray and if the Lord calls you to it, please donate financially to whichever name or names the Lord gives you. Maybe the Lord won’t ask you to donate but will place something else about that person on your heart. Please pray for them. There are visions and dreams taking shape here in Spain that I can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to do with them! I am so honored to have even a little glimpse into their hearts, and I know the Lord has more planned than any one of us can imagine.
Thank you so, so very much. Here are the people I am so blessed to be spending time with:
Taylor McKellar Daniel Thornhill
Dustin Suttle Theresa Duffy
Traci Suttle Tiffany Handley
Tiffany Irons Judson Luciak
Shawn Berteig Steve Chun
Tiffany Prater Chelsea Angel
Sarah Bousquet Allison Springer
Brian Barrett Jared Messenger
Bethany Frederickson Knox Schroller
Shaun Frederickson Kellen Gorbett
If you would like to donate, please go to http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/. On the far right is a “donate” button. After clicking, the next page has an “intern support” link. Please click on that and log in to Paypal. You can enter the amount you’d like to give, and then on the next page on the left-hand side there is a little box to click that
says “name of intern.” After clicking on it you can type in the name of the person you’d like to donate to. Then you click the “donate” button. There is also a mailing address on the G42 website if you prefer to mail in a check. Please include the name of the intern you’re donating to on the “for” line.
Again, I can’t thank you enough for your prayers for me and all of my friends here at G42. There really are not enough ways to say ‘thank you!’ Thank you times a gazillion, bazillion, trillion, shazam-illion. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 5/1/2012
Funny and not funny at all how it’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I’m excited and hesitant. I’m ready and I’m not ready. In fact I feel completely inadequate. I want to get started at home and I want my time in Spain to last longer simultaneously. I have been given a specific call to reach out to those trapped in the sex industry and over the last few days the weight of this reality is beginning to not just rest on my shoulders, but to press in on my shoulders.
In class today we were challenged with this very same realization: we all have a purpose and a responsibility and we need to recognize the weight this carries, not because of how it affects us, but because of how it affects others. I will be investing my life into people. Sons and daughters of the Most High. Mothers and fathers; brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. For me to not take this seriously would be a tragedy. The men and women who I will have the honor and privilege of crossing paths with and pouring out love to deserve an urgency in my spirit to take what the Lord has placed in my heart and passionately pursue His vision for His children.
In all honesty, letting the truth pierce my mind that the Lord trusts me with this vision absolutely takes my breath away. I know not a single ounce of this will be through my strength, nor am I being called to this alone. I am a warrior for Christ and it is His armor that I am suited in; that I find rest, power and peace in. I pray not one day goes by when I start losing sight of the gravity of the situation. And the situation is people. I am a part of the Body of the Church proclaiming the Name of the Head of the Church to men and women who may not yet know just how much He loves them. This is a responsibility that deserves my entire being. And my entire being He has. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 4/26/2012
The other day we were asked to write our own life-Psalm. Here is mine:
Father, before the world came into being, You were designing the being that would be me.
The orchestral rhythms of my heart were taking shape and even now not one beat pulses beyond Your sight.
Thirty-four years ago my lungs expanded for the very first time and only You know when they will contract their last.
Whether it’s before the next sunrise or my eyes behold 100 years, I am at rest in the grip of Grace; a grasp that will never slumber, a fist clenched so tight I know I will never slip.
And yet, through times of suffering and chaos I unknowingly invited Bitterness and Anger to my table. My damaged heart was the feast and they ravished and consumed. The façade of happiness soon wore thin and so pleasing people was what I wrapped my identity in.
One melody I would sing was that of the King but seeking an unknown false sense of security was the tune flowing from my deep, hidden wounds.
It was then, being a shattered clay object desperately crying out for the Potter, when You began intricately, delicately, patiently restructuring my song. The whispers of heaven reminded me how You had been with me and my brokenness all along.
Pain in its brevity or pain in its length has multiple effects but this is not a story of seeing darkness wave a victory flag. You repair the broken with the adhesive called Redemption, Forgiveness, Restoration. You heal even the deepest crevasses of the soul and the snares of bondage are obliterated by the thunder of Your freedom.
And from the proclamations of release I can now declare, You are sending me to war against injustice and to fight for the voiceless who are ensnared. My fire and spirit being what the enemy meant to kill and destroy, You have taken and drenched with rooted, abounding, unflinching joy. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 4/21/2012
She said she didn’t speak English. She clearly was skeptical as usually when someone approaches her it’s with an entirely different purpose. She looked to be in her early 20’s. My friend Jared asked her a question in Spanish, and her response came back in English. I smiled. Because I knew then we were going to be able to talk. I told her we were there to just say “hi.” I also asked how she was doing. And in that moment, I fully believe she felt the Lord’s unfathomable Love because her eyes softened. She saw that we were there for no other reason but to spend a few minutes with her. We wanted nothing from her; we weren’t there to exploit her. We were there for her.
Our exchange lasted at most three or four minutes. I wish with all my heart it could have lasted for three or four hours. But instead of feeling frustrated at our time and communication restraints, I quickly felt the Lord whisper “I don’t need three or four hours to change things or pour out My power.” I often forget that it literally only takes a second to share Jesus’ love with someone, and who am I to then question if it was enough. He is always moving in ways that are unexplainable and unimaginable. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than anything we can comprehend. Which is why we must keep going, keep loving, keep walking in His light and Spirit. I know things changed that night. I know that darkness was driven back. And I know that she encountered True Love, not because of us but because of He Who lives in us. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 3/22/2012
My first semester at G42 is over and I’m about to lay out the vision the Lord has given me. I’m about to tell you exactly how my heart is beating and what it is beating for. The scary part is that as I tell you, it means I need to actually do it. I need to act. I am now accountable; first to the Lord to humbly receive the direction He’s given me and move on it through His strength, and to you, my amazing supporters, friends and family. I know everything is still in formation and I have no doubt the Lord still has much to reveal. But I want to honor the Lord by sharing the excitement He has brightened my eyes and sped up my heart with, and I want to honor you for all of the prayers, encouragement and financial sacrifices you have made on my behalf. So here goes nothing...and everything.
Last October a friend and I had the privilege of delivering gift bags to women working at a strip club not too far from where I live. And I haven’t been the same since. We went again in December with the same result: I walked away knowing the Lord was doing much and asking me to continue bringing His love to the women, to the men, to everyone. But this isn’t a one or two-time shot. I have been rocked by the realities surrounding those involved in the sex industry and how there is a severe lack of self-value and worth in the mindsets of both those being exploited and in those seeking to fill a void with momentary pleasures. I want to do something about this.
Jesus declared our worth when He sacrificed Himself for us. We are precious, valued, cherished sons and daughters of the King and through His love our worth is defined. So I am going to start going; going to the clubs, the shops, the streets where the enemy has been wreaking havoc and bring Love. I don’t know what this is all going to look like yet, but I know I’m supposed to do it.
So I am asking for continued prayers as I start preparing. I have three months left in Spain and I fully believe I’ve only had a glimpse of the Father’s heart for the world and for those trapped in the sex industry. There are questions upon questions I have but I know He will reveal everything in His time. I also believe that I am not asked to do this alone. Please pray for those the Lord is asking to partner with me. Thank you. Oh, and the name the Lord has given me for this ministry to those working in strip clubs? Clothed By Love. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 3/17/2012
I’m not usually one to draw much attention to myself (except for the fact that I play one of the loudest instruments out there (drums) ). I’m not the first to raise my hand in class; I’m not the first to sit down at the dinner table. I am an extrovert in a sense that I love spending time with people, and an introvert in another. And yet, I am being reminded over and over that I have been given a voice from He Who so delicately designed the vocal chords from which our song is released. I have something to say; you have something to say. My heartbeat is to speak up against injustice; to speak for Love. I have been created to worship; with my melody, my silence, my actions, my words, my everything.
Our Savior is worthy of more than I can even grasp. I could literally shout out praises every second I am on this planet and it wouldn’t even come close to being enough. But I pray I am always in a posture of worship in one way or another. Yesterday I was looking at the beauty and wonder of the mountains behind me and the Mediterranean Sea in front of me and I was struck; struck with the truth that even when the children of the King say nothing or are left speechless, there will still be a gorgeous orchestration of praise rising; “...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40). The stones will cry out. The oceans will billow with reverence. The mountains will lift a cry to the Creator. Because He is I Am. Because He is Majesty. Because He is Redeemer. Because He is Glorious, Beautiful, Holiness. Because He Is.
(So, I started writing this blog yesterday morning and then went to class. During class, our instructor began passionately describing how creation is always lifting an exclamation of adoration to the Lord, even if people aren’t. With fire and exuberance he said “the rocks cry out!” :-) ).
The earth is always recognizing and proclaiming exultation to Christ. How can I not be? As I grow deeper in my walk with Him, I am constantly overwhelmed by Who He Is and by the love He gives. I am astounded at His desire to use me; to use you. To see our hearts overflow with His joy and truth; to walk in His light and see His Kingdom envelop the world. And He has much for us to say. So may I continuously join with creation and let cries of worship burst forth. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 3/12/2012
Dear Rooster,
On most mornings, I don’t welcome your 5am serenade.
On most mornings, I want to throw a shoe at you (if I’m being honest).
On most mornings, I wonder “why is that rooster so amazingly (amazingly as in “ugh”) consistent?”
On most mornings, I wish I could buy you a one-way ticket to Iceland...or anywhere but here for that matter (and then I remember that you can fly on your own. Squash the ticket thing).
But not today.
Today, right after I heard your morning melody and I was about to cringe, I heard something else.
I heard a beautiful song by some other type of bird (I have no idea what kind of bird, but that doesn’t really matter anyway :) ).
It was...nice.
It was...a reminder that sometimes what I think is going to be an “ugh” moment turns into an “aw” moment.
It was...refreshing. Even at 5am.
So thank you, dear rooster.
Thank you for being you.
Thank you for waking me up so I could hear your song. Because in actuality, when I think about it, it’s just as beautiful as the other bird’s song...because it’s yours and that’s how you were created.
Dear rooster...thank you.
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 3/1/2012
Alrighty...so it’s well-known that duct tape can fix just about anything. From a broken pencil to a desk leg to Mt. Rushmore, if it’s broken, duct tape is the answer. Well, I’m not duct tape, but for whatever reason, I sometimes think I am. I have noticed that I often want to somehow “fix” my friends problems. I want to believe that people I care about and love should never have to go through anything painful, never experience heartache, never wade through financial difficulties. I hear that something has gone wrong or unexpected, and immediately, at least internally, I start to think “how can I help? What can I do?”
A few weeks ago I found myself mulling things over as I heard that many of my new friends at G42 were patiently waiting for the Lord to fill their support accounts, even with some being to the point of barely making it another month unless the Lord did something miraculous. I thought “I wish I could just write a big ol’ check and fill up their accounts.” And then the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Natasha, it’s not your responsibility. You’re not Me.” Wowza. That struck my heart chords vibrantly. I was awakened to the fact that I sometimes try and carry a burden that I’m not being asked to carry. Do I absolutely love and care for my friends? Of course. Do I absolutely hope that their support will come in? Most definitely. Do I believe the Lord is at work in everything, including His timing for meeting our financial needs? An adamant “yes.” Do I believe that sometimes our most difficult times in life ultimately take us to the preciousness of surrendering at the foot of the Cross? Without a doubt. So who am I to try and fix something that doesn’t need fixing at all; something that has Kingdom-purposes far beyond anything I can envision?
I will pray. I will love. I will serve. I will give. I will do what I can. And I will trust; trust He Who knows every hair on our heads that we are never beyond His grip or gaze. And we are not asked to “make everything ok.” Only He can do that. He does ask us, however, to fix one thing: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith...” Hebrews 12:1-2. :-)
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 2/16/2012
The only sounds are cars driving by. Not a single building is open, not a single street has more than two or three lights. The purpose of this area is clear. No one is mingling; there is nothing to see. Except the women. They stand and wait; wait for the car to drive up, the verbal exchange to take place, the price to be settled on and then they go. After a certain amount of time, they're dropped off and the cycle begins again.
Two nights ago myself and 10 others had the opportunity to deliver red roses to
the women. We chose this night because it was Valentine’s Day. Most of these women are not from Spain. How they arrived is a mystery. I don’t know if they were lured here with a different dream in mind or if they were out-right forced to come. But what I do know is that even a five-minute interaction can shift a heart. Having the chance to share the love of Christ through the exchange of a rose, a smile and a hug can have implications far beyond anything I can see, and I pray every woman knows just how special, cherished and valued she is.
I have done similar ministries, but I have to say this situation was different. Unlike other countries, there weren’t hundreds of women surrounded by thousands of people on streets ignited by bright lights and loud music. At most there were 30 women, which made it, at least to me, all that much more personal. I could actually see every face; I could take the time to watch their expressions and their mannerisms as they paced back and forth, waiting for the next “customer.” The setting may be different than other countries I’ve been to, but my heartache is the same. And I continue to pray that this heartache perpetually spurns me into action and into love. May I remain broken-hearted until the day no one has to stand on the corner.
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Posted in General Posts by Natasha Hurt on 2/5/2012
I’ve been at G42 for a month now...gadzooks, does time go by quickly. And with a very large smile on my face, I can honestly say not a second has passed by where I had a fleeting desire to be somewhere else. I love being here that much. How much? (I’m stretching out my arms as wide as possible). That much.
The classes have been nothing short of incredible. If for no other reason, the instruction and Spirit-filled Truth I’ve been receiving would have been enough. But as the Lord loves to do, it’s not just the teachings that have made my heart smile. I feel immensely blessed to be walking out this time in Spain with awesome, fun, kind, passionately-in-love-with-Christ people. Between the staff and interns, there are about 25 individuals who all have the same desire: to see Christ’s Kingdom here on earth and to take His love to the nations. I’m honored to get to share life with these amazing men and women. I’m honored to hear the awesome God-orchestrations that have occurred, bringing us all to Mijas at the same time. I’m honored to speak and receive encouragement over and from my brothers and sisters. I’m honored to serve them with all I have. I’m honored to see Christ move in them all. I’m honored to love and be loved.
And since we are already one month in, I know the next five months will probably not go any slower. So, I want to remember every day to breathe; breathe in Christ’s Truth spoken here, breathe in each moment I have with my new friends, breathe in the power the Lord has ignited our hearts with to see His Love change the world, breathe in the sights and sounds of one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. (Deep, deep breath). :-)
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