Category: kristina

A Chance to Be The Church and Say Yes

by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

If you haven’t heard about ISIS and the Syrian refugee crisis (on top of all the millions of refugees there already where from more than just Syria) then you are in the minority. Almost all of us have heard, we all wept over Aylan’s body and the news of so many others who have either perished trying to escape, been caught and sent back to the war zones, or made it to what they thought was safety only to be mistreated in those places. It is heartbreaking and although it is nothing new many of us didn’t really wake up to the problem until recently. We have a chance now to either ignore the problem, pretend it isn’t happening, or be the church, show love and say yes we will obey.

On Wednesday night our church held a meeting for us, the other churches in the area and anyone who was interested in coming to talk about bringing a family over. I have been desperately hoping that we would sponsor at least one family as a church so this was very encouraging. I worried that this would just be more talk when what is really needed now (and was long before this new crisis) is action but left feeling encouraged that this isn’t just talk, it is a plan. It is amounts of money written down on pieces of paper promising how much each person is able to give so we know how many families we can bring over. It was information from someone who has already gone through this whole process and can answer our questions even the ones we didn’t know we had. It was people promising to help teach ESL, to help with all the little things that are necessary to live in a climate like ours.

As I drove home I thought about how God already has a family (or multiple families) chosen for us, He knows what country they will come from and what language they will speak. We can imagine and speculate but He already has them picked out. I thought about how cool it is that I can already be praying not only for the logistics of sponsoring a family but I can pray specifically for the people that we will one day meet. It doesn’t matter to God that I haven’t learned their names yet because HE already knows them.

So as our community embarks on this new adventure that will, I am sure, be difficult and amazing and trying and leave us all changed, will you pray with me for the family God will bring into our lives? Will you pray for us as we prepare to show the love of Christ to a family who has been through unimaginable pain. Will you pray for patience and wisdom and lots of grace for everyone who will be involved in this process. Thanks.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.          (John 13:35)

Kristina Dyck currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over on her own blog, Unashamed Grace.

Visit our HMC website for more information on how you can
get involved and help through the current refugee crisis.

Grace In The Ugly

by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

http://www.unashamedgrace.com/2015/08/13/grace-in-the-ugly/

I have been thinking about grace a lot this summer. When grace shows the most in our lives, and when we see it the most in the lives of others.

A few of weeks ago a couple I know had a new baby, their precious baby came too soon though and was only with them for an hour before going to be with Jesus.

As a bystander I was wrecked, I sat in my car listening to music just weeping for them, I had to sneak out of church a week later because I was sobbing again, even as I write this the tears threaten to pour over.

I drove to meet some girlfriends the day I heard the news, listening to “Your Grace Finds Me” by Matt Redman and sobbing for them and their children and their pain. I started to think about how Grace is most evident in the ugliest moments of our lives.

As a believer we can see grace in our lives everyday in so many ways and they are all beautiful, but grace never shows up so beautifully as it does in those devastating moments. The moments when a regular person would fall apart, when a regular person would get angry and yell at God. Those are the moments when grace shines so brightly it can’t be ignored.

When the person who should be destroyed with grief is still praising the Lord.

When the woman who just received the news that there is nothing else they can do for her cancer and she has only weeks left is singing praises and encouraging others.

When the man who just lost his whole family because of his faith is still telling everyone he meets about Jesus.

When the thing that should make a person bitter actually draws them closer to God; grace is never so beautiful as it is then.

It was, after all, one of these ugly moments when Grace won. In that moment when the perfect God-incarnate, beaten so badly he was unrecognizable, cried “it is finished” and conquered sin and showed us what Grace is in the biggest way possible.

Kristina Dyck currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over on her own blog, Unashamed Grace. 

The Visioning Process

by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

On Sunday morning Jason talked about vision, about our core values and about the things we still need to figure out while we go through this visioning process. One of the next steps, he said, is figuring out who we are, what makes HMC unique. I have blogged about this a bit in the past on my own blog, but this got me thinking again about the beauty of our small piece of the body and I wanted to share it with you.

I am still a newer part of this church. I don’t really consider myself to be new anymore but compared to a lot of you I am. I have been part of this church for almost four years. Before that I was a part of or a long-term visitor at about nine other churches (over my lifetime and mostly due to moving great distances) and there is something beautifully unique about HMC that I haven’t seen at other churches.

HMC is a mix of many different theologies, many different backgrounds, many different preferences but we all fellowship together and worship together because we all worship the same God and we all want to serve Him. Some of us come from Baptist backgrounds, some from Brethren, some from Pentecostal, some from Catholic, Salvation Army, Charismatic, Non Denomination, Methodist, Mennonite and I am sure I am missing a lot.

We all have different backgrounds, different views but we agree on the really important stuff. We all love the same Jesus. We are all saved by grace through faith in Him – not by anything we have done or could do – and we all look forward to being with Him in Heaven; and so we worship our God together.

It is a beautiful thing. It is something that I so greatly appreciate about HMC and I think it is what makes us unique and very special.

I am so interested to hear what others see in us that is unique and where this visioning process will take us as we reevaluate ourselves and prepare for the next step of serving our awesome God together.

Kristina Dyck currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over on her own blog, Unashamed Grace. 

An Easter Story

by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

An Easter Story by Kristina Dyck

A roosters crow pierced the darkness and she woke with a start. Another restless night spent tossing and turning. When she had finally fallen asleep the dreams were heartbreaking. The rooster crowed again and it all came back to her. It wasn’t a dream. He was gone. Her friend, her messiah, beaten, crucified, killed.

She slowly pushed back the blankets and the cold air hit her, it was still dark. Would it ever be light again?

They had taken down his body and put him in a tomb, but no one had really cared for him yet. Passover had been long and agonizing, full of grieving and helplessness as she and her close friends waited for the hour they could at last go to him and care for his body. It wasn’t much but after all he had done for her brother, her family – she had to do something.

She pulled together the oils and spices and slipped out in to the twilight where her friends were waiting. No on spoke on the walk to the garden, the path was winding and narrow, the only sound was their muffled steps on the damp ground.

The first rays of colour were just peaking the horizon when she saw it up ahead. The tomb was beautiful. Joseph had surprised them all by giving up his own tomb for Jesus; none of them could have paid for anything like it.

She glanced up at the beginnings of a beautiful sunrise but felt only numbness. How would they push away the stone? Why had they not thought of this before? She should have asked Peter or Thomas to come with them but in her grief it hadn’t even crossed her mind. She should go back but she couldn’t stop her feet moving forward.

Salome stopped so suddenly in front of her that she nearly walked right into her. What was wrong? Then she saw it. The stone had already been rolled away. How? She hardly had time to consider as she rushed forward and inside, and then her heart stopped. Her body heaved. She fell to the ground and began weeping more deeply than she ever had. Why? After all they had already done to him, why this? Her friends were crying too but were desperately searching the cave.

She heard her friend’s voice saying, “maybe there is another cavern, maybe we have the wrong tomb.” The grave clothes were right there. This was the right tomb; his body was gone.

All the sorrow and helplessness of the past week crashed down on her. She couldn’t bear another moment; she stood to leave and began to run. She didn’t know where, just away.
Suddenly right in her path, a man. The gardener. She stumbled and tripped to keep from crashing into him.

“Woman, why are you crying?”

She could hardly see through her swollen, tear filled eyes. Her words came out in a desperate shriek.

“Was it you”? “Someone took him and I don’t know where his body is. Please tell me where he is so I can care for him!” Her whole body was shaking now as she sobbed.

“Mary”

That voice. She knew that voice, the sobbing turned to laughing. “Rabboni! Teacher!” She was on her feet now hugging him, still weeping but now they were tears of joy.

“Mary. Go tell my brothers.”

Reluctantly she let go of him. She ran to the disciples as fast as her feet would carry her.

The colours in the sky were now at their most brilliant, had there ever been a more beautiful sunrise? Her tears dried in the breeze but her smile could not stop. He is not dead! He is alive! He is alive!

Kristina Dyck currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over on her own blog, Unashamed Grace. 

10 Things That Stand Out in 1 Samuel

by contributing writer, Kristina Dyck

We are just about to dive into 1 Samuel which is exciting. I have always loved the stories in 1 and 2 Samuel.

In preparation for studying this book on Sunday morning,  I decided to dive in and read it through ahead of time, that way I can gather my own thoughts from the book and learn what the Lord is saying to me before hearing what He is saying to Jason (or the other speakers) in the same book.

Here are ten things that stand out to me in 1 Samuel:

1. God can use infertility to do great things if we keep looking to him and keep trusting his will for our lives. In Hannah’s case God gave her a son that would change the course of a nation. (1 Samuel 1) That doesn’t mean that a woman who struggles with infertility will for sure birth a hero or prophet one day but I think there is a reason that every time infertility is mentioned in the Bible it leads to great change.

2. How we raise our children is SO important. Eli’s lack of care in pointing his children towards the Lord and teaching them to honour Him eventually lead to his death. We don’t often see people dying because of careless parenting these days but this is still a great reminder that one of the most important things we can do in our lives, if we have children, is parent our children well and point them towards the Lord. (1 Samuel 2)

3. When God speaks to us we need to pay attention or we might miss it. (1 Samuel 2) if our lives are so busy that we don’t stop and take time to listen we will never hear what he is saying to us and that would be a tragic think to miss.

4. No other “god” can stand before Jehovah. The god of the Philistines fell down on its face and broke into pieces before the Ark. (1 Samuel 5) That is pretty awesome!

5.When God speaks to us we need to pay attention or we might miss it. (1 Samuel 2). God is not a lucky talisman we can pull out when we want to and expect things to go our way. He is GOD, yes he is love and he loves us so much but he is also holy, perfect, righteous and just. We must treat him with the honour and fear and worship he is due along with the love for a father.  (1 Samuel 5)

6. Sometimes we think we know what we want/need and we pray for it and beg for it but if God gives it to us we realize how foolish we were to covet it in the first place. Sometimes when he says “no” we get annoyed but we should realize that he knows our needs so much better than we ever could and sometimes “no” is a blessing. (1 Samuel 8-9)

7. Lame excuses don’t work on God. We can be so good at justifying just about anything for the people around us. We can have them all fooled and even fool ourselves but we can’t fool God even for a second. Offerings mean nothing if we don’t obey God. (1 Samuel 15)

8. God does not judge the way we judge, he doesn’t get fooled by looks or mannerisms or the way we carry ourselves. Samuel was so close to picking the wrong man again to be king but God knew their hearts. He knew the heart of the son who had been rejected by his family, they didn’t see his worth but God did. (1 Samuel 16)

9. If God is for us who can stand against us? Not even a giant man of war can stand against a child who is in the will of God. It sometimes seems like evil forces are winning but God is ALWAYS in control, we need only to trust. (1 Samuel 17)

10. God’s timing is not the same as our timing. David knew for about 15 years that he would be king, he had already been anointed yet had to endure death attempts and life as a fugitive while a terrible king ruled, but he knew that God was in control. His timing is perfect. David didn’t try to rush things by killing the king when he had the perfect chance alone with him in a cave, he honoured him despite knowing that he has already been chosen to replace Saul. He trusted that God would be true to His word in His time. I need this lesson over and over again to remind me not to try to rush God’s plans. (1 Samuel 24 & 26)

There are so many more awesome things in this book, and I look forward to hearing what the Lord is pointing out to Jason in these same pages. I challenge you to do the same and see what He teaches you, it might be similar to me or it might be very different, and that is an awesome thing about God and His Word.

Kristina currently lives in Durham with her family. She is a missionary kid who married another missionary kid and wants to serve the Lord wherever He leads which is in Grey Bruce right now.  She has been an active part of HMC for 3 years. She is a photographer, birth doula, and art enthusiast. You can find her over in her own blog, Unashamed Grace.