For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

I’ve mentioned before that I was chosen to be on a book launch team. It’s for Jen Hatmaker’s new book, For The Love. When I found out I was on this team, I felt a little nervous. I didn't want to be in this "elite group" - especially knowing that 5,000 applied and she only could choose 500- if it meant that everyone was just going to be gaga over Jen the whole time. I know that Jen is easy to like because she's hilarious, and it's easy to be like "Oh, I'm on Jen Hatmaker's TEAM." However, coming from a very large church with a famous pastor, I know that celebrity is not the point. Coolness is definitely not the point. The point of this book is Jesus. The point of this book is that the cross of Christ frees us from being perfect because the blood of the perfect One has covered us. It's not about how funny the book is, it's not about getting to meet a famous author/blogger, and honestly it's not even about the community of the launch team as an end to itself. All of those fun and exciting things are byproducts of the gospel of Jesus going forward with humility, honesty, humor, and community.

Saturday night was the Launch Team party at Jen's house. I would have loved to go to the party to meet all my launch team friends in person. It also would have been great to reconnect with those I've met locally in DFW since March. Of course, being there was not possible because, ya know, I moved to Africa. So.

But can I just tell you that the online community we have formed is awesome? I know it seems totally strange- 500 women and four men (called the #bandoffour) all sharing deep prayer requests and struggles. It seems like it's almost safer to share with someone you haven't really met, because there's absolutely no risk- who are they gonna tell? What in your relationship previously will have them eye rolling at your latest crisis, which sounds about like all the other crises you've had in the last year? (don’t tell me you haven’t done this with your life long friends, people.) We don't have history with each other. But I'm telling you- sometimes it felt like one of the two safe places I felt I could breathe out, be honest, and show my crazy, my fears, my unbelief. Within our team, there's also been an outpouring of meeting needs- we have donated cash to Help One Now, we have found so many among us with commonalities other than Christ, we've sent gifts to each other, bought a car for one of our members who just graduated from high school and aged out of the foster care system, we have inside jokes (#notpaintballsex), we have visited other launch team member's friends in the hospital and brought their family dinner (I cannot believe this), we've joined up for pen pals, we have helped fund short term mission trips, we've guest blogged on each other's forums, and more. 

Anna, Me, Amanda, Annaliese, and Delia Jo at the first DFW Meet up.

Annaliese came to my going away party at Roots!
We never would have known each other if it wasn't
for the book launch team.

Let me assure you- this book is outstanding. I cannot recommend it enough. If you've read any of Jen's other books, you understand the stance she takes when she speaks of grace and sanctification. This book is peppered with laugh out loud humor (with a nod to Jimmy Fallon's hilarious "Thank You" notes segments) and heart piercing truth about the human condition, the grace freely given us through the Cross, and permission to walk in freedom. There's also a lot of encouragement to do things in the way of community that we haven't done before because of fear- and we simply don't have room for that as adopted sons and daughters of God. The time for inclusivity and benefit of the doubt and service- it's right now. I felt really convicted about focusing more on my fear of being left out than being the one who includes. It's finally starting to make sense- serve others in the way you desire to be ministered to and you will also be ministered to! The first become last, the last become first.... get it? Through serving others' needs, your own needs will be met. Service just works like that. It's backwards and awesome.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes (I had a hard time narrowing these down. Sorrynotsorry.) :

“Calling is virtually never a big or famous work; that is rarely the way the kingdom comes. It shows up quietly, subversively, almost invisibly. Half the time, it is unplanned- just the stuff of life in which a precious human steps in, the good news personified.”

“God created an entire package. It all counts. There are no throw away qualities. In fact, those qualities might point you in just the right direction. Nothing is wasted; not a characteristic, preference, experience, tragedy, quirk, nothing. It is all you and it is all purposed and it can all be used for great and glorious good.”

"Maybe your best thing won’t draw a paycheck, but it is how you shine and glow and come to life and bless the world."

"Show up. Be seen. Tell the truth. Be free."

On kids: “If they don’t love Jesus and people, it matters zero if they remain virgins and don’t say the F-word. We must shepherd their hearts, not just their hemlines.”