Warning: This post is a little "all over the place"...but my thoughts are a little all over the place right now, so I'm sorry if it's hard to follow.
Today was a pretty average day for me. I woke up at 8am and skyped with my mom and brother. After that I spent time praying and in the Word. Then I showered and got ready for the day. I sent out a text to some friends reminding them of a time of prayer tonight, so I had several conversations going while I was getting ready.
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| I don't know where I would be without my trusty little cell phone. 80% of my job is dependent on this thing. |
Then Patricia and I left to run by the post office and the mall for lunch, where we usually meet our friend that goes with us to Rajesh and Susheela's house. However she couldn't meet us for lunch today. Patricia and I were both craving McDonalds, which that particular mall has, so we went there anyway.
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| We took this auto to the mall. It's a nice color, don't you think? |
Our friend was running a little late, so we wandered around the mall for awhile then we took an auto and met her by the ferry. We got on the ferry, which was packed fully of people and crossed over to where Susheela lives. We met like we usually do and talked about the Samaritan woman in John 4. We always ask the same questions after every story: What did you
like about the story? Was there anything that confused you? What do you learn about God (the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit)? What do you learn about mankind, or people, from the story? How can we apply this to our lives? Who will you tell?
We all agreed that it is amazing that Jesus (a) talked to a Samaritan (b) talked to a woman (especially a Samaritan woman) (c) knew that she'd had five husbands and was currently with a man that wasn't her husband (d) offered her living water, or eternal life, even though He knew all that (e) she repented immediately (f) she told her whole town her testimony, that Jesus had told her all that she'd ever done (g) and many Samaritans from that town believed because of her testimony. As I have been reading through this story and John over the last few days, I have been completely blown away by Jesus...almost like I'm seeing Him for the first time, through fresh eyes. I'm not sure if I just never let it really sink in to my core or if being out of what's comfortable has allowed me to see it through new lenses or if it's a combination of the two...BUT I cannot get over how (fill in the blank) Jesus is. Some words that come to mind for me: ridiculously gracious, backwards, revolutionary, radical, baller, non-conventional, surprising...there are many more, but you get the drift.
Honestly words just fail. It's more of a feeling in my stomach. Kind of like butterflies before you meet someone important for the first time or before you're about to give a speech. Regardless, the reality is that Jesus is not a skinny white man with puppy dog eyes and long flowing robes holding lambs and knocking gently on doors. Nope. That's not Him at all. In fact, I kind of picture Jesus as more of a Harley guy wearing chains and leather riding into town shaking things up. Jesus NEVER did the expected. He called out the most educated religious leaders, even calling them a "brood of vipers" and spent time healing the poor, healing beggars, pardoning whores that were about to be stoned, talking to women at wells that were getting around, healing those with little faith, healing those with lots of faith, casting out demons....loving the unlovable and pardoning sinners just like me. I mean seriously, this is the Jesus of the Bible. He has a commanding presence. He is worth it ALL! Do I really believe that? Have I let that change me to my core? Because I think that if I was living for this man, the man the Bible describes, I mean really giving it all for Him, things might look differently for me. I don't know....just some things I'm thinking about.
So back to today. After leaving Susheela's we went to the fish market near the ferry drop off point, so that our friend could buy some fish to take home to her family. That place was crazy! It was really colorful and really neat to see. However the smell was a bit much. In fact as soon as we got home, we told Lena we were sorry if we smelled bad, and she said, "Yeah, you guys do smell pretty terrible." :)
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| Shark anyone? |
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| A swordfish! |
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| This dog waited patiently for at least 30 minutes for some food. Then they tossed him some fish heads, and he chowed down. It was disgusting. |
So I showered really quickly, then headed to a friends house for a time of corporate prayer. We all shared stories of things that have been happening lately and gave some requests, then we ate (of course we ate...you can't have a prayer gathering without brownies and pizza, right?) and chatted some more. Then it was time to leave and head home, but I had to run by the chemist (same as a pharmacy) and get some B12 injections (because I need them once a month now) before we headed home. We finally got the right medicine, got an auto, came home, watched an episode of The Office, and now I'm writing this. :)
What did yesterday look like? Well the day started with a lady that I met at the mall 2 weeks ago showing up at our door at 8am just to chat. Yeah...that was fun and a little awkward. What will tomorrow hold? Something totally different. I am actually going to speak at a chapel service in a college here. It should be interesting... I don't consider myself chapel material. Don't people with Ph.D's usually do that kind of stuff?
I am so thankful for everything that He has given me. I am thankful for the unexpected. I am thankful for it all because everyday I learn more and more that it is all grace. It is all right from His hand, and when I open mine to receive whatever He chooses to give, joy is always the result. A few weeks ago I was really struggling with what in the world my purpose here is. I kept asking God to draw some bottom lines for me. "Okay God, bottom line, why am I here?" or "Okay, bottom line, what am I called to do?" or "Lord, please, just sum up what the heck I'm supposed to spend my time doing?" "Come on, God, just any kind of bottom line, summary, something. I'm struggling here!" And every single time the response was the same: "Enjoy Me." So simple. Surely it's not so simple. "God it cannot be that simple...and vague...can't you be more specific??" Then I read One Thousand Gifts, and in one of the last chapters (if not the last chapter?) there is a poem from Teresa of Avila:
Just these two words He spoke
changed my life,
"Enjoy Me."
What a burden I thought I was to carry--
a crucifix, as did He.
Love once said to me, "I know a song,
would you like to hear it?"
And laughter came from every brick in the street
and from every pore
in the sky,
After a night of prayer, He
changed my life when
He sang,
"Enjoy Me."
When I saw that poem, I nearly dropped the book. Can it be that hundreds of years before this moment He spoke the very same words to a woman like me in a time of desperate prayer, searching for the point of it all...a little meaning behind the chaos...some purpose in each day...or maybe just some direction when there seem to be endless possibilities?? Yes, it's absolutely possible, and it absolutely happened. Our God is so unfathomably big that it overwhelms me to the point of dizziness at times....and yet, He is astoundingly detailed. He is intricately involved in the everyday, seemingly mundane moments. He knew when He gave me the answer that dumfounded me that 16 days later I'd be reading Teresa of Avila's poem and barely able to breathe at how involved with me He really is. He's totally involved, completely there, ever-present. Opening up my hands to say thanks is the acknowledgment of that involvement, and it has changed our relationship forever.
