Nov 28, 2012
Boot Scoot Boogie
I awoke that morning on the train, on a bed that was to short for a 6’ 1” White guy (my feet stuck off the end). But that was okay, I was in Asia BABY! This was the day a lot of us were looking forward to, why? Because we were going to visit our first Bridge of Hope center that evening! Almost my entire background in ministry is children’s ministry, so needless to say I was AMPED. But nothing I had ever experienced before could prepare me for that evening. The day went by like a blur, our schedule was packed full, and I was so focused on what we were doing that it seemed like time doubled its speed. When we arrived at the center, I saw them, dozens and dozens of smiling, laughing, joyful kids. This didn’t surprise me, we were here to see kids, what did surprise me (maybe even shock) was how joyful these kids were, my heart melted right there! Here in America whenever you hear of “poor children” or “underprivileged kids” there is always a sense of depression and hopelessness associated with them, but not here!
We hurried inside and sat down so they could start their program. And so began the most epic night of my life. A few kids came in first and shared a memory verse, and after that the man who was announcing said that it was time for the dancing. The children danced to three songs that night, multiple times! The first time through the songs we sat there and watched, the second time through, somebody in our team started dancing too! Then everyone joined in! We all started jumping and dancing around! Needless to say the kids were delighted, and so was everyone else. But in the back of my mind there was this little voice asking me one question: “WHY ARE YOU DANCING?” That kind of caught me off guard, why was I dancing? If any of you know me, I have probably told you “I DON’T dance!” or more precisely I can’t dance, nothing in the world (I thought) could ever get me to dance, so why was I? Plain and simple, these kids were dancing for Jesus, I wanted to praise Him too, so I started to dance (although it probably made Jesus laugh more than anything else). It made me think of a verse: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17.
Even though this may be a funny story, it does have relevance for me everyday. Do I do everything for Jesus? Or do I go through the day and complain about every little “unimportant” thing that I have to do? Am I filled with joy when I get to serve Jesus, even in the small things? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says this: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I am so thankful that God gave me this story because it gave me a permanent defense against pessimism and complaining! Now whenever I start to feel like I want to complain about how “normal my job is” all I have to do is think of those kids laughing, singing, and praising Jesus, and that makes my whole day better!
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Nov 19, 2012
So, I’ve heard this I don’t know how many times, that your vertical relationship with the Lord is more important than your horizontal relationships with those around you. Which makes perfect sense! However this last time I heard it mentioned something clicked.
I had a vivid image in my mind of an arrow going upward as I continue to pursue the Lord. And I realized that the higher I go up in that relationship with the Lord, the farther out I can reach those around me as His Spirit flows out of my life.
Think about throwing a ball from a tall building. You can throw it further out the higher you go. So the more I build my relationship with the Lord, the more people He can impact through me!
So yes, my vertical relationship with the Lord is way more important, and He can reach so many more people the more I get to know Him.
Praise God for that. 🙂
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Nov 18, 2012
What were the teachers like?
The teachers definitely have a love for the students. I remember looking at some cards the children had made for Teacher Appreciation Day and one of the teachers came up and showed them to me with such joy! She went around to the different ones and told me what they said and pointed out the differences that made each of them unique. She then directed me to a board that had pictures of different events the students took part in. Another teacher came over and enthusiastically described every picture in detail. It really was great to see the heart these teachers have and how seriously they take their position. – Marcee
What was the center like?
Walking through the slums, we made our way up a steep set of stairs into a room filled with bright smiles and joyous cheers. There was something so different about this place. The presence of Jesus was felt and the hope for the future was apparent on each child’s face. As they clapped for each one of us and placed a garland of flowers around our necks, I couldn’t help but think, “Who am I to be given this special privilege?” I felt honored to spend time in their company. We didn’t understand much of each other’s language, but as we shared our names, they gave us big hugs and said, “You are my best friend.” My favorite part followed their special presentation (which included Scripture memory recitation, a poem and some dances): I got on the floor and was surrounded by young children, all eager to be close. I taught them a simple rhythm, made up of noises, claps and finger snapping. They were eager to do it with me, laughing at failed attempts, but continuing to try. I couldn’t stop smiling and I didn’t want to leave them. – Anna
What were the children like?
The state of desperation dictated by extreme poverty was worse than anything I could have ever imagined. Affliction, torment, and despair were seared on the faces of the oppressed who were simply striving to survive one more day in the hostile slums of Asia. Children carried little infants, wandering the streets cold, hungry and naked, without a soul to comfort them. A cold callous numbness glazed over their eyes. As far as they knew, their circumstances were without hope of change. The pleasant children in the Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center were unrecognizable from the children of poverty in the slums. With glowing faces and sparkling eyes the children joyfully danced and sang worship songs expressing their deep love and gratitude for the Lord of their salvation. — Christine
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Nov 1, 2012
In January, I got to visit the mission field. It had been five years since I’d been there. During that time, I met up with an old friend, Gabriel, and this time I got to meet his wife and daughter. His wife is energetic and kind and makes amazing ginger tea. Their daughter, Faith, is two years old. When Faith was born she had a band around her kidney that restricted all blood flow; this meant she had to have that kidney removed. Having a kidney removed as an adult is a major thing, even more so for a baby that’s just a few months old. The prayer request reached us here in the States. Since she was my friend’s daughter, it hit especially close to home for me. The Lord’s hand was so evident throughout Faith’s surgery and she did fine. Her other kidney picked up all the work it needed to do. Praise the Lord! She is now healthy and incredibly smart, and she loves to sing. When I visited she knew about 30 songs in several languages. I know the Lord has a special plan for her life.
Spending time with people like Gabriel and his family made the trip really special for me. Getting to see how the Lord had grown and used friends during the five years since I’d seen them was encouraging. It’s just a simple thing, the reunion of friends, but it was a wonderful snapshot of all God can do in a life and how faithful He will be to complete the work He has begun in each of us. None of our journeys are complete; they’re just five years further along so it gave me a lot of hope, too, hope in all God will do in the future. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with who He is.
I sometimes liken the part I get to play in building God’s Kingdom to the part a two year old plays when they help wash dishes. They might throw some suds around on the dish, but the adult takes care of the real work. This isn’t to say the Lord only gives us petty jobs; rather, He’s the one accomplishing the work, no matter how big or small. It’s His power and strength working through me, and doing it with Him is the greatest treasure. Just like time spent with your two year old is the real treasure, not the twice cleaned bowl.
It’s Him enabling us to serve. It’s Him walking with us every step of the way. “He who called you is faithful; He will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
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Oct 29, 2012
How many of us have ever been in some kind of situation that made us just want to scream? I know I have; But really, what is it that makes us so jumpy, so on edge? Maybe it’s our tendency to want to control everything.
Really, when you think about it we would have been a lot better of if God had just made us robots with no freedom of choice, and no personal creativity, but He didn’t. So there comes a problem that we as Christians all face. We all “freak out” when our “control” over circumstances is threatened.
It’s true! Think about it, I can’t begin to tell you how many times, in my own life, when God stepped in and said “ok I’ll take that, you have had it way too long” or “this is how I want you to do it” or even just plain and simple “no” that I started running around (mentally) like a chicken with my head cut off because my “control” was threatened, I “freaked out”.
I absolutely love the quote from a certain movie that I like where the heroine says to the hero “don’t freak out!” because I feel that that’s exactly what God is saying to us! Psalm 46: 10 says “He (God) says, Be still (Don’t freak out!), and know that I am God…” and I must say that God has really been challenging me with this verse over the last couple of weeks.
I was sitting down thinking the other day (a dangerous occupation) and it occurred to me quite humorously: The animal God chose to relate us to as Christians was sheep, SHEEP!? I don’t know about you, but when I heard this I wanted to say (freaked out) “Come on God, a sheep? Really?”. Friends, the fact of the matter is, sheep are stupid and easily freakoutable. I wanted to say: “God, about this whole sheep thing, I personally would love to be an eagle or a wild mustang”. But I didn’t, in all my wisdom and knowledge, I decided to give God the benefit of the doubt; after all, He does know everything. Then it hit me, what’s really amusing about this sheep comparison is that we even make bad sheep!
When a sheep gets to know its master, and learns to hear His voice and recognize, it comes when called. But in keeping with our analogy from earlier, when I (one of God’s sheep) hear His call I tend to want to run the other direction.
I’m so glad that God gave us examples to look at and apply to our own lives especially in those twelve men that were closest to Him. When you think about it Jesus’ disciples were masters at the art of freaking out. Look at Mark 4:35-39 “…when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Isn’t this great?! I love it! I can just here Jesus waking up and saying to those guys “Could you please stop yelling?! And Peter stop hiding in that barrel we’re not going to die!” (That was a paraphrase). Now we come to my favorite part in verse 39 “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” I have a sneaking suspicion that Jesus was not just talking to the wind and waves here. I know what I would say if I woke up to my friends yelling and screaming at me, and the wind was blowing, and huge waves crashing. I would say exactly what Jesus said: “Peace! (stop freaking out) Be still!
Another place we find this example of being full of peace in God is Psalm 37: 7-8 “Be still (peace) before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret (don’t freak out)—it leads only to evil.” In this passage it is a little different. Here we see that “freaking out” can actually damage our relationship with God (“…it leads only to evil.”)!
Friends, the Bible says “do not fear, worry, fret (don’t freak out)” over a hundred times, almost as many times as the word grace is mentioned! So why is this so important? Why is it so damaging to us to worry? The answer is simple; Freaking out causes us to focus on our self, to take our eyes off of Christ, and ultimately, (if not dealt with) causes us to try and take the control of our life back from Jesus!
So how than, if we have a problem of “freaking out”, do we deal with it? The prophet Jeremiah says “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” The answer: We simply trust Him. Remember the Lord and who He is, be still and trust that whatever the issue is, He is bigger! Also memorize Psalm 25: 4-5 and let that be your comfort whenever you are tempted to “freak out”.
“Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”– Psalm 25: 4-5–
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Oct 25, 2012
This past October I had the privilege to travel with Gospel for Asia to man a booth at a blogging conference called Allume, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My last day at the Allume conference was interesting indeed. After spending the morning in sessions, enjoying lunch and an inspiring keynote speaker, I decided to walk to the CVS down the street to collect some packing tape for the boxes we would send back to Gospel for Asia.
I was looking forward to my walk so that I could take some pictures of the city life in Harrisburg from ground level. Slowly I approached the CVS, discovering that it closed an hour earlier. A little bummed I decided to just walk to the end of the block to get a few more pictures before heading back to the hotel. As I was taking pictures of this really cute cafe’ this couple that was sitting on the steps called me over and proceeded to tell me all the interesting things I could take pictures of in Harrisburg. Which was interesting because I dont normally get people that stop me on the street and talk to me at length, quite exciting if you ask me.
While I was discussing pictures and arcitecture with the couple, this cute little boy who couldnt have been more than 2 or 3, came up to us and posed for the camera a few times, then his mother came and took him by the hand to lead him in the other direction. Every few steps though, the little boy would turn around and pose again.
A few minutes later I was back on my way taking photos of Harisburg. I saw a few painters painting this brick building red, so I took a few pictures of them. After those pictures, the three ladies sitting outside another cafe asked me if the painters looked safe enough. I said that Im sure they know what the are doing, and went on my way.
Soon I decided I should probably head back to my hotel and started on my way. On the way back i saw a sign with the history of some guy. I took a picture of it and then heard the guy from that first couple call to me from across the street asking if I liked history, then he crossed the street to talk to me more. He told me about the Whig part and a president that was elected at the church down one block, and how that president died and his vice president wasnt part of the Whig party and then they disbanded. It was very interesting, but as he was talking I saw a RiteAid behind him!
After he stopped talking, I asked if I could take a picture of him. Then I headed to the RiteAid for packing tape. When I got the tape, I decided to take a picture of the church the guy was talking about since it was at the end of the block, and this old lady asked if I had some change she could have. I was about to say no when the Lord said to give her something, so I gave her the $5 bill I had in my wallet and smiled at her wishing her a good day. I took a picture of the church then started back to my hotel again.
As I neared the hotel a homeless fellow that I had passed a few times that day asked if I took a picture of the oldest church in Harrisburg that is by the river a few blocks from where we were. I told him that I haven’t, but I would see if maybe later I could.
Finally back at the hotel, I gave the packing tape to Sara and Rachael and started running through the happenings of my outing. Things like that almost never happen to me, but Im so blessed that it did! I loved smiling at people and taking the time to listen to them. Im sure they dont always have people that will stop and treat them like real people, so I was glad the Lord would allow me to be that person that could stop and listen and smile.
Now there were only an hour or two left before my mom would pick me up from Harrisburg to stop by my aunt Kristie’s house to congratulate her on her wedding and then stop by my brother’s calvacade for marching band. So I went upstairs to my room and became a master packer and fit all the millions of free gifts I got at the Allume conference into my carry on suitcase. Then went out to find my mommy in front of the hotel.
Talk about an interesting day! Things like that never happen to me, but I’m glad I got the chance to let people know that I cared about what they thought and gave them the time of day.
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