I love days when it feels like my spirit is full of such joy!!!
So far, this whole week has felt that way for me!
Maybe it is because I was not at work at all last week and I spent several days on vacation in Seattle. I have come to realize that vacation is good for me...and that I need to take a one week vacation once a month! Too bad my employer and I don't always see eye to eye when it comes to time spent away from work!
Maybe it is because I made a couple of confessions to a couple of people..."the truth shall set you free".
Maybe it's because I have a few friends coming to church with me on Sunday and I am so excited about having them visit!
Maybe it's because I have been blessed with several friends with whom I have been able to travel the globe with. I'm an Air Force brat. Traveling is in my blood...if I'm out seeing and experiencing new places, I'm happy!
Maybe it's because even though I don't care for my job/work, I have some really cool co-workers/friends that I get to see almost everyday...even if it's just passing in the hall!! :-)
Maybe it's because I have the greatest nephew in the world...who makes me smile and laugh every time I see him!
Maybe it's because I realize just how good of a life I have compared to what some other people have gone through and are going through. We saw a park full of homeless people in Seattle!! We happened to walk upon the park not knowing what we were fixing to see...it made us all a little uneasy! It's sad, though, to think some of those people (not all, but some) are there at no fault of their own...a lost job, unpaid bills, a foreclosure and there they are sleeping in the park. I am blessed to have a house; 2 roommates (Yes, I'm actually saying thanks for having roommates!! There is a first time for everything.); a family who loves and support me; a church family who love and support their family members; friends who laugh, cry, vent, go shopping, get manicures & pedicures, go to movies, go to concerts and travel with me (that list could've gone on for a while!).
Maybe it's because I have a friend in Jesus! :-)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
It has been a while since my last post. There are several reasons for that...the main reason being that I was out of the country for over 2 weeks this summer and when I got home I couldn't remember my password. Being in Africa will do that to you!
Living in Africa, regardless of if it is for a week, 2 weeks or several years, will change you and it will also show you what you are made of and ... if you survive, ;-) it will strengthen you! A lot of your character strengths and flaws will be brought out at some point...especially if you are staying in the village away from dependable electricity, away from running HOT water and away from in door plumbing that doesn't spring a leak on a daily basis and all the other things we take for granted. Everyone will also know if you take long or short showers, if you snore, if you talk in your sleep, if you are a morning person or not, if you have allergies, if you are gullible enough to fall for ALL of the pranksters pranks and jokes, if you are afraid of the dark, if you will be grossed out by a dismembered cow (every part of the cow!) taking up quarters in the freezer in your living room or if you'll open the freezer and take a picture of the inside of the cows head, if you are brave enough to jump on the back of an elephant (a some what tame elephant!!) and ride across the African land trying to spot some African wildlife, if you are a big enough person to apologize when you jump on someones case for the wrong reasons because everyone is tired and getting on one another nerves, if you have the stomach to try some of the local foods, if you laugh at getting a little dirty as you drive down the dirt roads or if you HOPE you will get a shower after getting so dirty......BUT
The cool thing is, NONE of that stuff...whether it is good, bad, fun, boring, irritating or exhilarating...entirely matters because what is most important is that we are one in the body of Christ! We smile, we laugh at...and get laughed at!!...our feeble attempts at the local language, we cry, we share, we form bonds that will last for eternity, we sing, we witness baptisms like they took place in Biblical times--in a local lake or mud hole or whatever is available and we pray. Oh, and one of my favorite moments was Katie teaching a local woman to say..."WAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR EAGLE...HEY!!" Because we are one in the body, a language barrier (or any barrier) is really non-existant!!
There are times that I really miss Africa! Seeing God seems so much easier when I'm on the mission field...probably because the every day things that are easy for us are so difficult and time consuming for them. They spend hours in line just to fill up their car with gas! They exchange money on the black market, risking arrest as a few in our group experienced. It is easy when you are there to see a need someone has and to do what you can to help...it's easy to see where and how the Cross brings people together regardless of differences in living...it's easy to see a childs tear stained, dirty, snot dried face and to look past the possible germs that are present and love on that child (keeping the GermX close by to soak down your hands when you have a minute by yourself so you don't get sick)...it is easy to see someones shy glance that is shouting for someone to notice them and to see their face light up when you simply smile and wave. I don't know if I will be able to go back to Africa next year or not...that remains to be seen, but I want to try to start living every day like I live while I'm in Africa. I want to start noticing things that matter rather than being blinded by the things that don't really matter!! I want to have the eyes of Jesus...
Living in Africa, regardless of if it is for a week, 2 weeks or several years, will change you and it will also show you what you are made of and ... if you survive, ;-) it will strengthen you! A lot of your character strengths and flaws will be brought out at some point...especially if you are staying in the village away from dependable electricity, away from running HOT water and away from in door plumbing that doesn't spring a leak on a daily basis and all the other things we take for granted. Everyone will also know if you take long or short showers, if you snore, if you talk in your sleep, if you are a morning person or not, if you have allergies, if you are gullible enough to fall for ALL of the pranksters pranks and jokes, if you are afraid of the dark, if you will be grossed out by a dismembered cow (every part of the cow!) taking up quarters in the freezer in your living room or if you'll open the freezer and take a picture of the inside of the cows head, if you are brave enough to jump on the back of an elephant (a some what tame elephant!!) and ride across the African land trying to spot some African wildlife, if you are a big enough person to apologize when you jump on someones case for the wrong reasons because everyone is tired and getting on one another nerves, if you have the stomach to try some of the local foods, if you laugh at getting a little dirty as you drive down the dirt roads or if you HOPE you will get a shower after getting so dirty......BUT
The cool thing is, NONE of that stuff...whether it is good, bad, fun, boring, irritating or exhilarating...entirely matters because what is most important is that we are one in the body of Christ! We smile, we laugh at...and get laughed at!!...our feeble attempts at the local language, we cry, we share, we form bonds that will last for eternity, we sing, we witness baptisms like they took place in Biblical times--in a local lake or mud hole or whatever is available and we pray. Oh, and one of my favorite moments was Katie teaching a local woman to say..."WAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR EAGLE...HEY!!" Because we are one in the body, a language barrier (or any barrier) is really non-existant!!
There are times that I really miss Africa! Seeing God seems so much easier when I'm on the mission field...probably because the every day things that are easy for us are so difficult and time consuming for them. They spend hours in line just to fill up their car with gas! They exchange money on the black market, risking arrest as a few in our group experienced. It is easy when you are there to see a need someone has and to do what you can to help...it's easy to see where and how the Cross brings people together regardless of differences in living...it's easy to see a childs tear stained, dirty, snot dried face and to look past the possible germs that are present and love on that child (keeping the GermX close by to soak down your hands when you have a minute by yourself so you don't get sick)...it is easy to see someones shy glance that is shouting for someone to notice them and to see their face light up when you simply smile and wave. I don't know if I will be able to go back to Africa next year or not...that remains to be seen, but I want to try to start living every day like I live while I'm in Africa. I want to start noticing things that matter rather than being blinded by the things that don't really matter!! I want to have the eyes of Jesus...
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