I took a nap today and dreamed he had come back. He was smiling and everything was all right.
Have I ever told you that my dreams aren’t pleasant? Actually, I’m beginning to wonder if satan sometimes tries to use dreams for his gain. I used to have nightmares all the time as a child, and I used to pray that God would take them away or I wouldn’t remember them and that worked. Anyone have any insight on that one? Anyway, that’s a random tangent.

The deal is, I’m impatient. I also sometimes fail to do what I know is right in the name of being agreeable or submitting. That’s not submitting, it’s just plain sinning. My heart lies with God’s and I need to act that way more often. It is really scary to see what I substitute God for in my life sometimes. I can be so intent on what’s seen rather than unseen (cue memory verse for the week, 2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”). What I am so thankful for is when I am saved from a bad situation, sometimes even without knowing it.

It reminds me of when I was little. My daddy played softball on the church league, and my family often went to watch. I was going from one end of the fields to the other, I was maybe 6 or 7 years old, when suddenly one of the men of our church just came at me yelling and I had no idea what it was about. He ran straight at me, picked me up, and set me on the sidelines. I was crying, scared, confused, and hurt. I had no idea what was going on, and it seemed so violent, so sudden to me. It turns out I had been walking right into the back of another game I didn’t realize was going on, and one of the men of our church had seen me and wanted to get me out of harm’s way as soon as possible so I wouldn’t get hit with a softball. Although this may have been an extreme reaction, it was done out of care, consideration for my well-being, and awareness of a dangerous situation that I did not possess.

I think God does this for us a lot. Although we may not be able to fully comprehend the reasons, or see the danger, we can trust that He has it together and is paying attention for our well-being. It may seem unpleasant or scary at the time, but it means He cares. I love that.

Well, it’s time to honor God by doing my homework. Now. lol I have my homework at my res. hall’s superbowl party. Yay for interesting commercials for once! Have a great week!

~Rachel

when I read my old journal! This week in small group we are studying self-image. I’ve been struggling with this lately, and I was thinking about how I used to make small studies on different topics. Turns out I had one of my old prayer journals at school, so I busted it out because I remembered writing about what a Christian should look like. My 17 year old self had some thoughts on the matter based off of scripture, and I was really encouraged and challenged to be renewed with that kind of passion. Here goes!

Imago Dei- made in the image of God! What should a Christian look like?

In a nutshell, a reflection of Christ in every way. That’s what the word “Christian” means.
Ephesians 5:1
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”
2 Cor. 3:18
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

MIND- Christians have renewed minds. They don’t think like anyone of this world. In fact, they are opposite to a lot of humanistic views. Can you think of examples?
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

HEART- Our hearts belong to Christ and everything we do is FOR Him, BY Him, and only THROUGH us. Again, this is Christ IN us.
Romans 10:9-10
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Matthew 22:37
“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ “

SIGHT- Christians don’t see life simply by how it appears- we don’t need to. There’s a peace we have in Christ that nothing else can possess.
2 Corinthians 5:7-9
“We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
2 Cor. 5:16-17
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”
2 Cor. 4:18
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

SPEECH- We’re not perfect, but a Christian should make an effort not to be careless in what they say, but to speak the truth in love, and build one another up.
Colossians 4:6
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Ephesians 4:15
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Ephesians 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Christians speak with joy of the great things God has done and will continue to do.
James 1:26
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

ACTION- what we do is compassionate and forgiving. We don’t judge. Christians serve and love.
Mark 10:43-44
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”
Matthew 16:25
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Romans 13:12-14 (added today because I thought it was relevant also)
2The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.[c]

Identify yourself with Christ- wrap up in him and see the world through His eyes.

Of a grape iridescent taffeta bridesmaid dress. Yup, I’m really cool. This is for wedding #2 I’m in the weekend of June 5th.
From what I have heard of bridesmaid dresses, this is pretty cool. Next on my list is a brown dress for the May 29th wedding. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be ridiculously fun. I love weddings!

In the news of other cool things, I’m going back to camp counseling this summer! Woohoo! This means you all should write me copious amounts of snail mail and I will mail you back. I have a shoebox of stationary for precisely this purpose I also have to sing or tell a joke if I get a package…

And in other other fun/cool things, I turned 21 saturday. It consisted of getting a bag full of books I love from my high school English teacher, bridal gown/bridesmaid dress shopping for above dress for 5 hours, going back to Ames (I went home briefly), receiving a gorgeous homemade bouquet of stained glass flowers from a friend, playing basketball, receiving a new purse earrings & socks from another friend, and having a beach themed party where we cranked up the heat, played limbo, and ended with Settlers of Catan. If you do not know this amazing board game, you should. Some of my friends got together and got it for me… I feel loved! We also made bracelets. I am a wild, wild college student :p

Jenny my co-leader is one of the most amazing women I know. She is sweet, humble, gentle, and loves just like He does. I am so blessed to have her in my life. God in His mercy has chosen to take me apart, break the bits that don’t work, and put me back together again, piece by piece. I am being made into completely His own design. Love it! It hurts sometimes, but it’s so worth it. Church this morning was great also. So much truth…

May God speak to you clearly above the noise of this world, grant you His overwhelming peace, and guide you in truth and holiness as you allow Him to work on your heart and love other people like He loves us.

Anyone else remember those acronyms? Back in the W.W.J.D. bracelet days, those were pretty popular as well.
Pray Until Something Happens, Fully Rely On God, and 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, pray.

Ok, so that was a random tangent, but I was reminded of those cliched phrases by prayer today.

I attempted to do my homework for a couple of hours, I was supposed to meet a friend but plans changed, I thought about dinner but I wasn’t hungry, I thought about working out but didn’t want to… I knew I was failing to be productive. I hadn’t had my time with God either, but I didn’t want to. I attempted to nap, and after failing at that, I finally got the idea to head over to the chapel where some of the student ministries on campus are having 24/7 prayer.

To be honest, I left restlessly. I was not ok with the things that have gone on in the past couple of weeks. Everything has been falling apart or disappointing or just plain unfair in my eyes- friends’ family members battling cancer, my father losing his job, my will being usurped again. I started walking to the chapel. It was the kind of cold that freezes the inside of your nostrils and throat, and I felt an odd sense of urgency. I had to get there right away. I’m still not sure what that was all about, but I spent over an hour just pouring my heart out to God, digging into a couple of Psalms, and being reminded of the promises He has for us (see Psalms 32-34 if you want to see what I was looking at). He desires our good. He created our hearts and knows them in and out. His Will is above and superior to any human schemes. Everything He says is true, and He has promised to deliver His people no matter how dire the situation. It may not be how we envision it, but we have to trust that it’s for our own good.

I’ve been having a hard time believing that lately.

I cried. I prayed. I soaked up what God had to say, and shared what I was feeling and thinking. There is literally nothing else I want to live for. People fail. Things fail. I fail at life… but God restores and redeems. I need that.

I left feeling amazing. For the first time this semester, salt company was not a bittersweet night for me. I sang, I was filled with supernatural peace and joy… I felt like myself again. I knew I was free. Mark Arant talked about John 12. It’s the story of Mary pouring very expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and washing it with her hair. I’ve heard it a million times, but it made more sense tonight. When God truly is all you live for, everything else seems like it’s worth it for Him. Arant said that this story teaches us a lesson: you’ll never regret the things you do for God; only the things you don’t do. He also said that the more you say “no” to God, the harder it is to keep your heart from being hardened and to say “yes” to what God wants to do in your life. You can choose safe and mediocre, whatever is comfortable, familiar… selfish. Or you can choose to become what you were created to be, only you can’t become that unless you die to yourself. You have to put everything on the table without hesitation.

It’s one thing to say, and quite another to do.

I realize that sometimes God takes things away from me because I can’t let go. I love that He knows what I need and what I can or cannot handle. In a world that believes in relative morality, comfort, and ease, it is sweet to have truth. I am very joyful right now. He is still enough (even though I can’t get enough!).

Friends are the people who call for no reason except that they care about your life.
They answer their phones at all hours day and night.
They know why you’re upset or why that one person drives you nuts.
They love just chillin in sweatpants or they’re always up for lunch.
Friends are the people who leave notes just to make you smile.
They know everything about you (man, they have those facts on file!)
They will force feed you chocolate and ice cream as necessary when you’re down.
They bring laughter and smiles where there once was a frown.
Friends are the people who listen to you rant.
They take unpleasant things away when you can’t.
They tell you about those things stuck in your teeth
They tuck tags, fix collars, know your favorite drink.
Friends are the people who will never let you go
They care, protect, and they always let it show.

If someone rips off your wing
Spiral down
But don’t fall too fast.
Just rest on a ledge
Inhale the scenery-
grow some feathers I suppose.

Look at what you have
Realize there’s only a
Few plumes missing
And they’re not gone forever.

Catch your breath
feel your footing
S M I L E
and leap from the ledge
Trusting the Wind to
lift outside and within.

The currents carry
far away from where
you once dreamed…
but it was not for
failure.
It was to bring you
Into the sunrise
Sweet embrace
a taste of
liquid gold nectar.

We call it hope.

” Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” ~Psalm 139:7-10

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” Psalm 59:16-17

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah” Psalm 62:5-8

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” ~Romans 8:31b-32

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:22-26

Choose to live for Him. It changes everything

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me without any “take-backs” or torn feelings. Thank You for staying with me when I’m stubborn, hurtful, selfish, and unwilling to see my faults. Thank you for breaking my heart so I can be closer to You.

Lord, I do not understand Your plans. They are far beyond me, but I am listening. I hear the things You place on my heart, and I love without reserve. Right now, my heart hurts. I know You know. I know You are right here with me. I pray that this pile of awful things that have been dumped into my week like a backed up sewer would not smell and pervade my life with bitterness, but rather, that You would transform it into something beautiful. May it be like fertilizer- enriching the seeds for beautiful things that are only possible by Your power.

Thank You for having a sense of humor, and for filling me with joy at the simple things in life. Things like clean laundry, indoor plumbing, all the glories of the universe You created. Things like friends, apple juice, Jeff’s Pizza, and having space to myself so I speak to You out loud whenever I like.  Thank You for the peace that only You can give me. Please continue to make me into the kind of person You want me to be, and bring me safely home to You.

Love,

Rachel

I just had to share what amazingly came up in my devotions a few moments ago. I was reading in Job 36-37. It’s still his youngest friend, Elihu, talking about men and God and really getting some things off his chest in a sense, but this is what I got (yes, I’m actually posting two whole chapters minus the first five verses because I want to share this that much!):

5 “God is mighty, but does not despise men;
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

6 He does not keep the wicked alive
but gives the afflicted their rights.

7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;
he enthrones them with kings
and exalts them forever.

8 But if men are bound in chains,
held fast by cords of affliction,

9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.

10 He makes them listen to correction
and commands them to repent of their evil.

11 If they obey and serve him,
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity
and their years in contentment.

12 But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword [a]
and die without knowledge.

13 “The godless in heart harbor resentment;
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.

14 They die in their youth,
among male prostitutes of the shrines.

15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to them in their affliction.

16 “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place free from restriction,
to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.

18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

19 Would your wealth
or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?

20 Do not long for the night,
to drag people away from their homes. [b]

21 Beware of turning to evil,
which you seem to prefer to affliction.

22 “God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?

23 Who has prescribed his ways for him,
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?

24 Remember to extol his work,
which men have praised in song.

25 All mankind has seen it;
men gaze on it from afar.

26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!
The number of his years is past finding out.

27 “He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams [c] ;

28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on mankind.

29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders from his pavilion?

30 See how he scatters his lightning about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.

31 This is the way he governs [d] the nations
and provides food in abundance.

32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.

33 His thunder announces the coming storm;
even the cattle make known its approach. [e]

Job 37

1 “At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.

2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.

4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.

5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.

6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

7 So that all men he has made may know his work,
he stops every man from his labor. [f]

8 The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.

9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.

10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.

11 He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.

12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.

13 He brings the clouds to punish men,
or to water his earth [g] and show his love.

14 “Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.

15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?

16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

17 You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

19 “Tell us what we should say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.

20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would any man ask to be swallowed up?

21 Now no one can look at the sun,
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.

22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty.

23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

24 Therefore, men revere him,
for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? [h] “

Wow. Allow me to just highlight a few (of many) points that spoke to me.

First of all, verse 5, God is sovereign. He does not hate you, but has plans. It sounds really sunday school/condolences/cheesy hallmark card, but it’s absolutely true. He really does have the better perspective outside of time, which allows Him to easily keep an eye on you.

Verses 8-11. If (more like “when”) you mess up, God will let you know one way or another. If you are trapped in sin, or holding on to something that is not yours (meaning anything other than a relationship with God), He lets you know so you can have the bail out option and go back to Him. If you don’t, well, verses 12-14 pretty much spell out that if your life isn’t glorifying what it should… it’s going in the crapper. Pardon my frankness, but in all seriousness, I think we could all stand to be a little more honest with ourselves and others from time to time. Just repent. I promise you need to in some area. I get to in a lot of areas.

Verses 15-16 God knows when you are hurting. HE will deliver you from it. “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.” Sounds like a pretty nice place for God to wine & dine us I just love that image- he is wooing us from our distress. God really is the jealous lover who selflessly desires our good. We all need to be rescued in some area or another. The question is, when He asks for your hand, will you give it?

Verse 21: I love it when the Bible comes with straight up warning labels. It’s true tho- if we have the attitude of preferring sin to God, we miss the point of life.

Verse 22: I’m going to be a teacher, but I want to be a student forever as well. It’s such a true story- no one can make a lesson hit home like God can.

Verses 36:26-37:22 Verse 26 is obviously true, but I was intrigued by the fact that he describes God with views of nature and weather. These days people like to think they understand everything “scientifically,” but we are so far from actually getting it in some ways. But Elihu uses weather because it is the biggest and most powerful and mysterious thing he knows. I wish more people would stop and consider God when faced with our ridiculous snow/ice/crappy weather storms that plague this time of year.

Verses 23-24 pretty much sum it up. He awesome and beyond our reach, yet entirely just. Men obey and acknowledge God because God has acknowledged them and desires only our good. It’s that simple.

Overall, this passage was balm to my aching heart. As a good friend put it, I’m just plain vulnerable right now. It’s the time to let bitterness or hope take root, and I sincerely am working on eliminating bitterness. I don’t know why I don’t get to be stubborn as well and not move on, but I do know that the man God is preparing for me will come after my heart in a big way. I won’t be a leftovers, last one picked, bottom of the bucket alternative, but his gem. A girl of value. Girls of value don’t need to plot or scheme or pout, but rather trust all the more that their heavenly father has something big planned.

Also, I felt like this before China and after- that satan has really been trying to discourage me, so there must be something I’m doing that he wants to kill in me. Annnnnnnd he won’t. The best things I have learned have come from the most painful things. The way I see it, if I have to be here on this ridiculous earth, then God gets to be here too. lol He had better show up anyway. I know He will.

This week has been weird. I’m still a bit in shock over everything, but I don’t regret anything in my life because God put it there for a reason. Ephesians 4 was what I arrived at, sleep deprived, teary-eyed, yet resolute in what I knew was right.

I lost him, in a sense. I felt like a switch was flipped and I can even pinpoint the day (it was last Wednesday, but I still don’t know why). By Friday, I was being avoided, and I noticed all the little things that had become familiar to me had vanished. He didn’t grab for my hand. He didn’t smile. Awkward half hugs and abbreviated annoyed smiles grew between us. I had enough by Sunday night, and got it out of him.

I freaked. It was just too much. I couldn’t stand the thought of being at square one again, didn’t understand how someone who had appeared completely happy last weekend could change so drastically in the course of a week. I wanted to be done. It’s an utterly selfish thought, but I wanted to be out of this mess of a world and at home with God. He makes sense, or at least makes truth in everything. The other he wouldn’t let me because he is amazing. I still know that much. I really didn’t feel like holding on to anything anymore. It wasn’t him, it was the combination of him and all the other things piling up in my life. I still don’t understand why I have to deal with this kind of pain over and over again, but I cherish the gifts in my life on a daily basis.

There’s really nothing I could have done. It’s such a dichotomy that I both hate and love how I have no control over my life. People sometimes deliberate over what God’s will is, or what they should do, but it’s actually a lot easier than you’d think. Once you truly acknowledge God and spend time actually asking Him to control your life and not let go… He won’t. You can physically fight tooth and nail to get away from Him and He won’t allow anything to snatch you from His hand (Romans 8:35-39, John 10:27-29, etc.). And, reminding me of God again, he wouldn’t let me run to where I wanted. What a sweet brother in Christ.

Anyway, I was faced with a choice that morning. I was meek as a lamb that has fallen in the creek, nearly drowned, but got dragged back against her will to sit with the others and be a good little lamb. I was broken. I knew that I had to talk to this other person and make sure that our friendship wasn’t fractured. I was praying sincerely and trying to think of a passage that I would base what I would talk about upon. I didn’t want to say anything but absolute truth, and I was plain out of words or opinions that usually come so easily to me. I also figured that this person expected me to give them an earful and possibly a beating, and I didn’t want any trace of selfishness or bitterness to creep into the conversation.

Ephesians 4:20-27
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26″In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

This whole chapter speaks of living in unity as the body of Christ, and putting aside the reactions and habits that mark lives that don’t know God. I went in, was tentatively invited in, and I asked if I could pray and share a passage. With an assent from my friend, and a simple prayer for grace on our words, I read this passage and said I wanted to be honest and I would hope they would do the same.

Really, it wasn’t fun at all, but it was necessary. It was also immensely encouraging. Here I was, knowing I was dry-at-the-bottom empty and worn, and God still chose to work through me. It’s a feeling similar to the one I had before I left for China, one oddly attached to the mental image of a broken piece of pottery supernaturally holding water. I was stripped of any trace pride or self, not even willfully, but painfully… and He still said “I have called you. Obey me out of love.” lol maybe it was divine discipline that I still can’t fully comprehend. Probably another crack at my pride… I need that from time to time.

What I do know is this: my life is not my own. I can choose to stumble and fight it forever, or I can mold my will to His. I think most other people who know God knows what happens when you oppose Him. I am faulted and I realize that I deserve nothing at all, yet am gifted with so much!

I have a loving family who knows God, I get to study at college with a great scholarship, I have friends who actually care about me, and an amazing body of believers here at school. I might get worn down, but that is where His power can actually be revealed. We are not given any challenge that we cannot handle, and God disciplines and molds us because He loves us and wants us to grow and succeed.

Congratulations- you win the lottery every time you wake up and are granted another day

I have had many friends travel overseas in the past year or so. Many people come back with amazing stories, postcard-perfect photos, and stories of lives changed. Although I brought back all of those as well, I would like to share a few reflections I’ve had of my overall experience. This is as much for me as it is to share with others.

In a word, I’d say China was about connections. Flight connections, language (verbal or nonverbal) connections, holiday connections, friend connections with many new people, but most of all, connecting with humanity.

Although I may have been raised without a touch of Mandarin, the Chinese people spoke to me beyond the language barrier, through the eyes of God. It’s not that they are Chinese, this isn’t about race- I don’t think God differentiates. It’s about immortal beings who are given the choice as we all are to know and follow our Creator, or to not do so.

We often laughed at the same things, wanted to know each other’s backgrounds, wanted to hang out and have fun… but when it came down to the tough questions, I was comforted by the fact that they were questions common to humanity. God isn’t limited by them.

“What made you follow Yesu (Jesus)?”
“How long have you believed?”
“Does your family fight because of your faith?”
“How does following Yesu change your life?”

It was challenging, but sweet to share the love I have known for most of my life. As I shared with some of my friends, if you go into a situation assuming you have nothing in common with someone, chances are you’ll never find common ground. However, if you meet someone and know that, at some level, you are very much alike because of your humanity, I can almost guarantee you won’t run out of things in common or conversation.

I wouldn’t say I’m overly attracted to China as a whole in a long-term sense, but I’m keeping an open mind. I know better than to make plans. They need many more people and prayers, and it’s so easy to share! I would consider it if I were you. Just remember they’re people- people who may not otherwise receive a chance to learn truth.

As for me, I learned that I have a long way to go. China revealed a lot about my character and heart that I wasn’t initially very fond of, but I am glad to have my eyes opened to new things to work on. China was hard. It was also good. It was growth.