The past few days have been filled with so many new lessons and things that God has been speaking to my heart. Here's just a few examples:
Lesson #1: There are people just like you
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to get to know one of the young women that works at the girls home. It had been a difficult day for everyone as many of the girls left to visit their extended families for the next couple of weeks. The girls who remained returned home with us, looking forward eagerly to the return of their playmates. As the evening went on, they went to visit a friend's home, while the staff member aforementioned and I went to the market to pick up some vegetables. What started out as a short trip ended up as an adventure where I discovered Dreamsicles that are mango flavored instead of orange flavored, got to ride in a pedal rickshaw (which is basically a carriage seat fastened onto the back of a bicycle), and drank a mango-banana milkshake from a street juice stand. The two of us talked and laughed and just had a fun time. We have a similar sense of humor, like the same kind of things, and think the same way in many respects. It was nice to find someone to connect with, even if they live on the other side of the world.
Lesson #2: God keeps His promises
When the girls had gone to bed last night, the staff member and I went upstairs to her bedroom, where she showed me a little porch overlooking the neighborhood...and more importantly, gave a great view of the stars. We watched as the clouds hid the stars and then revealed them again as they drifted by. We talked about watching the stars as kids. We simply enjoyed God's creation, these stars that are so far off and yet near. It made me think about the story of Abraham. You know, where God tells him that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars? I love that God chose the stars to illustrate the promise! You know why? The stars are always there! You can see them wherever you go! There's no way to forget the promise! No way to feel abandoned by God! His promises are meant to be fulfilled, no matter how long it takes. Our job is to hold on to those promises.
Lesson #3: You are free!
Today, I danced. I moved without choreography. I found my inner rhythm, of sorts, and danced with utter abandon! After we talked to the girls about joy and how God gives it to us, Kendra and I put on some fun worship music and danced to it. The girls love to dance. :) I myself am not really a dancer, mostly because I'm not good at it. But today? Today I danced. The girls were not sure how to proceed, so I started off by kind of spinning them and jumping around...not really moving myself. Then, I don't really know what happened. It's kind of hard to explain. It's like a cord was cut and I snapped free of what had been holding me back. And then I danced. Three little girls gathered in front of me, moving as I moved. Laughing when I laughed. Dancing with the same utter abandon that I was expressing. When I finally stopped to breathe and struggled to keep myself from having an asthma attack, I felt that gentle whisper, "You are free. Free to do whatever you want. Free to worship however you please. Free to use the gifts I have given you. Be free!"
Lesson #1: There are people just like you
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to get to know one of the young women that works at the girls home. It had been a difficult day for everyone as many of the girls left to visit their extended families for the next couple of weeks. The girls who remained returned home with us, looking forward eagerly to the return of their playmates. As the evening went on, they went to visit a friend's home, while the staff member aforementioned and I went to the market to pick up some vegetables. What started out as a short trip ended up as an adventure where I discovered Dreamsicles that are mango flavored instead of orange flavored, got to ride in a pedal rickshaw (which is basically a carriage seat fastened onto the back of a bicycle), and drank a mango-banana milkshake from a street juice stand. The two of us talked and laughed and just had a fun time. We have a similar sense of humor, like the same kind of things, and think the same way in many respects. It was nice to find someone to connect with, even if they live on the other side of the world.
Lesson #2: God keeps His promises
When the girls had gone to bed last night, the staff member and I went upstairs to her bedroom, where she showed me a little porch overlooking the neighborhood...and more importantly, gave a great view of the stars. We watched as the clouds hid the stars and then revealed them again as they drifted by. We talked about watching the stars as kids. We simply enjoyed God's creation, these stars that are so far off and yet near. It made me think about the story of Abraham. You know, where God tells him that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars? I love that God chose the stars to illustrate the promise! You know why? The stars are always there! You can see them wherever you go! There's no way to forget the promise! No way to feel abandoned by God! His promises are meant to be fulfilled, no matter how long it takes. Our job is to hold on to those promises.
Lesson #3: You are free!
Today, I danced. I moved without choreography. I found my inner rhythm, of sorts, and danced with utter abandon! After we talked to the girls about joy and how God gives it to us, Kendra and I put on some fun worship music and danced to it. The girls love to dance. :) I myself am not really a dancer, mostly because I'm not good at it. But today? Today I danced. The girls were not sure how to proceed, so I started off by kind of spinning them and jumping around...not really moving myself. Then, I don't really know what happened. It's kind of hard to explain. It's like a cord was cut and I snapped free of what had been holding me back. And then I danced. Three little girls gathered in front of me, moving as I moved. Laughing when I laughed. Dancing with the same utter abandon that I was expressing. When I finally stopped to breathe and struggled to keep myself from having an asthma attack, I felt that gentle whisper, "You are free. Free to do whatever you want. Free to worship however you please. Free to use the gifts I have given you. Be free!"
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