Someone once told me we're all living on a borrowed legacy. That we are not the creators of our lots in life but simply recipients. It hit and humbled me.
And this time of year, people are posting all over the internet things they are thankful for. Family. Friends. Jobs. Food. Time. Things. Pets - the list goes on. Yet while there are many things I could list tonight, the day after Thanksgiving, I'll pick just one instead. I am thankful for the borrowed legacy I live on.
For generations of family that made faith the core of all things in life. For deep family values rooted in me since birth. For opportunities every day to learn about perseverance, hard work, community and team work on the family farm that was started over 150 years ago. For financial providence to meet basic needs and luxuries. And most of all, for faith in God made possible because of a Jesus that died for all nations, for I, too, am a Gentile. A Jesus that came and lived and died and rose so that we may know our Creater and be made right with Him.
This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for a lot of things. But most of all, I am thankful for the borrowed legacy I live on every day. That I am only who I am because of all the people who have gone before me and live around me every day. And that this, more than anything else during the holiday times, is most important. Not gifts or food or gatherings or songs or millions of cards and cookies. But a deep gratitude for all I have. And a deep gratitude for all I can pass on and give this Christmas and coming year.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
[watch Him work]
A pastor once mentioned that God hasn't developed laryngitis. He meant God hasn't stopped speaking in loud and real and clear ways even though we accuse Him of this all the time, and working in international ministry keeps me reminded that He has not stopped moving in powerful ways either. Today was one more awesome example.
A new international attended worship at Memorial. We didn't get to visit much beforehand, but afterwards I learned that he was a Christian from southern India. And then I found out that he's a native Tamil speaker - the same language of a woman who has become a good friend this last year. A woman I have been studying the Bible with lately despite many language struggles. A Hindu friend, yes, but one who reads a Psalm every day in the Tamil Bible we were able to give to her, and one who has a lot of questions about Jesus. Insert new Indian friend as interpreter or even leader? I think so.
That wasn't the end of the story though. Ten minutes later I was getting ready to leave and passed by him looking at the bulletin board with pictures and updates from our agricultural missionary in Ethiopia. Included on the board was a list of needs and prices to fulfill each one - support a missionary $50/month; build a new well $135; etc.
He pointed at the list and said, "I'd like to support a missionary. I'd also like to pay for a well. How do I do this and support God's work?" With that he pulled out two crisp $100 bills and asked what he should do with them. We went to the office together and handed the money to one of our pastors. Then on his way out he said something even more humbling.
"I did not know there were such pious Christians in America but you are doing great work," he told me. "We need Jesus in India because you know, ninety-eight percent of people are Hindu. It is great to hear about God's work you are doing. May He bless you." With that, he turned and took off back to campus leaving me speechless.
I'm not sure what he meant by pious. And I'm not sure I'd call myself or American Christians pious necessarily. But I think he meant it in a positive way from his actions and other words.
More than that, though, it reminded me once again that God has not developed laryngitis. And He hasn't stopped working in ways only He can work. Today proves it. He's bigger than Sunday School curriculum and English programs and international dinners and building wells and all the different schemes we've come up with to try and "do God's work". I have full confidence that He will get the glory due His name, and I am incredibly humbled watching Him work.
A new international attended worship at Memorial. We didn't get to visit much beforehand, but afterwards I learned that he was a Christian from southern India. And then I found out that he's a native Tamil speaker - the same language of a woman who has become a good friend this last year. A woman I have been studying the Bible with lately despite many language struggles. A Hindu friend, yes, but one who reads a Psalm every day in the Tamil Bible we were able to give to her, and one who has a lot of questions about Jesus. Insert new Indian friend as interpreter or even leader? I think so.
That wasn't the end of the story though. Ten minutes later I was getting ready to leave and passed by him looking at the bulletin board with pictures and updates from our agricultural missionary in Ethiopia. Included on the board was a list of needs and prices to fulfill each one - support a missionary $50/month; build a new well $135; etc.
He pointed at the list and said, "I'd like to support a missionary. I'd also like to pay for a well. How do I do this and support God's work?" With that he pulled out two crisp $100 bills and asked what he should do with them. We went to the office together and handed the money to one of our pastors. Then on his way out he said something even more humbling.
"I did not know there were such pious Christians in America but you are doing great work," he told me. "We need Jesus in India because you know, ninety-eight percent of people are Hindu. It is great to hear about God's work you are doing. May He bless you." With that, he turned and took off back to campus leaving me speechless.
I'm not sure what he meant by pious. And I'm not sure I'd call myself or American Christians pious necessarily. But I think he meant it in a positive way from his actions and other words.
More than that, though, it reminded me once again that God has not developed laryngitis. And He hasn't stopped working in ways only He can work. Today proves it. He's bigger than Sunday School curriculum and English programs and international dinners and building wells and all the different schemes we've come up with to try and "do God's work". I have full confidence that He will get the glory due His name, and I am incredibly humbled watching Him work.
Friday, November 4, 2011
[step by step. day by day]
I'm learning that growing in Christ is a process. And it happens in small steps. Not giant leaps.
Like thankfulness. I've been convicted lately about my ungrateful heart and attitude on a lot of things, so I took a friend's suggestion and started thanking God for 100 things every day - even things I wasn't particularly thankful for. I prayed for a thankful heart, yes, but I didn't leave it at that. And it didn't happen overnight.
The next day I thanked Him for even exit signs and then found myself frustrated with Sudanese culture only two hours later. Eight days later I was trying to get groceries with a Korean woman in a sleet storm and commented on the less than ideal weather only to hear her pipe up, "It's a great day if you have friends!" Thanks God.
Yet after 10 days I find myself scraping frost off my car at 5:15 a.m. before spinning class and immediately thanking God for ice scrappers without even thinking about it. And then thanking Him that I have electricity when the light stops working in our bathroom later, realizing that it's starting to become a natural response to little things for me.
And while I don't claim to have an incredibly, filled-to-the-brim, more than thankful heart yet, I can see God changing it step by step, opportunity by opportunity.
Oftentimes we pray for miracles. My heart to become thankful over night. Salvation for a close friend. Healing of a disease or sickness right now. And while we should not stop believing in miracles, I have learned it is just as important to pray for opportunities. Opportunities to thank God instead of complain. Opportunities to share truth with that close friend. Opportunities for God to give a sick person peace, comfort and trust in Him regardless of how things look from our perspective.
Then we gotta take 'em. Take 'em when God gives 'em, and thank Him for that, all the while remembering that the journey is valuable beyond our vision right here and now. Thanks God for continuing to teach me that.
Like thankfulness. I've been convicted lately about my ungrateful heart and attitude on a lot of things, so I took a friend's suggestion and started thanking God for 100 things every day - even things I wasn't particularly thankful for. I prayed for a thankful heart, yes, but I didn't leave it at that. And it didn't happen overnight.
The next day I thanked Him for even exit signs and then found myself frustrated with Sudanese culture only two hours later. Eight days later I was trying to get groceries with a Korean woman in a sleet storm and commented on the less than ideal weather only to hear her pipe up, "It's a great day if you have friends!" Thanks God.
Yet after 10 days I find myself scraping frost off my car at 5:15 a.m. before spinning class and immediately thanking God for ice scrappers without even thinking about it. And then thanking Him that I have electricity when the light stops working in our bathroom later, realizing that it's starting to become a natural response to little things for me.
And while I don't claim to have an incredibly, filled-to-the-brim, more than thankful heart yet, I can see God changing it step by step, opportunity by opportunity.
Oftentimes we pray for miracles. My heart to become thankful over night. Salvation for a close friend. Healing of a disease or sickness right now. And while we should not stop believing in miracles, I have learned it is just as important to pray for opportunities. Opportunities to thank God instead of complain. Opportunities to share truth with that close friend. Opportunities for God to give a sick person peace, comfort and trust in Him regardless of how things look from our perspective.
Then we gotta take 'em. Take 'em when God gives 'em, and thank Him for that, all the while remembering that the journey is valuable beyond our vision right here and now. Thanks God for continuing to teach me that.
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