Dec 27, 2009
What an experience these past weeks have been. Awesome trip with lots of emotions. One of my "assignments" was to figure out why i was going. Now you may ask "seems like yo would know that already." Well you are right in that I thought I knew. I knew that God just wanted me to go. But That is al I could say. He has brought me through many things and i felt that i needed to go.
But I think when you are open to listening, God lets you know in an awesome ways that you are doing what He had planned for you all along. One of thoset awesome moment came on Friday night our 5th day in Africa. Each night there was a Bible study, the men in a group and the women in another group. One person in our group shared a Bible story first. The women were talking about it and the discussion lasted awhile. I began tofeel anxious. It looked like i was not going to get to share one. I hadnt shared one with that group yet but it felt like I just had to do so. Finally I shared the Bible story about Naomi and Ruth. If you remember your childhood classes, you may recall that Naomi lived a long way from her home country and her family. She had been taken away many years previously. She had married and had 2 sons. But then her husband died and then both her sons. She wanted to return to her home land. She called her 2 daughter in laws come and shared this with them. She told them that she would go alone and they needed to stay there. But one of them named RUTH said No. I will go with you wherevr you go. So Naomi along with Ruth left for Naomi's home country. When they arrived, it was hard on them. But a man told them to let Ruth go to his fields and pick up grain. Eventullly this man married Ruth and their descendents were a link to Jesus.
I then quoted Romans 8:28. All things work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose. I related to them that Ruth and Naomi experienced many difficult days and trials but God led them through it.
I then shared that 2 1/2 yrs ago i was happily married but something happened that shattered my world. My husband left. I was devastated and heart broken along with many other emotions. The time was so very painful. I ended up having to leave my old church to come to the new one Hyde Park. I said if all that had not happened i would not be here in Africa where I am suppose to be. So God does watch over us.
If you know me, you know that I do shed tears. i began to cry at the end of my story; not because i was sad but because of the awesomeness of God's mercy and grace. One of the ladies began to cry. The interpreter said that she is crying because you are sad. I said, "That is not it. I dont cry now because I am sad. I cry because God is so wondeful." I quickly moved to the woman's side and wrapped my arms around her. Another woman said, "she cries a lot sometimes" In that moment I knew why I was in Africa. Charles and Carol said that sometimes it may be just for that one person that we meet that we can relate to in some special way to make God more real for them. This was at least one of the reasons that i had been led to Africa. Many times tears are misunderstood. I once was told by a pastor that people were uncomfortable with my tears. That is true. people are uncomfortable because they dont know how to act or react etc. I struggled with that comment for several months. But did you know that David cried. That's what makes up many of the Psalms. And then in the shortest verse of the Bible, We learn that "Jesus wept". He wept there because of the death of his friend Lazarus. He also wept tears of blood in the Garden of Gethesame. And then on the cross he cried, "My God, my God why have thy forsaken me".
The woman and I sat there together Just holding hands and rocking together with tears flowing. Two women of totallly different backgrounds and different cultures but sharing a wonderful gift together. I quietly said, "It's ok to cry." "Jesus wept and thus we are both in good company. "
What an experience these past weeks have been. Awesome trip with lots of emotions. One of my "assignments" was to figure out why i was going. Now you may ask "seems like yo would know that already." Well you are right in that I thought I knew. I knew that God just wanted me to go. But That is al I could say. He has brought me through many things and i felt that i needed to go.
But I think when you are open to listening, God lets you know in an awesome ways that you are doing what He had planned for you all along. One of thoset awesome moment came on Friday night our 5th day in Africa. Each night there was a Bible study, the men in a group and the women in another group. One person in our group shared a Bible story first. The women were talking about it and the discussion lasted awhile. I began tofeel anxious. It looked like i was not going to get to share one. I hadnt shared one with that group yet but it felt like I just had to do so. Finally I shared the Bible story about Naomi and Ruth. If you remember your childhood classes, you may recall that Naomi lived a long way from her home country and her family. She had been taken away many years previously. She had married and had 2 sons. But then her husband died and then both her sons. She wanted to return to her home land. She called her 2 daughter in laws come and shared this with them. She told them that she would go alone and they needed to stay there. But one of them named RUTH said No. I will go with you wherevr you go. So Naomi along with Ruth left for Naomi's home country. When they arrived, it was hard on them. But a man told them to let Ruth go to his fields and pick up grain. Eventullly this man married Ruth and their descendents were a link to Jesus.
I then quoted Romans 8:28. All things work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose. I related to them that Ruth and Naomi experienced many difficult days and trials but God led them through it.
I then shared that 2 1/2 yrs ago i was happily married but something happened that shattered my world. My husband left. I was devastated and heart broken along with many other emotions. The time was so very painful. I ended up having to leave my old church to come to the new one Hyde Park. I said if all that had not happened i would not be here in Africa where I am suppose to be. So God does watch over us.
If you know me, you know that I do shed tears. i began to cry at the end of my story; not because i was sad but because of the awesomeness of God's mercy and grace. One of the ladies began to cry. The interpreter said that she is crying because you are sad. I said, "That is not it. I dont cry now because I am sad. I cry because God is so wondeful." I quickly moved to the woman's side and wrapped my arms around her. Another woman said, "she cries a lot sometimes" In that moment I knew why I was in Africa. Charles and Carol said that sometimes it may be just for that one person that we meet that we can relate to in some special way to make God more real for them. This was at least one of the reasons that i had been led to Africa. Many times tears are misunderstood. I once was told by a pastor that people were uncomfortable with my tears. That is true. people are uncomfortable because they dont know how to act or react etc. I struggled with that comment for several months. But did you know that David cried. That's what makes up many of the Psalms. And then in the shortest verse of the Bible, We learn that "Jesus wept". He wept there because of the death of his friend Lazarus. He also wept tears of blood in the Garden of Gethesame. And then on the cross he cried, "My God, my God why have thy forsaken me".
The woman and I sat there together Just holding hands and rocking together with tears flowing. Two women of totallly different backgrounds and different cultures but sharing a wonderful gift together. I quietly said, "It's ok to cry." "Jesus wept and thus we are both in good company. "
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