It’s official. The world race is one big game of “Would You Rather?” For example:
Would you rather…
be surrounded by mosquitoes 24/7 or have black flies cover you and your food?
eat fried fish or fried chicken and french fries for breakfast?
sleep to the sound of a chanting monk on a PA system or of children shouting?
Such is life on the race. However, we often don’t get to choose, we get what we get. Or better yet, we get both. (Yes, we’ve had all of the above.) With each village we visit we find new and interesting ways to live. Welcome to the world race. Life never gets boring. God also has unique ways of using the external to purge us of our own internal junk (which is both figurative and literal, I’ve found. More on this in a moment.)
“Wisiting the willagers in the willages” is how we spent most of the week. Cambodians have trouble pronouncing Vs and Ws. I also have trouble keeping a straight face when they say such things. During our visits we saw some amazing things happen.
*A single mother accepted Christ and decided to throw out her spirit house and tear down the banner of the spirit protecting her house.
*We saw an older woman healed of her back pain and a 10 yr. old of an infection.
*Several people were clearly touched by the love of Christ through our visits. They marveled at the fact that we’d leave our own comfortable country out of love for them.
I was also healed through prayer. At one house the family offered us palm tree water (water drained from a palm tree.) Annie and I decided it was really good. A few hours later our stomachs decided it wasn’t so good. I spent the rest of the day sitting by the window hoping for a breeze or trying to sleep on the floor. Later that night my team found me sick and crouched by the bushes. They prayed over me. God spoke, and we felt that part of my sickness was also spiritual. For the past few weeks I was struggling with lies from the enemy about my identity. So I repented for believing them and cast them off – all the while crying, yelling, and snotting.
As I looked up, I saw 15 little faces were staring back at me. Kids from the village had come to pray for me and had just watched my finest moment. Then they all laid hands on me and prayed for me. It was one of the most INCREDIBLE moments of my life. That’s the kingdom. The prayers of children with their pure faith is amazing. I felt completely better afterward. I was back to my happy, laughing self. Amazing. I love that this is my life. I love that God is good.
(There is an amazing picture of this moment coming as soon as I get a hold of Andy.)
God is at work. Sometimes I wonder if the village is getting more out of me or if I’m getting more out of the village. I go to share Christ and his love, yet God is using the village to change me and bless me. He even uses chanting monks and water battles to teach us and to bring his kingdom. With a new kingdom perspective I’m seeing God’s hand at work in every aspect of my life. He so perfectly puts us in relationship with each other to bless and to be blessed.
But this doesn’t only happen on the race. It’s happening in your life too. It’s the kingdom at work. It’s God’s idea of daily life.
