“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” – Psalms 40:5
I can’t believe that my first month on the World Race is coming to an end. This month has been full of new friends and laughter. I imagined that this month would be uncomfortable for me and challenging. I imagined myself missing home and feeling a sense of loneliness from being away from the people who know me best. I really need to start being more positive with my expectations! These feelings may come in the future but as for this month, it has been an amazing time of fellowship and growth.
One of my favorite parts of this month has been waking up every morning to spend time with some of the other women here to pray and seek The Lord together. Every morning before breakfast we meet in a quiet place, sip coffee, share our hearts, and talk about God. This time together is so sweet to me and it helps me to view the rest of the day through a lens where I am seeing every situation as an opportunity to grow, learn, and love. I think it is so easy to lose sight of the fact that every single day is a gift from God. It doesn’t matter where you are…I may be in Albania but by the second week here it actually started to feel “normal” and I felt that I could easily “go through the motions” in ministry here just like anywhere else.
Why is it so easy for us to lose our sense of wonder?
I was completely in awe of the beautiful sunset and the mountainous view from our balcony the first week, but after that I found myself thinking that I didn’t want to get bit by the mosquitos or spend more time in the heat. Isn’t it a little sad when we start to miss the beauty around us because of small inconveniences? I easily sprayed some bug spray and chose a shady spot to sit and was so glad that I took full advantage of this amazing view that I most likely will never get to see in the exact same way ever again.
I want to be more intentional about seeing the beauty around me, not just the beauty in my surroundings but also in the people that are in my life because I believe that it is not an accident that people are brought in to our lives. This week in our morning bible study we talked about viewing each person that comes in to our lives with “unconditional positive regard”. This is how God views each one of his children. His love is not conditional, it does not change based on how we behave or what we do or don’t do. He views us with favor, He sees us as beautiful, worthy, and capable. What if we chose to view ourselves and others that way? What if we assumed the best in people and gave them benefit of the doubt? This doesn’t mean that we are ignorant to the fact that some people really do have bad intentions…but I don’t think we should quickly assume that of people. This doesn’t mean that we have to agree with everything people do…it just means taking the time to ask them to clarify their words and actions, listening with the intent of understanding, and choosing to focus on the best in people.
This month I have been challenged to live with the realization that I can never come back to these moments. I have been trying to see the wonder in each new day and not miss what God is doing here.
Also, if you would like to know more about the organization we are working with you can check out their website: http://www.lightforce.org.uk/about/
