It’s hard to know where to begin.
This month is about portion.
Today, we’ve been in India just over two weeks. India is a counter intuitive culture shock. Water buffalo are everywhere. Left hands are never used (until, you know…). People do this seemingly indecisive head wobble which could mean anything from “yes” to “okay” to “maybe” to “no”. Women are maximum modest– they have their ankles covered at all times. You eat with your hands. Everything is curry. Squatties potties are the norm and when you head out into public people act like you are famous, or royalty.
It takes some time to adjust.
Especially when the low for the week is 80 and there’s no A/C and it hasn’t rained all month. You begin to find out the person you are when you didn’t get as much sleep as you wanted. Or when you tried to sleep outside and only to get eaten alive by the bugs. (Some common experiences within the squad).
Then there’s ministry.
Ministry starts anywhere from 2-3:30PM and has gone as late as 12AM. We’ve done a little bit of construction where we are staying, but most of our time is spent visiting different local villages. Once there we go door to door praying for anyone and everyone. At night there is a church service where our team will share a song, a testimony (or two) and a sermon (or two). You may be asked to speak at a moment’s notice so embrace flexibility and dive in. At the end of the service, we divide up and pray over each member of the congregation.
Then dinner. Then we make the pilgrimage home only back to dive in again tomorrow.
Our time here has been full.
It might sound like we’ve had our fair share of frustrations, but I said this month is about portion.
At the close of one church service, everyone was coming forward to receive prayer. Up walks this mother carrying her child, who looked to be about 7years old. The mother propped her daughter in front of me and the translator explained she had polio. I prayed. I asked God to come and heal her, right then and there. I wanted to see the incredible. As I finished, the mother let go of her daughter, for a moment, to let her try to stand on her own strength. My heart broke as the girl slumped back into her mother’s faith filled arms. The mother carried her daughter out of the line and out of the church. I continued to pray for people but I couldn’t shake the image of those two. So I asked the translator if they could be brought back for more prayer. The mother and daughter had the faith to return. Our whole team sat on the church floor with them. The mother gestured to the daughter who reached out and offered each of us a tiny handshake. The translator explained the girl was unable to talk. We prayed and with broken hearts we wept.
I don’t think I have ever wanted someone (myself included) to be healed more than this precious child.
As the pray concluded, there was no noticeable difference. The mother started to cry. It was as if, for that moment, she didn’t have to be strong for anyone. She welcomed our embrace. She explained through the translator the unsuccessful treatments. She said she had the faith that God would heal her daughter.
I left confused maybe even a little frustrated.
The next day I went for a run within the compound around our building and the surrounding palmolive tree fields. I told Jesus I was frustrated and I didn’t understand why He had the power to heal and He didn’t.
The Lord said to me, “I AM your portion and that is sufficient.”
India has challenged and frustrated our squad in a variety of ways this month. But here God was saying that everything we are experiencing and going through is a part of His portion. God’s portion is specifically designed for each of us to create growth and maturity. We signed up for it without really knowing what it would look like and trust me, it’s different than anything we’ve ever had before.
The temptation is to become spiritually picky, to say “I don’t like this or that” and not eat it, or cry out for more of the part you like or maybe just decide to eat something else altogether.
This month is about portion.
I believe that the Lord’s will is perfect. I believe that He is using each and every experience to grow and shape us into the people He would have us to be.
I believe that this is and has always been true for each and every one of us.
Friends, our lives are about portion.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”- Lamentations 3:22-24
