Some of you may remember that I often say, in frustration, “I hate people!”
I don’t actually hate people, but they often upset the perfect balance that I have created for myself in my life.
This month has been a stretch. Ministry has been straightforward – churches, schools, and neighborhoods.
We share the gospel, share testimonies, play games, sing songs, pray, and perform skits. Not too easy, but not too hard either. The most challenging part of this month is living in community. Before I left, I knew that living with a team and working with people would be a challenge. Knowing beforehand, however, does not make it any easier.
As my Asian counterpart said, “Community is messy, community is hard.”
People will not always be on time. People will walk in the middle of the road. People will not always act in the way I think appropriate. People will have feelings that I don’t understand. People will not always communicate in the most efficient manner. People will misunderstand. People will be offended.
God is upsetting my artificial perfection and balance to challenge me and teach me.
Community is teaching me the wonder of God’s grace. We sing the song, “amazing grace, how sweet the sound….”
Do I truly understand how amazing is God’s grace? I recognize that I must show grace to my teammates. Primarily, I show grace because God has shown me grace. Secondly, I show grace because I am constantly in need of grace from my teammates. Just as I might be frustrated by their actions, I must frustrate them as well. It is only by God showing us grace, that we can live together.
It is only month two, our adventure is just beginning. Through the hard times and the good times, we are united as a family. The girls on Team Love Story are all daughters of the King, we are sisters. Our love for each other comes from our mutual love for God.
