Things are going
well out here. It’s easy to get
caught up with little frustrations and disagreements, but when I really sit
down and think about things, I can quote the old hymn and honestly say, “It is
well”. I’m excited for all the
opportunities we have out here as well as the opportunity we have to be the
mobile body of Christ and see what this thing called community is really all
about.
So the last week
or so has been a great time of kids clubs, church planting meetings, orphanage
work, and even planning a pastor’s conference we will be putting on in just a
little over a week. (please pray for that because we’re rookies with it, but
luckily God can make up for that).
We are inviting all the village leaders and the potential church plant
leaders out for a weekend event to talk through foundations and confronting
some of the “religious based” issues that are rampant in this culture. It should be an amazing time.
With all that’s
going on, I still feel like I’ve had the chance to really just be amazed by
what’s before me. I’ve been really
trying to catch a sunset from the mountain behind our house but every night something
different comes up. However
as I was walking home the other night after missing another sunset, the stars
stopped me. I’ve been here nearly
two weeks and I haven’t even noticed them yet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many stars that are actually
visible as out here.
My breath was
just taken away as I saw just how big the sky was and how many stars were
shining bright. I just laid out on
the porch for a while and thought about the fact that God makes the claim to
number the stars and call them all by name. How much more does God call us by name as the thing made in
His image (Genesis 1:27)?
I think we get
hung up on this idea that in order for God to know us, we need to know
Him. We still think this even
after God claims to have knit us together in our mother’s womb. I think the picture of us coming to God
is less like us walking down the aisle to shake the pastor’s hand and “be
introduced to Jesus” and more like the picture from the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)
where the father took off running at the first sight of his son’s return.
He already knows
us, He’s just longing for our return.
Even when I miss the sunset, I’m thankful for the stars, and I praise
God if I get another sunrise.
