This past month has been a series of ups and downs.
I have learned more about what love looks like in the church and to what our Father is calling us.
I tend to think of things in movie references and images, so bear with me for a second.
Have you ever seen the movie National Treasure 2 Book of Secrets? If not, the movie is about a man who goes on a hunt for a treasure. During the journey, he and his fellow treasure hunters fall into this underground area on top of a slab of stone balancing on one big pole. All the characters are left trying to balance on the slab of rock so they don’t all fall.
That pretty much describes the first month of the race.
I feel as though I’ve been dropped into a slab of rock with other people all trying to find our footing so we can balance on the rock and not fall. We are learning so much about each other and ourselves. I have dearly missed community back home, and this has caused me to press into the Lord and lean on Him.
The first few weeks I was just trying to find the balance of actually living in a new space wtih new people. I realized that I was experiencing two culture shocks. The first of living in Cambodia and the second of navigating the 50+ cultures from which all of my teammates come. They have all grown up in different environments and cultures and now we are all thrown together like a salad.
I rememeber at the begining of this year the Lord told me that He was going to increase my territory. I didn’t know what it meant, but He has been revealing it these last few months. He has been increasing the territory of my heart to love those around me.
I was reminded of the promise this morning as I stood on a balcony.
I looked to my right and saw a pot.
The pot was probably dropped which led to it being broken, but it looked like the plant had broken free of its constraints. Like it outgrew its home. The Lord reminded me that Jesus has called us to not just love people like us but to love our enemies as well. My squad mates are NOT anything like enemies, but if I can’t love people who are different from me, how can I hope to have a love for real enemies? The Kingdom of Heaven starts small and grows. It’s a growing and stretching season for me. I am learning that when the Lord enlarges your territory, or your capacity, there is always a stretching.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.”
Isaiah 54:2
I want to take a second thank everyone who has supported this journey so far. The lessons I am learning from new places are invaluable, and I am so utterly thankful for you and amazed at how you have all poured into me.
