I’ve thought a lot of about this. I’m sure Heaven will have all of my favorite things, freeze dried strawberries and Lady Gaga on repeat. Even if it doesn’t have my favorites, I can’t wait to talk to Jesus about that one time I lived in Africa for 3 months. What I’ve realized about travel and even people is that communication is a necessity. We often joke as a team that ordering food in English is what we miss the most. Here I fall and trip over my words, often feel loss, and find myself drawing false conclusions about conversations. This is often how I feel in my own faith. When I don’t understand something, I mistake it for Jesus not talking to me. I stumble, walk aimlessly through the day and just hope I get through that moment. When you spend time with a new language saying hi (in Ethiopia there’s 4 different ways of saying hi and how are you, then you say them all at once) becomes natural and the mannerisms suddenly become a daily part of life. Each step I move towards Jesus, each time I give that greeting of “Dear Heavenly Father” I grow that much closer to understanding what communication is in Heaven. When I end that conversation with Amen, he reminds me I’m actually just beginning my next conversation in the language of Heaven. The people I love and how I love is simple talk of Jesus. So maybe I don’t have all the grammar or pronunciation down, not even close. But the more I talk the more I am walking in alignment with his morals. So even in the simple prayers before a meal, and ones that I’m crying out in pain, and the ones of celebration it’s all really just communicating. It’s saying we are worthy enough to be told that there’s a love bigger than us.
Thank you for reading, until next time!
Alexis Simmons
