As a Christian, one of the biggest struggles I face is hearing the Holy Spirit. Many people are blessed with the gift of clearly hearing the Lord by receiving direct answers or words. Personally, I connect with the Lord through nature, people, or observation, (aka. seeing how life works out according to His plan). While on the race, my desire is to converse with the Lord daily so that I may hear and recognize His voice, on a regular basis, in order to become more obedient to him each and every day.
A couple days ago, I was experiencing some pretty severe homesickness. For the first time since I have been out of the United States, I missed not only my family and Bentley, but I also missed my house. My bed. My shower. Ice water. The best way for me to get out of a funk like this is to talk to Jesus about it. So, I went outside in the beautiful, South African, spring weather, and spent some sweet time with Jesus in my hammock. Spending time outside in nature, is where I feel His presence most. I was frustrated with myself for not being in the moment and instead, missing home. I began to pray for guidance. In that moment, I asked Him to speak to me and give me some sort of encouragement. I was hopeful that I would hear some wise words such as “Shelby trust that you are exactly where you need to be” or even simply hearing the word “patience”. I thought that would have made me feel more at peace. But, I didn’t hear anything. Nothing. Now, I was not only frustrated because I was still feeling homesick, but additionally, I was worried that the Lord wasn’t hearing me. I decided that quieting my mind and relaxing in my hammock with my eyes shut sounded like the best plan since I was starting to get more overwhelmed, rather than peaceful. About three minutes into my “relaxing” a group of children began to play in the yard across from where my hammock was. With my eyes still closed, I listened to them, trying to figure out what they were doing. None of them were speaking English, making it difficult for me to tell what was happening. After listening to them chant in their native language, I realized they were playing a game. Each round, the children would shout the chant louder and louder. Part of me was disappointed that I couldn’t understand them, the other part of me just wanted silence. Listening more intently, I tried to make out some words. I failed. I gave up on trying to understand what they were saying and continued listening to their game. Finally, the game was over and the children erupted in a contagious laughter. I couldn’t help but laugh with them. Almost instantly, I felt a huge shift in my mood. After the kids left, I could not stop thinking about their laughter. A sound as simple as laughter changed my mood. In that moment I realized that God actually DID hear me earlier. He showed me exactly what I needed at that moment.
The more I thought about the experience, the more I realized what the Lord wanted to reveal to me. I couldn’t understand one word that the children had said, but I heard so loud and clear the joy that they were experiencing by their laughter. God blesses us with the beautiful gift of joyfulness. How amazing is He for allowing laughter to be universal? There is not a certain language that people laugh in. People of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities have the same language for showing their joy; laughter. What a cool revelation the Lord has shown me month one of the race. Interactions with people who speak different languages is inevitable. Especially when traveling to different countries for nine months. One tool that God has so graciously blessed us with is the ability to spread joy, simply by laughing or smiling.
Thanks Father, God for not only helping shift my mood when I was feeling homesick, but also showing me how to love others in such a simple way. You are the coolest!
Thanks y’all for reading my blog! Much love to you all. God bless
