“Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel…O come to thee o Israel”
I’m not kidding when I say that every single day, our team
is humming and singing this. Because of our technology ban, we haven’t been
able to listen to music (Luckily I listened to Christmas music the whole month
of November.) God has still been waking me up with worship songs in my
head…what a blessing!
Taking all technology out of our daily lives makes a huge
difference. In the evenings we find ourselves playing Rummy Cube, reading
books, talking, and often going to bed by 10pm. Is this what people did back in
the day?
We get so used to having the noise of music, TV, and movies,
even if it’s just background noise. A season of being “unplugged” is both
challenging and refreshing. For example, I’ve realized that watching movies on
the Race can be used as an escape for a couple hours (or more if we do a double
feature!)
But what am I
escaping from?
The abnormal and crazy lifestyle of the Race sometimes
battles my flesh’s desires for the normalcy and comfort of my “old” life back
in the States. God is persistent as he gently continues to teach me what it
means to be a Jesus follower…a Kingdom dweller.
“The Kingdom dweller obeys the King and in
the process, becomes more like the King. It is a lifetime of demanding,
humbling, beautiful, risky ventures that are worth every ounce of sweat.”
~Don Everts,
“Jesus With Dirty Feet”
The whole Race is like an initiation and training ground for
how to live life beyond July 2010. Getting to serve ministries and love people
in our path is like a bonus.
Is watching a movie on the Race unhealthy? Not at all. But I
need to check my motive. Maybe I need to have an intentional conversation with
someone rather than get lost in a movie I’ve probably already seen 10 times. Or
maybe I need to spend time praying for the people I am longing to connect with
back home.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” ~ Phil 4: 4-7
P.S. As an update on what we’re actually doing these days,
things have changed, as I mentioned they probably would. We are now living in
Galilee, working with a church. We get to serve them via cleaning, praying,
teaching, and having a presence in the community.
