A couple of days ago, I was walking down the dirt road in Moldova, towards church. Listening to the sounds of the geese honking, the dogs barking, the birds chirping, and just the joys (and smells) of nature…
When I was called over by an older Moldovian couple. They were outside picking apples from their apple tree. I heard something from behind me, and when I turned around, they motioned for me to walk over. So iI did.
When I got there they offered me an apple and said ” Congo, Africa?” “Congo, Africa?”
I giggled a bit and said “No, Americi” (I’m not even sure if that’s how you say America in Romanian, but it sounds right.), Thanked them for the apple, and conitnued on my journey to church.
The night before, the pastor told me that I was the second black person that the village, of 2,300 people, has seen. And asked if I got offended by it.. I was just like “Na, not at all.”, but I thought it was hilarious.. Too bad i couldn’t have been the first!
Our team’s time in Moldova is coming to an end, and I’ve had such a great time so far with my team, and all the manual labor we have been doing. (btw I never knew there was a science behind stacking wood). And I’ve been praying and thinking about what deep spiritual insight I can share with you all… and all that keeps on coming to me is RECEIVE.
Receive? Really? I came on this trip to GIVE…not RECEIVE
But that’s all that God has been showing me these past three weeks. How to RECEIVE love and hospitality and kindness. The three different host homes I stayed in, all I had one thing in common, GIVING.
In America receiving is usually abused, and that’s all we do. Get instead of give. But i’m not talking about that kind of receiving. I’m talking about the receiving of LOVE
Some of us have no problem giving, but have a hard time receiving. Receiving love from people. Maybe we feel we don’t deserve it, or we feel selfish, or we feel bad…
There are some of us who feel we can’t receive love from God. Again we might feel we don’t deserve His love, aren’t good enough, haven’t done enough, aren’t smart enough, mess up too many times…
But we need to let that go, and learn how to receive His love and not be scared of it.
Learn how to receive love from others..
I feel like God has just been showering me with His love this past month, through the Moldovan people. And at first it was hard to just sit and receive, I thought I should be doing something in exchange for this… But I am starting to see that God was showing me, a bit more, abour what grace looks like.
His grace that gives love and mercy, when we don’t deserve it. We dont’ have to do “enough” good things to be accepted. We just simply have to believe.. believe in what Jesus says and who He says He is…
” God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10
Can I encourage you to sit back, and receive God’s love today?
We don’t deserve it, but that’s what LOVE is…it “covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
That’s who God is.
The end of next week my squad flys out to Africa. I’ll be serving in Malawi for the month of November. Pray for physical and spiritual health and strength for my team and squad. And thank you for taking time to journey along with me. <3
I also have avideo to post of my host family, and my muddy trek to and from their house everyday.. But the computers in the school I’m in aren’t letting me, so I’ll post it as soon as I can.
Agenda: Love,
Bethsaida
