“Many people have heard about Jesus on that spot.”
This is what our host, Natalia, told us as she welcomed us into her home for the first time. She was referring to a 3ft tall nearly 6 ft long ceramic “couch” in her kitchen connected to a wood burning stove and covered by beautiful bright colored afghans; that we later learned were made by her and her mother. It was warm. It was colorful. It was cozy. It was exactly where I wanted to spend every moment possible during my time in Atbasar. I said on more that one occasion that it was my favorite place in Kazakhstan. (It helped that when we walked in for the first time there were 3 week old kittens in a box on top keeping warm from the oven.) *Photos at the end*
I spent as much time on that couch as possible; coming early to meals, popping in on my sabbath to lay and journal on the warm stove with a cup of tea. I asked myself, why am I so drawn to this place? What makes it so special? He reminded me that it was a place of comfort, worship, laughter, to make new friends. And then the Lord reminded me of other similar places that I have been equally as drawn to.
My parents bed in the house we grew up in. The only place I wanted to be when I was sick. A place we all piled in to watch TV in the mornings bringing us so much closer together than the living room.
The kitchen at 808 Drane Place where I have cried, laughed, been loved on, had hard conversations and said even harder “see you laters”. Somehow the whole neighborhood seems to congregate there no matter how many other more comfy, more vacant rooms may be available.
Two front porch rocking chairs where I met with a friend cuddled under quilts to discuss the word and big questions. Like wether God still performs miracles and how to share the Gospel with someone you love but has seen you at your worst.
The lake! Where I would spend every moment possible. Laughing, eating, catching up, detached from phones and the “real world” with family and friends who become like family.
In Marrakech it was a bread shop where we taught english twice a week.
In Beirut it was Thanksgiving around a table with too many nationalities to count.
In Yerevan it was around a coffee table turned dining room table praying over women we hadn’t even met yet.
These a sacred places. They are places where I have lived life with people I love. We have laughed, cried, worshiped… Jesus shows up in those places, that is what makes them sacred, but they are everywhere! I want to create them. Invite people into them. I am so thankful for each and every one of them. I never want to stop being amazed by them.
