RWANDA | Kanombe
I have been reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan the past
week and it has been hugely beneficial for getting my relationship with God on
track. I came from America with a love for God and his will for my life, but
when I honestly looked at how I was living it was definitely not a love that I
would have accepted from anyone. I went to church, often checking the clock
several times to see how long I had until lunch. I would have my quiet times,
sometimes, often forgetting or placing hanging out with friends, a good movie,
or sleepiness above it. Praying was a chore, and extremely uncomfortable if
having to pray out loud. Talking about God was difficult at best even in my
Christian circles of friends. It is considered cheesy to talk about your faith,
to tell people what God. Raising your hands in church was already pushing it as
far as comfort level.
But then I arrived in Africa. We showed up to our first night service, to a
cement building with a tin roof and tarps. It would have never passed the
building code for a club house let alone a church. The floors were dirt and an
assortment of chairs lined the church. They had already begun to sing. Loud,
passionately they raised their voices to God. Some looked crazy for how much
they opened their mouths just to make their songs louder. Then they began to
dance, at first an exaggerated American church sway, and then full out dancing.
It was like a dance competition right there in the middle of church. All synchronized
we joined in to the madness. Breathing heavily because of my lack of exercise
my entire life, I looked around the room and saw my team. It brings me chills
to see the joy on their faces. Tired and hungry we walked into the church, but
it didn’t matter. We each grinned from ear to ear. Normally dancing would have
caused a self-conscious move to the back to not be noticed, but that night was
different, because we weren’t dancing for our selves, we were dancing for God. It
was such a joy that just poured out of our hearts for God. It was amazing to
see a people that were so passionate about God. What’s crazy is that it was a
Wednesday night, and they have a church service every single night but Saturday
and on Sunday they have two. No one was looking at their watches, nobody cared
that the service went over by an hour; nobody wondered why three people
preached and not just one. They would sit there until Pastor said it was over,
giving all of their hearts and energy every second they were there. What a
passionate love for God.
I was later talking to some of the youth and asking them what they did all
day. They told me that they prayed and read the Bible, like I would be crazy
not to do that all day. It is a joy for them, it is their pleasure.
This month I decided to pray for that same joy and passion for the Father.
I want to wake up every morning and not be able to wait until I here the voice
of God. I want the day to never cease being continual worship and want to dance
for Jesus with everything I have because He deserves nothing less.
I challenge you also to look at your life and see if you are living in a
way that loves God in a way that would make you ashamed if He showed up right
now or if you are so passionate about Him, that you’re entire life is filled
with nothing but Him. In the book Crazy Love he asks the readers to ask
themselves in every situation “Is this what I want to be doing when Christ
Comes back?” What a great question to all those that consider themselves
believers!
