If you did not hear already, during our first month in Thailand one of my teammates, dani (all lowercase), had surgery due to an appendicitis. (for more info watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIxmI43inig) She has been recovering well and slowly regaining her strength (thank God). Last month in Cambodia she finally removed her final bandages from the incisions on her bellybutton. Shortly afterward we heard a shocked cry as dani expressed her bellybutton was not the same. To her dismay the surgery incision had changed her bellybutton from the one she had always known. It totally surprised her. She never considered the changes to her bellybutton the surgery would cause. It simply is not a thing one thinks about as one heads into an appendectomy. As she lamented over her loss and jokingly stated no man would ever love her it caused me to think about the hardship of change and my own feelings about the change God is wanting to bring in my life.
People told me before I left on the world race that I would come back changed. I agreed, but I wonder if I really recognize the truth of it in the midst of my journey. It ties in with expectation. I do expect to come back changed but the dani bellybutton episode is making me realize that I may be changed in ways I am not expecting and that scares me a bit. I am fine if God wants to draw me closer to Him as long as the process follows my expectation. God, however knows what is truly inside of me and He has a much bigger and better plan to get at it. The end result is going to involve change and likely in ways I am not expecting. As much as that thought scares me I am realizing that I have no ability to make the changes I need. God, the perfect surgeon, must be the one to bring about the true changes I need. My prayer is that God would make the unexpected, but necessary changes in my life this year so that I may better know and reflect Him. Thank you all for your prayers and love.
Dedicated to dani’s new bellybutton
