Forgiving Thailand
Believe it or not — life takes us through seasons of up’s and down’s.
Believe it or not — God uses all things for His glory.
Believe it or not — endurance produces faith.
Thailand is a country full of new foods, cultural features, and a hot hot sun. However, God used this time for me to experience a whole new side of depending on The Lord. Some of my hardest moments I have ever faced (I boldly say) I experienced during my time in Thailand. Something that my squad mentor tolled us was that, despise the “up’s and down’s” that life takes us through, my relationship, passion, and love for my God should never be a roller coaster but rather steady or ever increasing.
My teammate also described it as sometimes life is a roller coaster it takes you on those high’s and those low’s and those flip’s and roll’s but just like how the car holds steady to the track is how I am going to choose to hold on to my God.
This was really applicable to my situation in Thailand.
Our ministry was hard. When we were exhausted, our team got to experience what living in a Godly community together can look like even in a hard situation.
THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!
We had the option to either continuously try to build up one another, practice vulnerability, and choose give healthy feedback (encouraging and constructive). We came together!
Consider it pure joy by bothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.
-James 1:2-
This is one of those clicking moments… you know when you have heard something so many times but all the sudden it becomes applicable in a whole new way.
None the less, there is a lot of stuff from Thailand that I am realizing that has affected me more than I could have ever thought. Learning how to forgive words that were spoken and actions that were done is hard to do. And the more I look back the more important it becomes. I realize that those words and actions I casually pushed under the rug actually hinder what I am capable of doing now… and who wants to live with those chains? Honestly, it is hard to understand the root of why those words and actions hurt so much. I still
have not reached the point where I can reflect on them perfectly. So please pray for me in this time of foreignness. But I know what God is doing is good.
During our worship, we sing this song, and one of the lines that we sing over and over again is
“no place I would rather be… no place I would rather be…“.
And God really showed me that literally… how cool is this… I can say with all truth and honesty, that there is no place I would rather be than right where God leads me. Isn’t that what it means to say yes to God? We choose to make God our priority, leaving behind whatever he calls us to drop. Continually saying yes to God even when it seams hard and the outcome is unknown. But knowing that God is so so good – I can say that there is truly no place I would rather be because what He does is beautiful. There is beauty in the works of our God,
MORE BEAUTY THAN WE CAN EVEN IMAGINE
and being apart of that makes me wide eyed and mystified. Don’t let the image of “walking on eggshells”
come into the picture, God will be with you wherever you are, and grace is always offered. It is not about your actions it’s about your heart. I desire to take part in the beauty of our Lord. And if this is where God has me… Than there is no place place I’d rather be!
Every thing God does is good – and I trust his hand.
Every thing God does will be completed- nothing left undone.
Every step I take – I rely on The Lord
