Nepal is an exquisite country.
The mountains are stunning, the people are friendly and charming, and, best of all, Christianity is spreading here like wildfire. There are so many reasons to be excited about this place and yet, I’ve spent the last few days frustrated and discouraged. The altitude has caused my head to ache steadily and the long, daily, dust-filled walks have forced my asthma-ridden lungs to work twice as hard as the average person’s to provide me with the oxygen I need. These ‘inconveniences’ have left me feeling tired and worn out. I believe that, as an attempt to give my body a break from the strain it has endured, I could go to bed early then sleep well past the appropriate time to rise in the morning, and still somehow feel like death warmed over. I have spent two days this week resting, relaxing, and trying to recuperate. My mind knew that this was crucial to my well-being, but my heart desperately longed to be with my squad-mates doing ministry out on the streets of Kathmandu.
There have been more than a few frustrations this month but the Lord continually and ever so gently reminds me of His goodness. Even in the midst of my bad attitude, He is patient and kind and provides me with the encouragement I need to go on. Here is one sweet example:
On our first day of ministry here in Nepal, we hiked to the highest point in Kathmandu to pray and prophecy over the city. I struggled to complete the task. I was tired, my head hurt, I was having a hard time breathing and everything in me screamed to turn back. When we finally reached our destination I could not hold back the tears any longer. I felt defeated and broken. I sat down and was ready to stew in my anger and frustration when a woman walked by with multiple large pinecones in tow. Pinecones hold a special significance for me. During a hard season in my life, God used a pinecone to remind me to hold on to the truth that He is enough. Always. I now have the image of a pinecone permanently etched onto my forearm so that I may never forget that truth, but, at the top of that mountain in Kathmandu, Nepal, my fickle mind needed a more tangible reminder. And so, my dear Father, in His unfailing goodness, placed a woman with pinecones at the top of the mountain for me.
Last month I felt the Lord calling me into deeper intimacy with Him and I vowed to make that a priority this month. Nepal may look very different than I thought it would. I may be getting a lot of one on one time with Jesus because of the rest days I’ll be taking. Or the Lord may give me a new set of lungs. Either way, I’m beginning to look forward to seeing the fruit that comes from this month. God’s plans are far, far better than mine and so instead of being frustrated, I will choose to dwell on all that I am learning.
I am learning how to be still and content in the Lord’s presence. I am learning that spending my days resting with the Lord is a beautiful thing. I am learning that interceding for my squad-mates through prayer while they are out doing ministry and I am at home, is a worthwhile job to have. I am learning that even when my body is lacking, my God is enough. He is always enough.
