“Ministry is life” You hear it all the time. Its kinda cliche, but true. I have learned on a day to day basis the days I ask the Lord how to spend my days versus when I just do what I want to do its so much more fulfilling HIS way. It is so easy to get caught up in planning, and worrying about what you’re going to do next. Especially when you are in the city, and the possibilities are endless. I have recently learned how empty “adventures” are when the Lord isn’t centered around them. I have the type of personality to always look forward to the next thing, and not live in the moment. The Lord has been breaking that habit in me, and showing me what saying yes to the little things he calls me into every day looks like.
For New Years we went to the beach with our hosts, teacher Mang, Ruth, and their baby angel Shellee. We had planned to just lay on the beach, and relax float around …normal beach things. We were going about our day and next thing we know these kids are standing above us trying to sell us shells. We smile and wave. It gets awkward quick when they can’t speak English and they are just standing over us. All I wanted at that time was to lay in my little warm under the sun bubble, and not move. The Lord had different plans…he knew I needed something more than just a surface level day. He knew I needed to make memories I will remember forever. He invited me into something that I will cherish and hold close to my heart forever.
Before I could blink me, Brooke, and four kids were running in to the water. We were basket tossing the kids and they were trying to basket toss us back. We had hand stand competitions, swim races, all the fun water games. We run back on the beach playing tag, and spinning them around. More kids come, and dog pile around us. There was a little ice cream stand and we got all of the kids ice cream. Excitement was all around everyone, and happiness was overflowing. It blessed my heart that they all felt welcomed to the point where none of the kids were timid about coming and playing with us. Thats what I want to be is welcoming. I want everyone, strangers or not, to know and feel loved and encouraged to take up my time. I want to be so full of the Lords love that I can pour it out on to everyone. I am not there yet, but I pray someday I will be!! I have noticed a lot about myself being around so many people all the time. One thing I have noticed is just how selfish I am, and how I want the best for me more times than not. I know it won’t change over night, but day by day I am working towards it.
We told the kids we would be back tomorrow, and they all bubbled up. The next day came, and I was right back where I was the first day….wanting to rest…You would think I would learn ahaha.
Me and Brooke were sitting out in the ocean when they come running to us giving us no choice to back out. We play in the water for a bit, and then me and Brooke go and lay down thinking they would leave. Thank the Lord that he has so much grace for me. They don’t leave, and I ended up getting them to burry me in sand. They were pro sand barriers they knew just what to do.. they measured me out.. dug a me sized hole, and put me in there. We all took a nap together on the beach with me holding them, so the Lord gave me the rest I needed in a much more fulfilling way!! We played uno, and made sand houses. They taught me to count in Burmese. I got super duper close with this cute quiet seven year old boy, and me and Brooke went on a raft in the ocean together. Next thing I know I see my little boy swimming to us in a longi, skirts men wear in Myanmar, and we pull him in the raft. I was so adorable!!! He changed swam to us and everything just to be around us!! He looked so excited to be riding around with us. We played toss with sand rolled into a ball trying not to break it, kinda like tossing an egg. This then turned into a full on sand fight. The second day ended up being better than the first, and the love I formed for these kids in only two days is like no other. I miss them with my whole heart. The Lord knows exactly what we need and how we need it, so much more than we do. We may think we know what we need, but he invites us into so much more than surface level or mediocre. I don’t just get by when I follow what the lord has for me, I am filled up full and overflowing with peace contemned and joy even when things aren’t what I thought I wanted. Again I mess up, and get selfish and do my own thing most days, but I am learning. The Lord has so much grace, and he is always anticipating and inviting us into so much goodness.
The Lord loved me so well thought these kids, and I saw him in them tremendously. They were so hospitable, and did everything they could to love me and protect me. What ever I did to them in the water wether it be throwing them, holding their backs as they “float”, letting them swim through my legs, they would also do it back to me. They wanted me to experience the same fun they were having. When ever they were burring me in the sand they noticed the sun in my eyes and they took off their hat and perfectly placed it on my head so I didn’t have to squint. HOW SWEET IS THAT. When ever we got out of the water they would grab my towel and my clothes. Everyone at the beach wore clothes in the water and on the sand, because they wanted to keep their skin pale. The kids would put my clothes on me so I would not get burnt. They were also very protective about my watch. They did not know that it could get wet or sand on it and they made sure I knew I still had it on in the water. Whenever we were buying them ice cream we had ran out of big bills, and so we pulled out a 10,000 khat which is like $6. To them is was a fortune, and they all panicked and told us to put it away so people around didn’t see how much we had. One of the girls dropped her ice cream on accident, and was crying so I gave her mine. Right after, alllll of the kids shared their ice cream with me, and one boy bought me another one. All of that to say I was so loved through out the whole day, and I would not have gotten any of that if I had just stayed to myself like I had planned. The Lord blessed me with so much, and the kids being so generous and loving was just a cherry on top. Follow what the lord has for you. He has planned everyday to be a beautiful mystery, you just have to step into it.
