I have an announcement (a long overdue one..)
Holy cow! And I am already exhausted – exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Nothing could have prepared us for the World Race – something Amanda and I concluded within the first 48 hours of landing in India.
I want to deeply, deeply thank you for your comments on my last post. I read them all the very same night that Amanda had our chat, shared our hearts, and reached that conclusion. Your words of encouragement were exactly what my heart needed to hear that night. I seriously don't know what state I'd be in currently if it wasn't for your words.
I simply cannot do any justice to describe India to you. It's best illustrated as a texture, one that requires all five of your senses to really engage with what India is. No amount of words can relate to you the spices of the food, no story captures the stench of sewage that wafts into your nose at the most random points, no video can portray the thickness in the air you can almost feel from auto exhaust pipes.. even seeing a picture can't begin to capture the fullness of the Indian head bobble, of which I'm still trying to integrate into my daily life here. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
After countless hours on multiple planes, buses, and in airports (about 55 hours of travel), we finally settled in a city in Andhra Pradesh, 1 of India's 28 states. Our squad stayed together for a day before splitting off in different directions, most teams heading to villages. All of us are working with an organization called India Christian Ministry (ICM). Another team and mine are staying in the city working with special needs orphans with a sub ministry of ICM called Sarah's Covenant Homes (www.schindia.com). The kids here are amazing and incredibly smart. Most are physically disabled and a few have behavioral needs but they love love love like no other.
Race alumni consistently talk about different spirits or strongholds that we’ll feel and experience in different countries. Most have talked about a spirit of confusion here in India. For me, I can’t shake the stronghold of neglect that seems so blatant to my spirit. Neglect – neglect of rules and order (especially in driving), neglect of the lower caste, neglect of the orphans we’re daily loving on, neglect of the one true God and turning to 10,000+ different gods. Neglect. I see the neglect in my own heart. The evidence becomes more and more apparent to me as the days pass. Neglect for the country of India, neglect for the people of India, neglect for the orphans we’re loving, neglect for the people on my team, neglect for the people on my squad, neglect for making my ceiling their floor. Neglect.
What counteracts neglect? Wait.. no, not what counteracts but triumphs over neglect? The word that comes to mind is compassion, especially in relation to people. I've been reading in Mark lately and I can't help but notice the state of Jesus before He heals and casts out demons. His posture is always 'having compassion' or 'looking at them with compassion' before He expands their grid of understanding. Jesus was the perfect example full of compassion and is desperately teaching me about it this month. Neglect in India reveals the dark corners of my heart and in turn shows me how little compassion I have. From lack compassion springs the lack of humility, the flourishing of pride and arrogance, the war between flesh and spirit rages on.
Our squad leaders talk about how they experienced years of growth compressed into the 11 months of the Race. Oh gosh, two weeks in and I don’t think I can describe to you the depths of the things He’s walked me through. Whew, it’s exhausting to think about, but that's for another post. He is good – He is forever good – and I’d take no other place than here to praise His glorious name.
