Yesterday, we were all split up to do a Prayer Walk around the city. Lyndsee and I were partners and we had a mapped out path and a destination where we would meet up with everyone in an hour and a half. So, about halfway through walking, in true Southeast Asian rainy season fashion, it beings to absolutely POUR. We got out our rain jackets and kept on our way. Eventually, we were walking on a street with water up above our ankles and we were both soaked. The locals thought we were hysterical and we kept entertaining them by pretending to swim or splashing each other in the street. It was a grand adventure and it was so much fun.
We eventually realized that we were very lost so our new plan became: find a coffee shop with wifi. We found one, I got to try some Thai Tea, Lyndsee made an awesome video from our clips playing in the rain, AND we were able to talk to our group and figure out a plan for reunification- which involved uber-ing to a restaurant we all knew for an awesome lunch. It was a completely unexpected turn of events but turned into a great day. Who knew getting lost in Southeast Asia could be so fun?
I kept thinking that this was the sort of thing that probably wasn’t supposed to be fun. When you are walking around and end up in a torrential downpour, you aren’t supposed to have the time of your life and laugh the whole time.
You aren’t supposed to be full of joy when you are completely lost with a disintegrated map in a rain storm in a foreign country where you have no language skills and have only been for two days.
But, the truth is, when you have Jesus, nothing can stop you. Not even a monsoon. You can laugh and be full of joy even when your plans get completely turned around because the Lord has a tendency to do that in our lives. We can sing His praises in the pouring rain.
He knows the things that we desire but he takes our hands and says that He has something better, something beyond what we could even imagine. Yesterday was FUN. There is really no other way to describe it. Stomping along in the rain wearing a floor length skirt entertaining the locals was not on my agenda for the day but I couldn’t have asked for a better day. When we truly surrender our lives to the Lord, not just 10 minutes, or an hour, or a day, our WHOLE LIVES, He can do incredible things. We just have to move aside and let Him.
