tired after hiking and riding the hottest bus ever, but I was
so thankful to lay down in a church and wait for some delicious food
to be prepared (this was the night of the hike back down the
mountain). A storm was rolling in and it was so beautiful to watch
the lightning inside of the clouds. After eating a feast, I
walked back to my room and got my stuff together to take a shower. I
was so ready to be clean and just hop into bed.
stall and go to turn on the water…..and no water!!! It had run
out…so no shower for me. Then it starts pouring and I mean pouring
rain. All of the power was out so I walked back to the house where
I was staying, and my only source of light came from the lighting
above me. I walked back ankle deep in mud.
burst into tears. I was pretty much done by that point. I
cried and fell asleep having a conversation with God. I woke up
at 4am, preparing to get on the next bus ride, and I dreaded every
minute of it.
We got on the bus, and we had assigned
seats so we thought it would not be as bad as the previous buses we
had been taking…false! This was the bus where I had people
sitting on just about every appendage that was sticking out of my
body.
Again I felt like I literally wanted
to crawl out of my skin I was so uncomfortable. So I decided to
pray……
When I did I apologized to God, what
a spoiled brat I had been. I had so much to be thankful
for, like the fact that we were protected in all of this crazy
travel, that I had a feast to eat the night before, that I saw parts
of Nepal most people don’t get to see, that I am having the adventure
of a lifetime, that a snake was in our room and we were all fine,
that I had my own room to sleep in when everyone else had to sleep on
the floor of the church, and the list goes on and on……
When I finally got my eyes off of
myself, I was now able to see the needs of others. Right
next to me was a little boy standing with his mother and crying,
because he didn’t feel good and he had to stand up on the bus for
hours. I asked if he wanted to sit down next to me. He eventually sat
on my lap because the young woman was almost sitting on top of him. I
prayed over him and you could feel his body easing into peace. He
leaned against my chest and fell asleep.
I was so broken by that moment.
God loved this little boy so much that he would mess up our
entire schedule and comfort, to make sure that his little boy had
a comfortable place to sit and rest while he didn’t feel well.
And if I had continued to be so self-centered, I would have missed an
opportunity to be Jesus to this little boy and his Hindu family.
Somehow I was so comfortable with that
little boy on my lap, (which is a miracle because it was so hot on
that bus) that I also fell asleep for quite some time. We were
woken up to the young woman crawling over us to throw up outside the
window. Joel was kind enough to give up his seat for her, so she
wouldn’t have to stand any longer and she could get some air. So
many opportunities to love that would have passed us by.
I was definitely stretched and my
flesh was put to death several times, but I learned such a great
lesson. It’s never about me! Instead of keeping my eyes on
myself, feeling self-pity, and complaining….how about asking God
what it is He is trying to do?
Isaiah 40: 27-29,31
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain,
O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God?”
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the
earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can
fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Those who hope in the Lord will
renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles,
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Thank you Jesus!
