So we have arrived in a tiny tiny village in the region of Si Saket, Thailand. So tiny that I don’t even know the name of it. We live with a couple who we call “mom” and “dad”. They don t speak a lick of English, but luckily we have a translator named Katie. She is from Alaska. They are about the only 3 Christians living in this village and we get to be a part of them sharing the gospel. It’s so weird how we literally don’t do ANYTHING except be present and it builds bridges for the Kingdom. Just by our presence we have been a huge encouragement to mom and dad… we attract so much attention that everyone wants to be around us, and dad feels confident around his friends because he has foreigners who support his crazy way of life. This is what our days look like: We play with kids all day, teach English, we go to soccer tournaments, compete in stilt walking contests, attempt to make balloon animals, eat shaved ice, attend rocket festivals, eat authentic Thai food for every meal (mom cooks every meal outside for us… SO good!), dad speaks to us in Thai all day long… as if we can understand, we take naps under the hut that dad made and eat our meals there as well. Yesterday mom taught us how to make coconut sticky rice with bananas- this
is me shaving the coconuts.
Because it’s so dang hot during the day we have had a lot of down time- time alone… to read, rest, spend time with God and
This is what I’ve concluded. . .
I don’t know if I love God.
Do I count it a privilege to spend time with Him?
There’s a question posed in Francis Chan’ book, Crazy Love, the question is this:
***The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this; If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?***
I don’t know how many people, if we were being honest with ourselves, could actually answer NO. I mean the first time I read this I got really convicted and then when I thought about it more I was like that’s not a fair question. . . why would I need Christ if I had everything else… all the things He was offering me?
But when I thought about it yet again I asked myself this, What is it about Christ that would make me answer no? Why am I okay to live without Him?
I still don’t have answers to these questions. But maybe it has something to do with knowing God. Upon furtherthought I came up with the analogy of an old couple who had been married for 60 years- let’s say that one of the spouses die, leaving the other one devastated that they either a) die shortly after… or b) want to die so they can be with their honey. Maybe, just maybe, that’ s what it’s like. Maybe I know and love Christ THAT much that to be separated from Him would be my death and I would say a resounding HELL NO to that question. I don’t know.
And with the old couple, you could probably give the spouse that is still living anything on earth… wealth, grandchildren, health, all the beauty of the Earth… yet it would never satisfy. All they want is to be with their sweetie.
There is a prayer at the end of one of the chapters in Crazy Love… I love it.
Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love You and walk with You on my own. I can’t do it, and I need You. I need You deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it, that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want You. And when I don’t, I want to want You. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have Your way with me.
I think the pleasure in knowing God is worth something. Surrendering- even if it means having nothing… only having Jesus, the kingdom of heaven, is worth it.
Team Malachi made this video the first week of the race-
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like. . .
