I’m sitting here trying to figure out how to wrap up this past month in one blog. It ain’t gonna happen folks. There’s just no way I can express to ya’ll everything I’ve seen, been a part of and witnessed over the last four weeks. Not mention my own growth in the Lord.
The first thing that comes to my mind is the fact God is showing me that only thru a broken heart can I truly learn to love. It’s a long story, and probably better saved for another blog, but needless to say I’ve been praying for God to take this burden from me. I’m ready to give it over to Him – it’s just not happening. So one day while praying and asking God why, he finally spoke this to my heart, “Only when you’re broken can you truly love.” Wow! So what’s the deal, do I have to be heartbroken before I can love like Christ? The more I thought about it, the more the answer was yes. And this is why, because I truly love random people, and folks I ain’t the kinda guy that even likes random people. But that has become the case on this trip. I have fallen in love with our Thai contacts, Rapee and her husband Pastor Panya. They are incredible, loving, people that have given their lives for Christ. Both truly reflect His love for others. Rapee speaks decent English, pastor not so good, yet I feel like I connect with them. It’s crazy, because we have nothing in common – except Christ! And that’s all we need. I’ve also found my heart breaking for the broken hearted I’ve encountered. Folks you gotta realize a lot people in this part of the world are sick, stuck in the bondage of drugs, alcohol, whatever, some are persecuted, most are just without hope. So I’ve been in a lot of situations where people need encouragement and prayer, and I mean real, from the heart, prayerful encouragement. It’s a gift I’m discovering God has given me thru my own pain. My hurting heart finds a way to lift up theirs.
So I guess when your heart is broken it’s easier for the love that’s inside to spill out to others. Maybe it’s when you’re truly broken you are most like Christ. Didn’t his heart break for all the things He saw? Come to think of it, didn’t his heart break for you and me and all of us sinners? I don’t have the answers, I don’t know. But for me this is how I’m learning Christ-like love and that’s from a broken and hurt heart.
Now, what encourages me the most thru all this is the fact my heavenly Father wants a relationship with me and that means He speaks, I listen, not just I pray and do all the talking. Thanks to Ray, our American contact, I’ve found someone who can really help me with this. It ain’t easy, but for the first time in my life I feel like God is clueing me in to His plan for my life. And that’s brought me a lot of comfort.
That brings me to Ray. Here’s a guy who’s 34, married, with a four year old daughter and he has given up the life in America and brought his family to live in Thailand so he can help Rapee and Pastor full-time. I love this guy. We’re kindred spirits. We got the same kind of wild and crazy background. And his passion for Christ and the Karen (pronounced Corinne) people is unbelievable. There is no doubt one of the reasons God put me here was to meet Ray. No question! I’ve grown so much because of him.
Alright that’s it for now. Part two will be soon to follow!
Ray getting ready to jam out!
Ray, myself and Scott after I was baptized.
Rapee is the third one from the left on the front row and her husband, Pastor Panya is one person over on the right. Great folks!
