My life is weird.
petting a lion cub at the zoo!
I’ll just go ahead and put that out there. For the 44 of us out here on Z squad and the thousand or so other Racers who can offer an “Amen!” to that statement, we recognize that our life doesn’t look normal.
It’s beautiful. crazy. challenging. unpredictable. simple. supernatural.
But not very normal.
This month in China, my life has been pretty weird.
One day Jessica, Megan and I “taught” Kindergarten. We were the guests of honor/teachers/interpretive dance instructors? I laughed hard, danced like a fool, played London Bridge with some of the cutest kids ever, and had about 2 millions pictures taken. Oh, and I got a sweet kiss from Jesus; the chilly weather was putting me in a Christmas mood and during class we sang Jingle Bells! And we were given red and green flowers complete with tinsel. Yes please!
Some days I have had the privilege of holding and kissing and playing with some of the most beautiful special needs orphans. I got to hear them laugh hysterically and toss them in the air and tickle them until we both cried. I got to “teach” them English and read them stories and tuck them in at night. I got to whisper God’s love in their ears and prophecy life over them. I got to look into their eyes and tell them that their Creator sees them as magnificent and worthy and perfect.
One day we went to a Chinese T.V. studio. I had pretty low expectations for visiting a tiny news broadcasting room in China…good thing, because God chose to blow my expectations out of the water. We met a famous Chinese T.V. actor who wanted his picture with us. We got to tour a T.V. set in the middle of filming. We dressed up in costumes and had a photo shoot on the set. And then we went to a Chinese “zoo”. Yep. This is my real life.
Some days I worked with three American girls on their homeschooling. We had grammar lessons, mastered our 9’s times table and word problems, studied physical science (including experiments!) and practiced cursive. Inheriting 3 little sisters for the month was a surprise and a blessing! Not only did we share a room (bunk beds included) but we got to share life. I was honored immensely by the position the Lord gave me to speak into their lives and have those conversations only sisters can have.
After a busy week of work, our teams needed a break (and a dance party, obviously). Due to our busy schedules we didn’t get to celebrate Halloween on the 31st…but who says you can’t have a Halloween party on November 3rd? We dressed up, ate dinner at our favorite restaurant in the market, and sang and danced the night away at video karaoke. (Yes, Jessica and I are dressed up as men. Matt and Dusty, to be specific. We got the most stares I think.)
Every day, I get to choose. I get to choose in to what God is doing here. I get to decide if I will participate in my life or passively let the days float by. I get to choose to engage, to be joyful, to look for Jesus in every moment. I get to invest in the people around me. I get to be a conduit of heaven to earth.
“Full-time missionary” sounds like a funny way to describe my life right now, because isn’t that what we all are? My life may look a little weird these days, but there isn’t a compartment or time slot for “missions” and another for everything else.
Jesus didn’t die on a part-time cross. He doesn’t extend part-time grace.
He’s in this thing, FULL time.
So yep, my life is weird. And I love it!
Because I’m perfectly positioned to choose in and to see God move, full time.
And you know what? Wherever you find yourself today, you are too.
