“Ah, that is the RISK of faith… Faith does not grow in the house of certainty… My life inside of you will appropriate risk and uncertainty and transform you by your own choices….. Don’t forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of creation, art, your music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness. These are also the results of your choices and every choice matters, even the hidden ones.” (quote from THE SHACK) – If you have not read this book it might just change your life if you let it.
Today was no ordinary day! This was a day of uncertainty and choices, but a day that led us to a place better than we could have imagined. The day unfolded like a lotus flower when the petals peal back and reveal the yellow sunshine within. Today my eyes have been awakened to WILD LIVING – living without independence, without certainty and without my plans. God orchestrated this day as we relinquished all our time and every single moment to him on this journey just like in Matthew 10. Today we learned what it really looks like to live our lives centered in RELATIONSHIP with God, trusting and faithfully moving forward to his voice. And, in this place of stepping forward one moment at a time in the place of complete uncertainty and risk we learned that this IS THE WILD PLACE TO BE. And, I will say it again THIS WAS NO ORDINARY DAY!
This morning we (Johnny, Marissa, Stephanie, Shanda, Josh and I) sat at the breakfast table at the Mountain View Guest House in Chiang Mai, Thailand contemplating and trying to plan out our next 10 days of ministry. We were trying to figure out how many days we were going to stay in Chiang Mai, when we would go to Chaing Rai, how we would get there, if we were going to the Golden Traingle, etc… Then, Stephanie shared with us a vision God had spoken to her when she was in Thailand last year and it was of a group of 4-6 people coming to this area doing a Matthew 10 journey, living in community and doing ministry as the Lord led in prayer. So not one day would be planned out, but the group would only move forward and go when the Lord spoke. We all unanimously agreed that this was what we had been hoping for all along. We wanted to come together with absolutely NO PLAN with all the RISKS and UNCERTAINTY and allow God the freedom to move us.
As soon as we finished declaring our NON PLAN, PLAN, this kind gentleman named Vern came and approached us and began to ask us questions. We soon found out that he lives in Chaing Mai and works for YWAM where he and his wife run a ministry called EDEN HOUSE.
He asked us what our plans were and we told him that we had no plans, but we were basically waiting for the Lord to speak. He nonchalantly responded with, “well if you want a ride to Chaing Rai you can ride with me. I’m leaving at 2:00.” I think we all sat there in shock and gratitude as we listened to Vern tell us about the Eden house. Then he proposed that we come with him and a visiting pastor to visit the hill tribe villages as well as take a boat out to the center of the Golden Traingle (where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand come together). What? I gasped in my mind and looked at my teammates in awe. I kept thinking is this really happening?
Just the night before our team gathered together and prayed about our time here in Northern Thailand and I saw a picture of us as a team in the middle of the Golden Traingle (like sirens) crying out to God using our voices to lure the three nations to His presence. I didn’t even know this was a real possibility and I guess I just thought it was more metaphorical then something we would actually get to do. After he finished inviting us he got a phone call and stepped away for a minute. We all just looked at each other grinning from ear to ear as if we were all thinking the same thing. We were all praising God with our confirming expressions. We all knew that God was up to something as this was such a bizarre introduction and agreed that if he was serious we were all going to pack and jump in his truck at 2:00. Marissa went over to confirm his offer and let us know that we were now leaving in a few hours. But, Vern after talking to his wife came over to ask us if it would be okay if we stop at this pie shop on the river and eat some delicious pie. What a beaufitul question to be asked. We all looked at each other as if it was a rhetorical question. ahhh PIE… Could this get any better?
Yes it can! We are riding through the mountains with the cool air blowing on our faces gazing at the vivid green colors all around us. I really could not stop smiling. At one point joy just encompassed my being and began to pour out of me in tears. I was just amazed and in awe of the way God orchestrated our day. But, it gets better. Next, Vern stops the car as we pick up two ladies, Deborah and Connie, that were coming to visit the Eden House as well. While Audrey, his wife, is greeting them Vern comes back to inform us that we can stay for free at the ministry. He said that they had a brand new classroom that we could all stay in. What? Not only a free ride, but now a free place to stay. We were all blown away as he proceeded to tell us that he would also drive us to the supermarket to get food for breakfast. How AaaaaMazing! I just began praising God in my head and could not stop smiling. Then, I asked him how we could compensate him for all the trouble and he responded with, “well usually there is one person that is an intercessor and we just ask them to commit to praying for us.” I felt like I shouted, “I will!”
Then after about an hour and a half drive we reached Charin Gardens, or as they call it “THE PIE SHOP.” It is a beautiful garden resort with these cute bungallows and all kinds of birds. The restaurant sits on a river with a rickety bamboo bridge swinging acrossed it. Oh, and then we saw it. The case filled with every kind of pie imaginable (blueberry, apple, mulberry, pineapple cheesecake, pumpkin, chocolate, banana cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue, etc…) We were planning to eat dinner there as well, but Vern had a genius idea. His idea was to eat dessert first and then go to the best Mexican place in town. Ok, so now we get to eat pie before dinner and then eat Mexican food. Oh, if you know me you know that I love chips and salsa! After all the yummy goodness we headed to the Eden house. Now I am sitting in our A/C room with wifi typing about this whirlwind of a day. Just a moment ago I stepped outside just to breathe in the clean, fresh mountain air. Deep breaths of smiles and joyous laughter. My breath was taken away by God’s spectacular and magnificient LOVE. His embrace echoed deep within me as this collaboration of joy and peace washed over me. I will close my eyes and sleep well remembering and cherishing the moments of this “NO ORDINARY DAY.” And, I pledge from now on I am going to give up my plans, because after today I can’t go back to what is “ORDINARY.” I was created for LIFE EXTRAORDINARY!”
As Jeff Goins calls it, “I am wrecked for the ordinary!”
