Today is a reflective kind of day…
A day when I am struck by all I am blessed with…
It is a day where my home, worship, my food choices, my utensils, my govt, my family, my costs of transportation and my freedom all remind me of how blessed I am…
It is a day where I realize that even though there are aspects to each of the above areas that I could choose to complain or even cry out to God, I have been reminded about a very oppressive culture where people have chosen to trust God’s sovereignty. I spent time with some of those people in China this week and they are beautiful and gracious. They are filled with perspective and gratitude. They know the bitter taste of loss and the sweet dance which comes from surrender!
It is a day when I realize that tomorrow is Monday again and my normal routines will resume.
I will face a choice of how I will live as a result of my China trip…
I will face a choice of how tender my heart will be as a result of hearing painful stories and experiencing God in very real ways ~ in my life and the life of others.
I will face a choice of how I will live this week and how I will embrace my high points, my normal activities and my moments I wish did not exist.
I learned last week about trusting God in big ways; during intense emotion, during every day conversation and during long silences.
I learned last week about choosing hope over fear and trusting God even when I feel lost and uncertain….
I would guess that much of what I took from China can be translated into my day-to-day, if I choose to apply it. I want to live trusting God fully this week.
I invite you to join me there. In those moments when you want to choose fear, worry, sarcasm,criticism, food, alcohol (or any form of addiction) consider taking a deep breath, stoppiing the behavior you easily turn to, and trusting that God has a plan for your life and trusting that it is good!
