As humans, we find ourselves often drifting through the motions without even considering all that is passing by. Sure, we will blame it on our culture and the fast, endless reality we are trapped in, but I think there is a time at which it becomes our responsibility to swim upstream. A time when we need to slow the traffic, take a moment, and Wade in this pool the Lord has thrown us into.
I see myself rushing not only through the day, but through a lot of areas in my life. Through quality time, through relationships, and even through the Word of God. “I’ve read this before”, I always think, “I already know the lesson in here and everything that happens”. But I am wrong and the Lord is really showing me that here in Zambia.
The other day during our nightly team time, one of the oldest girls, Kelsie Skidmore, made a comment that really hit me. She added to the conversation saying that the Bible is alive and is always speaking to us in a different way. I was taken back by this for a second. Now I’m seeing the truth in it more and more and more.
Because we are constantly ministering to children, I have had to brush up alot on all of these basic Bible stories. A story never changes. I knew this. But what I didn’t know was how much of a difference and new impact they would have on my heart and my thoughts.
For example, today we spent around an hour or two at a children’s home and our team separated into four groups. Each group was responsible for teaching one of the many parables Jesus shared during his time on earth. Going into it I thought, “alright we can do the parable of the lost sheep. its like 8 verses, it’s not complicated, its to the point. It tells us that God loves us. That’s good. okay,cool”. I thought It was no big deal. Besides, It wasnt meant to be lesson for me, it was only meant to be a lesson for the kids. I’ve never been so stupid to think that. Sometimes silly T Rose forgets the vast power of our God. This time when I read Luke 15 I found that Where I had always heard God saying that He wants me and that I am important, I heard something comepletely different. I heard oceans of grace, mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, and love pouring out of this story and opening my eyes wider than ever. He had opened up a new lesson, to teach a new side of me.
You see, my pride in thinking there was nothing new to learn hindered me until I was forced to listen to Him. My pride in only spending my time on what I think is worth it caused me to miss alot of the goodness around me.
For those of you who have never been, African time works very differently. Here, making an appointment at 10 A.M. usually means “I’ll probably, maybe see you around 10:45 or 11ish”. It drives some of us crazy, but I kind of love it. It makes you stop and look around. There’s LOTS of time to waste… Or to think during. I’m learning to give God this time and I’m seeing Him work. I’m seeing the Lords ability to make the biggest impact through the smallest story or lesson. I’m seeing His ability to make something of nothing, new of the old, light in the darkness, and mountains out of ant hills.
He is powerful, He is sovereign, He is good, and He is Moving. HE ROCKS.
