Mosques and churches offer static prayers throughout the
day. Crosses made from wood or silver hang around necks of the littlest
children to the oldest elders. White shawled followers line the streets and
dusty paths leading to and from church in the early mornings. God is here.
Yet, instead of recognizing what He is doing in my
life, instead of sharing about the wonders He is doing in my heart and others’,
I write about papier-mâché, students, and checkers. While those are
parts of my life, they are not what are vitally important. All broken piñatas
will go into the burn piles. I am only a small piece of my students’ lives. The
checkerboard will fade, get ruined when left out in the rain, and the pop tops
scattered. As stated in Matthew 6:19-21, our hearts should not be set on
earthly things “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal,” but instead on heavenly things because “where your treasure is there
your heart will be also.”
I am a flawed sinner. I am not a preacher or a
perfect preacher’s daughter. I struggle with my journey with Christ daily. I’ve
taken one formal Bible class (Gospel of Luke with Karin Heller). I am not an
expert, great speaker/writer, or profound missionary. Paul and many others
remind me how far I have to go. However, I want to use this blog post, started
on one day and continued for a while, to pay respect to a force greater than
myself. To share pieces of my own walk to maybe shed a flicker of light for
others or so you know another side of me. While I recognize that readers may
hold different views, my words are not meant to attack, just to share a part of
my perspective of how God is working in many ways and through my service of
Peace Corps to teach me more about Him and change me into being better
follower.
James 5:7-18
Today, I rediscovered “A Guide to Prayer for All
God’s People,” a devotional journal by Reuben P Job and Norman Shawchuck, my
mom sent me ages ago that had been abandoned in the hecticness of summer.
Turning to the part dedicated to the fourth Sunday of Advent, the week before
Christmas, I found the reading for today was from James 5:7-18.
I don’t know when I last read James. However, in
my Bible, the one I’ve had since the Easter I rededicated my life to Christ
back in high school sometime, has different colors marking key words and
phrases. It amazes me how different words stand out to me throughout
re-readings. Today new ones stood out. After telling us twice to be patient,
James writes “10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of
suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Lord. 11As you
know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.”
Patience and perseverance are two of the tests
Peace Corps has been teaching me greatly. The sufferings of “the hardest job
you’ll ever love” (Peace Corps’ motto), are numerous. Outside of the job, not
having a church to go to easily and the language skills to have in-depth
conversations about faith with fellow followers are some of the sufferings that
have hurt and hindered me. I miss my mom’s piano and sermons where
illustrations related the message back to me. I miss worshiping through singing
with friends and adding hand motions to songs with my brothers. I miss seeing
young children light up and profess simple faith in astonishing ways. But
through all this missing, I will persevere.
2 Corinthians 12:10 is plastered above my to-do
white board in my room. It’s a reminder to “delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties” while being patient and persevering for a
calling greater than I can understand. It is on days when I’m exhausted that I
lean fully on Christ to take care of my work and me. That is why “when I am weak,
then I am strong” in any struggle.
Psalm 119
While I understand that this is the longest (or one of the
longest) psalms, sometimes one just has to dive in to the deep long stuff to
see something completely new. Here are some of the verses that stood out with
the eyes of a Peace Corps Volunteer:
-
“19I am a stranger on earth:” (v19)
-
“64The earth is filled with your
love, O LORD;” (v64)
-
“Your faithfulness continues through all
generations;” (v90)
-
“How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v103)
-
“Direct my footsteps according to your
word;” (v133)
-
“Let me live that I may praise you,” (v175)
While the first can be daunting, scary and
unnerving the second is what makes life on earth such an adventure. We are
identified as strangers, but it is through love that we build relationships.
Being here, I have felt like a stranger a myriad of times, but I no longer have
the dread I once did. Instead, I recognize that God’s love is already waiting
for me when I go new places causing the worry to melt away. The best part is,
this love isn’t going to change. We’re not going to be heartbroken. God is
faithful to all of us. I interact with people of all ages throughout the day.
It is amazing that God is the same for the youngest as for the oldest and for
all the ones who have come and will come. God has directed me to Peace Corps,
to Ethiopia, to Tigray, to Selekleka, to Hakfen Secondary School with all this
love and faithfulness. He has lead me a region enriched with white honey where
I teach comparatives and superlatives with a smile. He continues to give me His
words and the words needed throughout the day in various languages. I am living
to praise Him.
John 13:1-17
I
have always been self-conscious and disliking people touching me. When having
people wash my feet for youth group to teach kids about Jesus washing his
disciples feet, I’d always cringe slightly. Every night, I pour some water into
a bucket to wash my feet with a sponge while watching t.v. after dinner. The
clear water soon turns murky as a day’s worth of grim comes off.
Selekleka, is hot, dusty and prime for grim.
Playing volleyball just amplifies the grit between the toes. It’s easier to put
myself in Jerusalem, walking behind donkeys, over dirt paths, and through
crowds when I do that daily. I also like to think that my Chacos are glorified
sandals and Jesus (being glorified) and his disciples would wear them if this
story was set in present time. Jesus finishing the evening meal, wrapping a
towel around his waist and pouring water into a basin (vs4-5) is very similar
to me draping a towel in my lap and bending over to wash my feet.
Doing this with kids at youth group, taking off
shoes and socks, makes the story more pretty than it actually is. I side with
Simon Peter greatly and think nightly that there is no way I would ever allow
anyone, especially the Messiah, to wash my filthly feet. There is nothing
special about me to make someone else wash my feet like my landlady has her
servant do. However, Jesus convinces Simon Peter and myself as he states that
we need him to wash us completely clean if we want a future with him.
I am called teacher all over town from students
and community members; however, I am trying to live an example for others.
Jesus states it very directly “15I have set you an example that you
should do as I have done for you. 16Very truly I tell you, no
servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who
sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if
you do them.” Jesus gave us an example that we are called to follow in our way.
