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| Just a random picture. She was alone inside the school. I guess Brazilian Babies dont roll around like us |
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Last Day
Today we are headed to pray over another well that was built last night. Im not sure if our team helped build this or another but we had to privileged to see it complete. Rick begins to speak about the gospel to the village and some of our group takes off towards a group of young people, with the rest of the candy we had. Today I just watched....typical. The main reason for this is to wrestle with the thought of what home looks like. Here in the Amazon, its easier to do what we are made to do, glorify God. The Holy Spirit moved throughout this trip to show us what it looks like for God to glorify himself using his people. From experience to experience, we got to witness how he is moving in each others lives, and also the villagers. From conversations to actions to thoughts. I know the minute I board that plane, Ill struggle with bringing glory to god in all that I do. Im trying to understand why. I have to break it down for myself. Its how my brain works...
So, God spoke the world into being. (Spoke. Not placed things here, moved this here, warmed up his hands into molding the world....he just spoke) God is the creator of all things and the sustainer of all things. The bible routinely points that God is sovereign. Jesus said in Matthew "are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will from your father." So if God controls all, then he knows and placed me in America. He placed me in Texas. He placed me at my job. He placed the people around me. He has me at all times, where he wants me. So that takes me to 1) thankful for the countless things he does day in and day out for me that I never acknowledge and 2) what is my part in this? How much do I control and what is my purpose? Theology is not my strong point so I will not make an effort in sounding like I know what im talking about when I dont but I will say what I do know. Everyone has a soul. Everyone. From the cashier at the store, to the waiter to my boss on over to the guy Ill sit next to at court that God will place along my path 4 years from now. This idea of living intentionally. To seek out people in every area of life that God puts in my path. Not to bring honor to myself or to praise me "cause look at me, im doing so good" (sarcasm) but to praise him. To praise Jesus that he took me, an idolater of myself, broken and consumed with sin, and restored it. So there is no praise in me because I was dead but to praise the one who restored, the one who transformed, the one who gives life and the one who continues to pursue his people relentlessly. So instead of thinking I am going to do this or I am have to do that, how about through him, he lets me be apart of what he is doing. That puts me in check. To think that I wasnt made for a purpose here other than to glorify God. To know that God could fix the world if he wanted to with a word from his mouth. He doesnt need you or me. Pretty humbling.....
In all that, I toil the whole day, nervous about leaving and really not wanting to. The team has grown together and you can sense it in everyone how much we all dont want to go home. The captain says these are safe waters so we are allowed to swim. The current is tough and ill admit, I got tired pretty fast. But we enjoyed being in the water. We were about 200 yards away from the shore and some of the kids swam over to us, against the current! Im over here wheezing like a 80 year old chain smoker and this 10 year old just killed it. Dang....
We loaded up and began to head for Manaus. Tonight, instead of being served, its tradition for the team to serve the crew so after the ladies finished making some pizza, they sat down along with the rest of them and we served them dinner and washed the dishes. We probably did it all wrong and I think they actually had to go back and fix everything which created more work than before but they always smiled.
One hour in on a 36 hour trip back......
So, God spoke the world into being. (Spoke. Not placed things here, moved this here, warmed up his hands into molding the world....he just spoke) God is the creator of all things and the sustainer of all things. The bible routinely points that God is sovereign. Jesus said in Matthew "are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will from your father." So if God controls all, then he knows and placed me in America. He placed me in Texas. He placed me at my job. He placed the people around me. He has me at all times, where he wants me. So that takes me to 1) thankful for the countless things he does day in and day out for me that I never acknowledge and 2) what is my part in this? How much do I control and what is my purpose? Theology is not my strong point so I will not make an effort in sounding like I know what im talking about when I dont but I will say what I do know. Everyone has a soul. Everyone. From the cashier at the store, to the waiter to my boss on over to the guy Ill sit next to at court that God will place along my path 4 years from now. This idea of living intentionally. To seek out people in every area of life that God puts in my path. Not to bring honor to myself or to praise me "cause look at me, im doing so good" (sarcasm) but to praise him. To praise Jesus that he took me, an idolater of myself, broken and consumed with sin, and restored it. So there is no praise in me because I was dead but to praise the one who restored, the one who transformed, the one who gives life and the one who continues to pursue his people relentlessly. So instead of thinking I am going to do this or I am have to do that, how about through him, he lets me be apart of what he is doing. That puts me in check. To think that I wasnt made for a purpose here other than to glorify God. To know that God could fix the world if he wanted to with a word from his mouth. He doesnt need you or me. Pretty humbling.....
In all that, I toil the whole day, nervous about leaving and really not wanting to. The team has grown together and you can sense it in everyone how much we all dont want to go home. The captain says these are safe waters so we are allowed to swim. The current is tough and ill admit, I got tired pretty fast. But we enjoyed being in the water. We were about 200 yards away from the shore and some of the kids swam over to us, against the current! Im over here wheezing like a 80 year old chain smoker and this 10 year old just killed it. Dang....
We loaded up and began to head for Manaus. Tonight, instead of being served, its tradition for the team to serve the crew so after the ladies finished making some pizza, they sat down along with the rest of them and we served them dinner and washed the dishes. We probably did it all wrong and I think they actually had to go back and fix everything which created more work than before but they always smiled.
One hour in on a 36 hour trip back......
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