Woven Together

This month I attended my annual conference.  The theme was woven together and we had works of art displayed around the room highlighting this theme.  At the front of the Conference room there was a big collage with almost 200 pieces that were put together throughout the week using materials from the different locations people in my org. serve in.  At first the task seemed daunting, but when everyone chipped in and did 10-20 minutes’ worth of collage making, by the 5^th day the entire piece was done.  Here it is below.

Another amazing piece was a tapestry made of cloth materials from 9 different locations.  The professional artist, Annika, started the weaving but then the rest of us were encouraged to weave during worshp times or throughout the day.  A few days in this stunning work of art was created. 

I love this piece not only because it is beautiful but I feel like it is so symbolic of the Kingdom.  We have people from numerous backgrounds/histories with passions, gifts, skills, and abilities that are as diverse as possible.  If you put it under a microscope, various parts might not look like they fit together.  However, when you pull back into the entire tapestry that is His Kingdom, you see how much we all need each other and how we were created to work together and depend upon each other.

Though none of the fabrics on the piece were created by a fabric artist to be a perfect match to material produced across the world, under the skill hand of the artist it become a master piece.  I think one of my big take away from this year’s conference is how dependent we need to be upon each other.  I might have another person’s calling, but they have principles and teachings that I can learn from to be a better servant in my own area.  Life is more beautiful with variety. 

Overwhelemed

I am once again overwhelmed by all the suffering in the world.  The longer I work to combat injustice, inequality and systemic problems the more darkness I discover.  The more I hear individual stories, the larger and more grandiose the problem becomes.  If a small business can exploit over 200 people, how many people are being exploited by multi-national corporations? It seems like every time I check the news I am inundated with stories of fresh horror I never knew existed.  The weight of the pain human beings can inflict upon each other is staggering.  Sin is literally killing us.

When I think about the scope of injustice, it threatens to consume me.  I am one person, how can I make a difference?  Will my effort have an impact when I have worked so hard and seen little visible change in an unjust system?  What about the people who have no one fighting for them?  Selah!

BUT…………………………. I serve the Creator who did not intend for the world to be so unjust.  He hates the evil we inflict upon one another and sent His son to overcome sin and death.  When he looks at the unaccompanied minor or pregnant woman fleeing their war-torn country, His heart shatters.  His heart breaks more than mine when He hears stories of abuse and exploitation.  Thought the problem is overwhelming, He is just and will correct everything in the end.  Also, the moment my heart ceases to break when I hear stories of pain means that I am bitter and no longer passionate about my work.  Even in the painful reality of the human condition, I can celebrate the ultimate victory of good over evil, life of death, justice over selfishness.

A Holy Night

I spent last night having a bonfire with a great group of friends.  After finishing our hot coco and roasting marshmallows, we began singing our favorite Christmas carols.  There was something so magical about proclaiming the truth of His birth.  It was such a powerful worship experience of all of us.  We were blessed to sing these powerful songs while seeing the starts bright in the sky (a rarity here).  It was a Christmas Eve miracle. 

This month I have been reflecting on the powerful lyrics of Oh Holy Night, particularly the third verse.

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Though injustice is all around us, love and peace are stronger.  Because of His birth love, peace and love will overcome all evil.  He came to overcome sin and its consequences.  His incarnation will break chains and will restore us to correct relationship.  He came to reconcile us to Himself.  He also allows us to be reconciled (restored to correct relationship) with each other. Though there are problems now, they will not exist forever.  He is more powerful than any divisions we can create. So powerful.

When it is easy to become overwhelmed with all the darkness, I can proclaim the truth that in His name all oppression will cease!

All Hands on Deck

While I was back in the States I heard from multiple people how much they admire my cross-culture work.  A few people said that “I could never do that.”  While I have been called to live overseas and serve a particular group of disadvantaged people, that does not mean that I am better than anyone else.  My calling looks different than yours, but that is the point! There are over 1.7 billion people on the planet. Imagine how boring life would be if everyone was the same.  He uniquely created each individual on planet earth.  We were created differently and that diversity is amazing.

He created me with a certain set of skills, abilities, and dreams which allow me to live overseas.  He has created you with unique dreams, skills, and abilities.  He calls each of us to use our gifts to influence those around us.  You have the ability to positively effect the lives of those around you.  Are you good at math or science?  Great! We need those people to help design buildings, plan cities, take care of our sick, and make sure that the budget is in line.  Those are important skills that should not be overlook because they are not as “intriguing” as living in a foreign country. 

We need people to serve where they are called, to realize that their vocation is just as important as any other.  For the Kingdom to effect reach each society we need believers purposely working in education, government, fine arts, health care, family care, church, and business.  We need dedicated people working in each of these spheres of society so we can see positive transformation.

Hopefully this is encouraging to you.  You are already in a position to impact those around you.

Mixed Emotions

While I have been in California talking with different groups of people about my cross-cultural work, I have frequently been asked how I process my experiences interacting with the women I visit.  Honestly, each time I visit with the women I feel a wide range of emotions.  I am saddened by the injustice of the situation.  I can feel angry when hearing their stories of past hurts and exploitation.  I am in awe of these women and their strength. They are able to survive in horrible situations and somehow maintain a decently positive outlook on life.  I greatly admire their strength and courage.  I respect them and their desire to provide for their families.  I am overwhelmed with the knowledge that this problem is systemic and cannot be easily fixed.  Often times I am joyful because we had a great conversation with the women.  I am thankful that I can speak truth into their lives.  I am thankful that He has provided me the opportunity to love on these women.  I am grateful for everything that I learned from them.  Most importantly, I am hopeful.  These women are loved by the Creator of the universe.  He has a plan for them and is pursuing them.  I get to be apart of their stories and long for the day when they can know Him personally. I am thankful that He loves these women much more than I do and that His is and will be faithful to them!

Second Chances

 

I was introduced to this song on Easter Sunday and have had it playing non-stop ever since.  I absolutely love the powerful words of this song that highlight the redemption of the Cross!  Because of His sacrificial death, we have restored relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth. 

I love Rend Collective's lyrics which reminds us that:
        Everything is redeemable through His blood. 
        There is always forgiveness for our mistakes when we seek Him.
        Hope restarts at the Cross.  He has victory over our circumstances.
       

The Human Condition

22 million people, 8 million cars, and immeasurable numbers of buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.  To say that this city has a traffic problem is a gross understatement.

No one is their best self when stuck in a traffic jam after a long day at work. Knowing this fact in my head has not helped my attitude.  I have found myself easily frustrated with the sheer amount of people on the road.  I have found myself judging traffic patterns, saying things like: "This would never happen in America.....if everyone would follow the rules we would move quicker......why do people always do that?"  Without meaning to I was judging a culture and people I love so much.  I was comparing my new culture to the one I grew up with, focusing on the negatives.

One day when I was riding my bike to language school and grumbling to myself about bad drivers and how no one actually stops at the lights, He gently whispered one word to me: selfishness.  Every single human being is selfish and is only looking out for their own good, myself included.  People are born selfish.  Parents do not need to teach their children how to look out for themselves, focus on their own interests.  It's the opposite.  Parents exert a tremendous amount of energy teaching their children to set aside their own interests and consider other's.

I do not even want to know the number of times a day I only consider my own interests.  He knows that number, which is way too high, and He uses my grumbling to highlight an area that I really need to grow in.  He gave me a supernatural glimpse into traffic and then called me to be less selfish. Now, anytime I see a bad traffic situation or someone running a light, I am reminded that I need to be less selfish and that my actions effect other people.  A crowded bus is a call to live out the Fruit of the S.  I always need to be showing people more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control.

A Burdened Heart

On Sunday morning we sang the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong United.  The bridge to this song has extremely powerful words:
   Heal my heart and make it clean
  Open up my eyes to the things unseen
  Show me to to love like You have love me.

  Break my heart for what breaks yours
  Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause,
  As I walk from earth into eternity.

The very next day the Lord answered the pr. I sang the previous morning.  I was spending the afternoon with a local friend.  As we were walking, she simply said "Jennifer, today I am sad....".  She left the statement hanging, like it did not really deserve to be validated or explored in more detail.  Of course I asked her why she felt that way and for the next twenty minutes she confided in me all the reasons why she was sad.  I felt so overwhelmed hearing about all of her problems and was angered by the unjust actions that have adversely affected her.

As I was in my own head trying to respond with wisdom, the lyrics above came to the forefront of my mind.  It was as if Abba was saying: "Jennifer you asked for me to open up your eyes and break your heart, so I am doing it.  This is only a fraction of the billions of things that break my heart each day.  Feel this pain, take this burden to heart.  Only after you sit with the suffering of those around you can you truly know how to love people like I love them"

I know understand His capacity to love like never before. But I am still wondering how to respond to people in situations of injustice.  I can know feel their pain, but what do I do with it?  How can I go from feeling people's burdens to loving them on a practical level?  So many questions that He will answer in His own timing. I had an experience this week with the living G-d who lovingly gave me a glimpse of His heart and will teach me how to use it for His glory.

Hallelujahs

I love music.  A well composed melody is one of my favorite things in the world.  Lately "Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice has been one of my most played songs. The song focuses on the intricate beauty of His creation.  The chorus says:
   Oh praise Him all His might works,
   There is no language where you can't be heard.
   Your song goes out to all the earth.
   Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

I remember crying the first time I heard those words.  What a powerful declaration of His nature.  He created the entire universe and yet still wants to have a relationship with us.  Every single person on this planet (regardless of ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status) is able to communicate directly with the Alpha and Omega. Circumstances cannot change the fact that each human being on this planet is loved and treasured by Him.

Language and cultural barriers don't exist in the Kingdom!  The more time I spend living overseas the more I am overjoyed by this fact.  Getting on the bus each day I hear multiple local dialects, in addition to the national language of Mandarin.  And the best part is that our loving Abba is able to communicate with His children in their heart languages, the languages people were taught as children. Though I am unable to speak proficiently with those around me He is able to touch their hearts in such an intimate way that my feable attempts no longer matter.  Hallelujah---what cause for celebration!