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.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Chinese Learning
The more I study Mandarin the more I appreciate how logical the language is.
Here are a few examples:
Patriotism: 爱国 (ai guo)
爱 ai means love and 国 guo means country.
So patriotism in Chinese is literally "love country".
Significant: 重要 (zhong yao)
重 (zhong) means considerable and 要 (yao) means importance.
Classroom: 教师 (jiao shi)
教 (jiao) means instruct or teach and 师 (shi) mean room.
So the classroom is the instruction room.
Innovation: 革新 (ge xin)
革 (ge) means change or transform
新(xin) means new
受骗 (shou pian): means to be deceived or fooled
受 (shou) means suffer and 骗 (pian) means cheat or swindle
People who are deceived are suffering after being swindled.
As I learn to read and recognize more characters, I am often able to deduce the meaning from new words because I know one part of the character. Thankful for my increasing literacy level.
Here are a few examples:
Patriotism: 爱国 (ai guo)
爱 ai means love and 国 guo means country.
So patriotism in Chinese is literally "love country".
Significant: 重要 (zhong yao)
重 (zhong) means considerable and 要 (yao) means importance.
Classroom: 教师 (jiao shi)
教 (jiao) means instruct or teach and 师 (shi) mean room.
So the classroom is the instruction room.
Innovation: 革新 (ge xin)
革 (ge) means change or transform
新(xin) means new
受骗 (shou pian): means to be deceived or fooled
受 (shou) means suffer and 骗 (pian) means cheat or swindle
People who are deceived are suffering after being swindled.
As I learn to read and recognize more characters, I am often able to deduce the meaning from new words because I know one part of the character. Thankful for my increasing literacy level.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Choice
Choice....six letters that combine to make such a powerful word. More and more I am coming to realize just how important choice is to an individual, how vital it is to helping a person thrive and live with dignity.
Choice is something that I take for granted almost every day. What am I going to choose for breakfast? When do I have time in my schedule to meet up with three different people this week? Honestly, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the choices I have to make navigating life in a city of 23 million people. I fail to remember that choice is a blessing, a true blessing.
I know of some women working in situations of exploitation who do not have access to a kitchen. Their boss brings them their food for each meal and they have no input in terms of the menu items. These women also have no control of when they will be working. Their schedule can change on a whim as the boss decides.
I made a deliberate choice to move across the world to work and serve. Economic necessity forced these women to leave their hometown and seek any possible employment to keep their family financially afloat. These brave women often leave behind their small children in hopes of seeking a better life. Once they arrive to the big city they are tricked into working jobs they never expected. Any form of choice or decision making is quickly taken away.
It often seems counter intuitive that women who are offered alternative employment and a better life do not immediately jump at the opportunity. When you are not allowed to make basic choices through the day, it is a gigantic step to choose to leave your current situation and make a drastic life change. It takes time for a woman to build up the self-confidence to start making decisions about their own lives. This is a long process that takes relationships with stable influences. More importantly, it takes hours of intercession asking Him to intervene in these women's lives and change their hearts as only He can. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be His salt and light to these amazingly resilient women. I am thankful that I can be part of their healing journey. I am thankful that how I choose to spend my time ultimately helps another woman make choices for herself.
Choice is something that I take for granted almost every day. What am I going to choose for breakfast? When do I have time in my schedule to meet up with three different people this week? Honestly, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the choices I have to make navigating life in a city of 23 million people. I fail to remember that choice is a blessing, a true blessing.
I know of some women working in situations of exploitation who do not have access to a kitchen. Their boss brings them their food for each meal and they have no input in terms of the menu items. These women also have no control of when they will be working. Their schedule can change on a whim as the boss decides.
I made a deliberate choice to move across the world to work and serve. Economic necessity forced these women to leave their hometown and seek any possible employment to keep their family financially afloat. These brave women often leave behind their small children in hopes of seeking a better life. Once they arrive to the big city they are tricked into working jobs they never expected. Any form of choice or decision making is quickly taken away.
It often seems counter intuitive that women who are offered alternative employment and a better life do not immediately jump at the opportunity. When you are not allowed to make basic choices through the day, it is a gigantic step to choose to leave your current situation and make a drastic life change. It takes time for a woman to build up the self-confidence to start making decisions about their own lives. This is a long process that takes relationships with stable influences. More importantly, it takes hours of intercession asking Him to intervene in these women's lives and change their hearts as only He can. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be His salt and light to these amazingly resilient women. I am thankful that I can be part of their healing journey. I am thankful that how I choose to spend my time ultimately helps another woman make choices for herself.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Language Study
Here a some pictures of my main Mandarin textbook and notebook so that you can see what I am learning in language school. The English definitions of new words are the only English words in my book. As you can see below, I am now at the stage where I am required to read Chinese characters with no help from pinyin, or phonetic pronunciation guides.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Listening
"Be quick to listen and slow to speak."
"There is a reason you have two ears and only one mouth."
I've heard these phrases all my life and have quickly come up with a list of excuses why I do not need to work to become a better listener:
I already leave so many thoughts unsaid.
I have some useful information to contribute to this conversation.
Communication is a two way street so therefor I can say something anytime I want.
The older I get the more I realize that when I think of listening I think of not talking. I do not approach listening as truly hearing another person. Since moving into a cross-cultural context, I have realized how insufficient my definition of listening has become. When interacting with people from a different background it is not enough to simply hear the words being spoken, you must concentrate on the meaning the person is attempting to convey.
Listening is not an innate skill for me. Talking, expressing my opinion, contributing to a conversation, sharing new facts....basically talking is what comes naturally for me. While this is not always a bad thing, my natural inclination is away from listening and creating the space necessary for other people to express themselves. One of my biggest hinderances to being a good listener is my desire to jump in and identify with what the other person is saying, to let them know that they are not alone. While this is not the worst thing, desiring to identify with people actually hinders conversations by derailing the topic. It can keep the topic causal and prevent the other person from fully expressing their feelings.
Living cross-culturally, interacting with people form every walk of life imaginable, I am constantly searching for a point of overlap, seeking to find things we both have in common that can bridge the gap between our diverse experiences. But how much do I miss because I am so intent on seeking a commonality? Have I prevented the opportunity to learn from another person by speaking too quickly? Did I miss the chance to speak hope, love, peace or joy into a situation because I did not create the space in the conversation to truly find out how that person is doing? Did I completely miss what they were trying to convey?
I am on the journey to becoming a good listener. I am actively trying to speak less, work to provide people with the space to express their hearts and not offer advice before hearing the fully story. Every time I come away from an encounter feeling proud of myself for not speaking too quickly, there are give other interactions where I know I have come up short. Though I have just started down this lengthy path, I am excited about this learning process. By learning to be a better listener I am learning to become a better friend, a more attentive person and a more caring individual.
"There is a reason you have two ears and only one mouth."
I've heard these phrases all my life and have quickly come up with a list of excuses why I do not need to work to become a better listener:
I already leave so many thoughts unsaid.
I have some useful information to contribute to this conversation.
Communication is a two way street so therefor I can say something anytime I want.
The older I get the more I realize that when I think of listening I think of not talking. I do not approach listening as truly hearing another person. Since moving into a cross-cultural context, I have realized how insufficient my definition of listening has become. When interacting with people from a different background it is not enough to simply hear the words being spoken, you must concentrate on the meaning the person is attempting to convey.
Listening is not an innate skill for me. Talking, expressing my opinion, contributing to a conversation, sharing new facts....basically talking is what comes naturally for me. While this is not always a bad thing, my natural inclination is away from listening and creating the space necessary for other people to express themselves. One of my biggest hinderances to being a good listener is my desire to jump in and identify with what the other person is saying, to let them know that they are not alone. While this is not the worst thing, desiring to identify with people actually hinders conversations by derailing the topic. It can keep the topic causal and prevent the other person from fully expressing their feelings.
Living cross-culturally, interacting with people form every walk of life imaginable, I am constantly searching for a point of overlap, seeking to find things we both have in common that can bridge the gap between our diverse experiences. But how much do I miss because I am so intent on seeking a commonality? Have I prevented the opportunity to learn from another person by speaking too quickly? Did I miss the chance to speak hope, love, peace or joy into a situation because I did not create the space in the conversation to truly find out how that person is doing? Did I completely miss what they were trying to convey?
I am on the journey to becoming a good listener. I am actively trying to speak less, work to provide people with the space to express their hearts and not offer advice before hearing the fully story. Every time I come away from an encounter feeling proud of myself for not speaking too quickly, there are give other interactions where I know I have come up short. Though I have just started down this lengthy path, I am excited about this learning process. By learning to be a better listener I am learning to become a better friend, a more attentive person and a more caring individual.
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