7-11
We are NEVER awake at 5 in the morning. NEVER. Perhaps that's why we lacked the common sense to realize that feeding him our favorite Thai snacks from 7-11 was less than wise.
Sugar + 9-year-old, empty stomach = jittery at best.
It was 5 a.m. Surely there is grace for that?
At prayer time he flicked and twitched, scooted his chair loudly, broke my reverence by lovingly touching my arm and urged me to stop crying . . .
"AGH! Sugar. Empty Stomach!" I shook my head. "Lord, how do we help him see the magnitude of all this? Is it possible?"
". . . by my Spirit, says the Lord," came the whisper. (Zechariah 4:6)
Mcdonalds
"You very good teachah!" the young, Nepali man encouraged Dax as they poured over the children's book between them. Camel (my own student) laughed along. Dax and I guided their pronunciation of tough words like "through" and "bear" (Bhalu in Hindi. Yup should have remembered that one!) and they giggled at our attempts to mimic their native tongue. They shared with smiles the sad details of having to live here, alone, to find work. Ed and Ros teach them English - which raises their value at the Indian Restaurants where they're employed - and the love of Jesus.
Daxton flicked and twitched, scooted his chair too loudly, laughed with his new friends and reiterated God's love through his time and his presence. He asked them crazy, seemingly-irrelevant questions, and they all snickered together - connected by some global level of boyishness. The Spirit is vast, beyond mere "sensibility" or convention, and He is good!
The Strip
We walked the street, following Ros's lead as she called to the locals.
"Two minutes? Five minutes?" She asked in her sweet, South African cadence. They call her Mama or Madame and take their smoke breaks to read through a children's book with her.
"How much?" One taxi driver asked. His face flashed astonishment when she told him it cost nothing. In a land where Westerners come mostly to use and take, Ed and Ros shine brightly. Brittany and I sat, transfixed as she shared story after story of the Burmese, Nepalese and Thais she has ministered to: Nok - who accepted Christ just a month ago and has already led 7 or 8 others to the Lord ("That I know of," Ros laughed). The young man Dax had taught earlier - who just days ago said, "Mama, I no more Hindu. I Christian now." The ten-year-old, Garoob, who is living and working here ALONE! His mother is back in India, and he works twelve to fifteen hour days!
"I really hope Dax can meet him," she said. So. Do. I.
The Restaurant
I had to sit on the side of the bed and pray to surrender my spirit again. I don't love performing in my country - and here we were going to sing in front of people, many of whom do not even speak our language. Insecurity. Fear of seeming arrogant. Whatever it was, I gave it to Him and walked down the stairs to meet everyone else. It was during "Say Your Name" that I saw them. Just before the chorus where we break into an intense cry of the name JESUS, I locked eyes with the brilliant smile of a Muslim woman! Tears overtook me as I sang His Name - now with my whole soul and prayed she and her friend and their precious boys would hear His heart, His Spirit in His Name. I wondered if they would walk away when they realized who we were singing about, but they stayed. Rachel blasted her Celtic fiddle down the strip and the little boys danced. Zina busted out gospel tracks and shared the love of Jesus. Still they stayed. After we had all finished, Ed came to me.
"Tammi, these ladies are from Dubai. They are leaving in the morning, but wondered where they could find your music." With a humble heart I sat across the table from these two beautiful Muslim women and shared our information with them - wishing desperately I just had something to put in their hands. "It's such a blessing we heard you tonight," one of them said, "we leave for home in the morning. Your husband has such a melodic voice!" He laughed out loud (awkwardly so) when I told him she had said that. Dax held my hand as we prayed the Spirit of Christ would continue to draw them and that they might become ministers of the gospel of peace in their circles of influence.
Doc said it well tonight, "I've just learned, God doesn't usually make sense, but 'trust not in your own understanding.' " And as my boys would quote it, ". . . in ALL your ways, SEEK HIM, and HE will direct your paths." Even when you've had little sleep and too much sugar! Oh amazing, equipping and exhausting Presence of God - where will you lead tomorrow? . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment