Lessons from the Rocking Chair

I was 18 and full of plans. I had just moved to Nicaragua to do mission work for a school year before going to college, and I was ready to embark on a crazy, busy, exhilarating journey. So when I found myself sitting in the rocking chair, I guess you can say that I was not happy. Up until that point, my experience with missions had been short-term trips, where there was a team and we were busy running around all the time going from place to place, doing dramas and giving out food. I suppose I had imagined that I would constantly be on the move now that I lived there as well. I was wrong. Now, you must understand, I did have things to do, I taught Bible lessons at a couple schools, helped in a clinic, taught English classes at the church, and many other things, I also took classes to help me learn Spanish. But, it just seemed like there was a lot of waiting. In the morning I would get ready, go to the church, get breakfast from the church's store, hang out with the store clerk for awhile, then go teach the Bible class or go to the clinic. From there, I would go to the rocking chair on the church's porch and sit and wait.

See the way it worked in Nicaragua (at least at that church), was that people would come to meet with the pastor. They could be coming for any number of reasons, they need prayer, advice, they need assistance, or any of the other reasons that people meet with pastors. The difference from how it is here, is that they would just show up (without an appointment) and sit on the porch and wait their turn for the meeting. So at times, there could be 8 or 9 people waiting to meet with the pastor. What did this have to do with me? I was waiting for the pastor too, that was who I worked with the most and so these people were not helping me fulfill my goal of having a crazy, busy, super exciting missionary life.

So there I was, in the rocking chair, sitting, waiting, impatiently might I add, I would get up, walk around, walk to the little store, walk back to my rocking chair, and repeat the whole process, I'm sure there were some loud sighs and huffs, I could not believe that I was having to wait that long! Seriously, did they not know that I had come from the States to help people, I mean I was a valuable asset, these people needed help, and I was here to bring it (please note the sarcasm)!

Finally, one day it hit me, I was there to serve the people of Nicaragua, and they have a different culture than me. The pace there was slower, people were not in a hurry, they enjoyed hanging out and talking, you know actually getting to know people, and they were content to sit and wait. Ouch. It was me that needed to change, if I really wanted to reach people, it would probably be nice for me to learn to appreciate the differences. So, I changed my attitude. From then on, when I would sit in the rocking chair, I would be interested in the people and what was going on in their lives (as opposed to the small talk that I would make before, all the while wishing they would hurry up). I would also take time to pray for them, and see if there was anything that I could do to help them.

The lessons that I learned in that rocking chair are priceless, and they have helped me in every area of my life. I learned to enjoy ordinary life, you know all the little things, the down time, and to just breathe (I do have to remind myself of this lesson every once in a while). I also learned to not take myself so seriously, I can't tell you how many times I messed up while trying to talk in Spanish, or how much I was humbled when I realized that the people I was there to help were actually helping me. I also learned to be content. Honestly, because of my time in the rocking chair, I have learned to not get bored, I rarely do, I know that each moment is a gift and an opportunity. Plus, smart girls don't get bored, right ;-) One last thing that I learned was that wherever I am, I need to be all there. So many times I get distracted by things going on around me, or thoughts of what I need to do later, but when I give 100% to whatever I am doing at the moment, I know that it will be great, it will be done with excellence and I will enjoy the process. Plus, people know when you really do care and want to be there, and when you are just rushing along to get the job done.

That rocking chair will always stand in my mind as a symbol of what I learned that year, honestly, one of the hardest years of my life, but the sweetness that has now lingered from the growth I experienced and the dreams that were planted in my life during that time are worth it.

To this day, I love rocking chairs, when I pass one by I always want to sit in it and just breathe. Life is good, it will all get done, and it just keeps getting better! So find a rocking chair, breathe, and enjoy the moment, be all there and truly experience life!

International Festival

Ahh, two words that I love: International and Festival!

Yesterday, I went to the International Festival at UNCC and it was wonderful! There were about 50 countries represented, so much fun was to be had! Each of the countries represented had booths set up where you could find out about the culture of the country, look at artwork, buy jewelry or other items that were made there, or even, buy delicious food! Yum.

Now, if you do not know this already, I LOVE TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES! When I say love, I mean it! Cultural Anthropology was my favorite class in college, and I will read books about different cultures and attempt to learn some of the language just for the fun of it. So, needless to say, I enjoyed my "walk around the world." They even had this awesome "fashion show" where people wearing clothing from each country passed through and the type of clothing and meaning behind it was explained. HOW FUN! Plus, they had traditional dances going on! YAY! I learned a lot, and of course tried some food from several countries while I was there.

I think that there is something to learn from every culture, and I love how different we all are (and alike too). Now, I am not saying that there are not things in some cultures that need to change (just like I don't think that the USA has no room for change, because we do). But, I do believe that there are concepts and ideas from every culture that are so amazing and beautiful that when we learn about them, we will be changed, we are able to see things done in a different way and learn to appreciate them.

Wanna know what excites me even more than all of this? The fact that these nations are made up of people that God loves! He loves them so much that He sent His Son for them! God has a plan for everyone, and that plan is filled with love, grace and SALVATION! That excites me! Cultures vary, methods vary, traditions vary, but God's love stays the same, and it can penetrate through the hardest of hearts and bring change! God's word is true in every country, no matter what, He will make a way!

Psalm 46:10 (NLT) says, "Be still and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."

What does this mean to me? I can rest and trust in God and His plan, because He has one! His Word is true and He will be honored by every nation, and the world will know that He is God!

Lord, use me to help bring your love, joy and salvation to all people!

I Don't Speak Your Language...

Romans 6:11 (Message)
"From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did."

I love anything that has to do with missions, culture, travel, and of course languages, so this verse really stuck out to me. You know how it is when someone is speaking a language that you do not know. They can be saying anything, a big compliment, a great warning, no matter what it is you will have a clueless look on your face, right? The person can't entice you with their words, convince you of anything, or even question your thoughts or identity.

Well, when we have Jesus, and truly tap into what He did for us by dying and paying our great debt, then we can say that about sin. "Sorry sin, I don't speak your language." When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, then we understand God, He speaks our language, we hear Him, and we hang on every word. That means that when we trust that what He says is true, and we apply it and live it, then sin gets out of the way. It doesn't come by focusing on all our issues, or sins, or problems, it comes by focusing on Jesus and drawing closer to Him. When we focus on Him, we naturally become more like Him, and that old language of sin dies.

If there are areas in your life that you want to change, I want to encourage you to stop fixing your eyes on the problem. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus, get to know Him better, your desires, habits, and life will begin to change as you focus on the One who loves you the most!

Icecream Fast...

I was sitting in the office yesterday and someone was telling a story about this man who snuck out of a monastary so that he could have some caffeine and talk to people and it made me laugh. It also reminded me of a time when I snuck to get icecream. I just want to go ahead and warn all of you out there who think I am perfect (totally joking), this story will show you a different side...

I was living in Nicaragua working with a church there as a missionary. A friend and I were staying with a family and one morning we woke up and started getting ready for the day, when breakfast time came around, the family told us that it was their church's day of prayer and fasting. Oh no! Somehow, we were not informed of this, so my missionary friend and I were quite hungry and we did not have a very good prayer and fasting attitude at all. We went to our room to attempt this fast, but soon gave up and decided we were too famished and that we would plan a prayer and fasting day at a later time (when? a day when we weren't hungry, maybe, who knows...). The problem was that we had no food in our room, and we being missionaries, didn't want to get food from the kitchen, because of course we didn't want to look bad ;) Instead we sat around talking about how hungry we were and I was wishing that I could speak Spanish, I can't remember if it was so I would have understood the fasting announcement and had a better attitude or so I would have known to stock up on snacks, but I really determined that I had to learn the language. Soon, I heard a bell ringing and the loud voice of someone screaming. "Eskimo, eskimo," I have never been so excited in my life. Eskimo is a brand of icecream and when you hear someone screaming it, it means that they are pushing their cart around the neighborhood. We were at the window in seconds, one of us opened the window and the other was digging for coins. We had to yell and try to get the man's attention because our window had bars over it, but finally he saw us and came to our window. Reaching our hands through the bars we were able to get icecream, and boy was it delicious...

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If it makes your thoughts about me any better, I have grown up, and have disciplined myself a bit more than I had when I was 18, but I have to admit, whenever I fast, there is a part of me that wants some icecream...

Risk!

For the past few weeks I have gotten up really early (early is a relative term, but for me, getting up with enough time to do more than rush around getting dressed for the day is VERY EARLY).

I have started walking on a beautiful trail by a creek near my apartment. It is lovely, I am in awe of nature and all of God's creation. I now have my favorite spots, where I stop and watch the water, listen to the sounds and breath deeply, this is peace. The other day, I had been walking for over an hour and I had enjoyed every second of the excursion, I had time to think and pray and to just be thankful for all that God has been doing in my life, and I decided that my morning walk was my new favorite thing.

Within a few minutes I saw a couple walking from the opposite direction and they stopped me, they wanted me to know that someone had just seen a HUGE copperhead snake. Those were not words that I wanted to hear, I do not even like domestic pets that much, so the thought of a crazy snake that could hurt me was not what I wanted to hear.

As I was walking away, I immediately began listing all the reasons why I was never going to walk on that trail again. It's just too risky, what if I got bit by a snake, or twisted my ankle, or worse? Isn't it interesting how it only takes a moment to completely change our minds. I had walked on that trail numerous times and never seen a snake, never worried about getting hurt, but one tidbit of unwanted news and I was going to choose to never do something that I truly enjoy because of the rare chance that something bad could maybe possibly happen.

Fourtunately, it only took a minute for me to realize how foolish I was acting. I decided that risk is just a part of life. Everything carries a risk, if something matters, then there is a risk. How sad it is, when people become too scared of something bad, a dissapointment, getting hurt, failing, that they decide to sit down and let life pass them by.

I want to be someone who stands up to the challenges, braves the danger, and lives a life of great joy, not because I never failed, but because I gave it my all and conquered the fear!

Welcome To My World! Welcome To My Blog!

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. Through blogging I hope to share a bit of my heart, to tell some corny stories, and to give out some encouraging words. The whole concept of having an introductory blog is tricky to me, trying to "introduce" myself, and pretend like I have some exciting news to share... So, instead of trying to come up with some eloquent introduction, I will simply share a little note that I wrote a long time ago, after teaching some amazing four and five year olds, and let you see how the inspiration comes to me. :)

Enjoy!

So, I was teaching a children's class yesterday at church and we talked about how God has an amazing plan for our lives. We talked about how God knew us before we were born and how He has planned great things for our lives, and we just need to follow His map (the Bible). I went around the room and pointed to each child and said, "God saw _________ and said, I have a BIG plan for their life, I love them so much!!!!" It was so cool to see the faces light up as they realized that GOD has BIG plans for their lives!

I want you to know that even if you are an adult now, that GOD has BIG plans for you too!!! It doesn't matter what you did in the past or if you think that you don't deserve it (none of us do, that is what makes it AMAZING GRACE). So, I hope your face is lighting up as you are reminded that YOU HAVE A HOPE AND A WONDERFUL FUTURE!!

GOD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!!