Perspective on Jesus

In the last couple of months, I’ve begun teaching the 5-year-old class at school. It’s been a lot of fun, especially since a few of them were in my first class two years ago and I’m constantly in amazement at how far they’ve come – in their English speaking as well as in their personality and individuality.

While teaching, I’m finding that one of my favorite subjects to do with them is Social Studies because Social Studies is apparently code for “Bible” in this curriculum. With the exception of a couple of worksheets here and there about some kind of randomness, the kids generally get to look at pictures while I read to them a Bible story. The reason that this is my favorite subject to teach them is because of the conversations that are had after the story is read. Of course, I have comprehension questions to ask the kids after the reading, but while we start off somewhere simple and logical, we generally end up somewhere completely unexpected. Like when Joseph became the second-in-command of Egypt, it wasn’t the forgiveness that Joseph showed his brothers or even the message of God using evil for good (which was the books intent) that the kids were concerned about. They were more interested in how and why Joseph’s father favored Joseph. When Abraham and Lot chose their land and went their separate ways, it was God’s creation that we spent more time talking about than God’s promised blessing. And the story of the Ten Lepers….the kids remembered my injured foot a few months back and pointed out that Jesus was the one who healed me.

Oh to think like a 5-year-old!

So last week we read about Nicodemus - the simplified version of course. But the story still mentioned sin and the kids weren’t exactly clear on what sin was, so I used time out as an illustration. And I pointed out that there was not a single perfect kid in class because everyone had been in time out at least once (at which point one of the kids asked if my mom ever put me in time out….they thought it was pretty funny that Ms. Raychel has been put in time out). And then one of them excitedly blurts out, “Jesus had no time out and helps my no time out because he loves me!”

That was the moment for me.

I love doing Bible stories with these kids because there is always a moment when I can see that God has just revealed Himself to one of these little ones in a new way, and that’s a beautiful moment.

May I be constantly reminded that He is still revealing himself to me as much as he is to these little ones. We are never too young, never too old, too bad or too good to learn more about this infinite God that we serve.

Perspective on Family

It’s been brought to my attention recently, that perspective plays a huge role in life. It dictates how we interpret interactions and how we respond. Perspective can keep us or push us into challenging situations that could make or break us. With this, there are a few topics that have been on my heart. Hopefully over the next few weeks I’ll be able to share some of them with you all.

I have been wonderfully blessed in life. It’s not exactly much of a secret that I come from a pretty dysfunctional home. There have been some messed up moments in my life. But despite the multiple divorces and marriages, the strained, codependent and unhealthy relationships, and all the baggage and accessories that come with that, I’ve come to realize that I have been highly blessed in regards to family.

I’ve realized that it’s easy for me to look at my life, the family situation that I grew up in and think, “it’s been a hard road comin’ and you have no idea the challenges that have been faced and dealt with”, but even with that, I’ve never been without at least one person who I knew loved me and wanted the best for me. I have never been left to fend for myself. I’ve never had to feel the pain of disappointing my family with my choices because I know that I not only have their wise input, but also their full support in whatever I do. It wasn’t until I moved to China that I really began to see this. And it wasn’t until encountering other individuals here in China that have had to struggle with a seeming lack of support from family and the pain that is inflicted when one is forced to walk a path different from the rest that I really saw the blessing in what I have.

Sure life overseas is hard. It’s difficult being away from the familiar. It’s lonely living away from those closest to you. And often I find myself questioning what it is that made me pack up and move my life to the other side of the world, knowing that it would mean missing life events back home with friends and family.

My answer:

         My life is not my own.

I made a choice to follow Christ. I said I would go wherever He sent me, stay as long as He told me and serve however He equips me. I won’t pretend to have any position to tell God the conditions of surrender. And that was my choice: surrender. A surrendering all that was mine to the God who has all that I want.

So here’s a big shout out and THANK YOU to all of my family back home who have not only supported my decisions, but have always been an encouragement for me to keep pressing on and a small picture to me of what it means to love well. I love you.

2013

I'm thankful for a week of beautiful sunshine and warmth during a week that I've actually been able to just sit and enjoy it. Taking time to rest and relax has been a beautiful blessing this week.

While sitting out on the balcony in the sunshine on New Year's Eve, one of my roommates asked me what happened in 2013. Suddenly, I could remember exactly where I was on December 31, 2012 and it hit me just how much has happened this year.
At the beginning of 2013 I was despairing, depressed. I had hit bottom and had no where to go but up, with no strength to do the climbing. I remember the first Sunday of the year, I walked into church having prayed a prayer that said something along the lines of, "God I need you to show me that you're here with me and that I'm not all alone." I found myself curled into a ball in the bathroom hallway with a stranger trying to soothe the tears as I was overwhelmed by God's response of love, compassion and warmth to me. That was before the sermon had even started. 
That was the beginning of 2013 for me. 
2013 was a year of experiences, revelations, victories, reminders, learning and blessing.
God didn't stop after that one service. He gave me time soak up the truth of what he had revealed to me. A month later, he started the work. He reminded me what love is, what forgiveness is, what healing is. This process went all the way through the summer, if not up to the present. Relationships have been restored and strengthened, while others have been let go with the trust that God is still working them out. Personally, I see a greater confidence in who I am in Christ, and who he created me to be. I've had a hunger awakened in me to not just know more, but to be more about Him.

If I took the time to sit a share every God moment that has happened in 2013, no one would  read this blog. There's just too much to share! And that's just of the moments that I've recognized. I know there are those that I've missed and those that have not yet been fully revealed either. 
I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but God is good. I wasn't particularly sad to see the end of 2013, but neither was there a sense of relief that comes at the end of a trial. Rather, His peace has settled my heart in the most uncertain of matters. To be certain, God has never left me alone and never once did he fail to come through in my time of need. 
2014 holds the promise of growth, His continued work and more blessings to come. I can't wait!