"Drawn to redemption by the grace is in His eyes, if grace is an ocean we're all sinking."
These words kept playing back to me as I stood on the beach in Patong this week during a prayer walk. On one side of me there was Bangla Rd. On the other side was this big, majestic, untouchable ocean. The contrast was incredible to me as one represented God and other represented the mess we have made of His creation. But He still longs to wash each one of us clean and dress us in robes of righteousness. He longs for us to turn and to run to Him.
This week my prayer has been that the Lord would show me my brokenness so that I would be compelled in every word and action simply by the love and grace of Christ that was overflowing from me. It was a beautiful change. Knowing this hope that compels us is what gives us the boldness to go out and speak Truth.
The spirit has been alive and moving this week in our group. I don't know any better way to condense it than through my own personal highlight reel:
- The Lord told me to go sit down by this old woman selling flowers this week. When I sat down I saw she was crying and although she spoke only Thai, when I asked if I could pray for her, her face lit up and that beautiful toothless smile told me God had used me to offer her comfort because He hurt for his daughter
- Our friend Ning came over to our house this week and the time was incredible. She told us her whole life story and cried with us and it was almost funny because she kept saying she had no clue why she would tell us all of this stuff but I couldn't help but be amused because Jesus is sneaky that way and has us do things we just don't understand. She normally is wild and full of smiles so her vulnerability was just a blessing to us that we got to see that side of her and tell her how God is the Father that won't cheat, the friend that wants to cry with us, and He is the lover that won't leave or won't buy us except by His blood.
- There were several people last night that we felt compelled to pray for. The cowboy man that does tricks on Bangla Rd. was one of them and when we prayed for him, he said he felt our energy enter him. Crazy cool because we told him it wasn't us but the spirit that he felt. I was blown away that the power of the spirit was physically felt by someone who didn't even believe.
- Our group got to have some conversations with some atheist Australians last night that were married and still trying to buy us drinks. That was one of the darkest things for us because they were so full of bitterness and so full of animosity towards their wives and kids who they would gladly complain about to strangers in a bar. They wanted nothing to do with Jesus which is miserable because grace is the only thing they need, both for their eternal lives and for their current failing relationships.
- Always a highlight is stopping to see our friends throughout the evening. Tomorrow we’re combining time with them with time with ice cream. I don’t think life gets much better.
One thing to note- really missed the 4th of July this week. Not even kidding or making America jokes right now. I kept thinking of all of the celebrations I was missing out on and the people that I missed ( I know, it’s weird that I was homesick because I like to act independent all the time so shh, don’t tell anyone.) But I read over the letters my beautiful friends gave me before I left and felt so blessed that I will have such an incredible community to come home to but for now God has chosen to use me to celebrate true and lasting independence with these Thai women in the bars. Talk about a humbling end to a pity party when God blows fireworks out of the water by proving His awesome power. Can’t lie, I still missed a good barbeque though. All you people at home, eat something that doesn’t involve rice for me! Love you all
