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Bristle Burs, Bieber, & Banter

We have been living in Phuket for two months now.  The honey moon period has ended, and while I still have moments of overwhelming gratitude for this ministry, passion has become episodic in nature.  Blogs are less frequent, and inspiration is harder to distinguish from everyday conventions.  All day everyday, we are pulling weeds and planting seeds- tasks which exhaust the body, fuel the Spirit, and humble our flesh.  Yet, there are times when the weeds seem to outnumber the seeds that God has given me.  It is in that moment- when I’ve thrown my last seed, and the bristle burs and monkey grass suffocate my ankles- it is at the end of my own resources, that God reminds me of who He is.  
            Yesterday, I forced myself to follow through on an ice cream date that Krisitina and I had planned with two of our friends from the bars.  I was exhausted and my body pleaded with my mind to excuse myself from the date, but God told me not to, so I reluctantly complied.  I prayed on the bus, “Lord, I know that You are my strength. Lord, I know that You are alive here.  Lord, I know that You are using me.  Lord, I know that You are infinite in my smallness…”  I silently pleaded that in my fatigue, He would come through in major ways, and He did.
            The language barrier could not prevent the overflow of Christ’s love as Yugi and I traded our spoons for eye patches like pirates; we drew pictures of moustaches on our fingers and spoke in funny accents.  She showed me photos of her baby boy, Tinaw, and told me about the pain of losing her brother.  Our conversation ranged from our favorite Justin Bieber songs to familial expectations and hurts.  She reminded me of the simplicity of God’s affection- that to know a person is to love them.  Rest comes from an understanding that we are known, and therefore loved.  God is sharpening our weed eaters, replenishing our seed supply, and expanding our ability to love.

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