I’ve learned some things in the last few days and I just have to share.  I have to!  In the interest of not making this an epic post I’ll break it down into three parts so no one falls asleep in the middle.  I think I’ll start with the most important one on the off chance I don’t make it back to tell the other 2.

I got a call from a friend at work today.  She’s a woman I’ve never met in person but I’ve talked to a lot over the years.  She’s a lovely person despite being from New York  and she has a beautiful Jamaican accent.  We were discussing an e-mail we received from a mutual friend asking that we pray for this woman whose daughter is having a serious health issue.  In the e-mail it’s mentioned that the lady is “mad at God” because the situation with her daughter hasn’t gotten better and she’s at her wit’s end.  Understandably so.  She asked what I thought of the woman’s remark about being mad at God.  I told her I could imagine that and that surely even God would understand the anger. 

The e-mail lady’s remark grieved her tremendously.  She was perplexed and even saddened at how someone could be mad at God.  Then she started talking to me about focus.  She reminded me of when Peter walked on water with Jesus.  He was doing fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus.  She said it seems that we, like this lady, so much of the time lose focus.  She’s focusing on the problem with her daughter and getting mad at God when she needs to focus on Jesus.  I don’t mean that to sound trite.  It’s like telling someone, “Oh, just have faith.”  I’m not in that situation (thankfully) so I can’t speak to her specific feelings.  However I know what it’s like to be in an impossible place and think God isn’t anywhere near.  Of course over time I realized he was right there in the middle of it waiting for me to focus.  Will that make the problem go away?  Maybe not.  But it’s certainly peaceful knowing that he’s right there and being aware that his answer is going to be better than anything imaginable.    

So how did this apply to me?  (Seriously, I’m trying not to make this epic).  On my way to work the last day or so I’ve been talking to God and I spent a great deal of time griping.  There’s this problem and that problem.  I even went so far as to ask why he doesn’t ever do anything for me (yeah, I know…I was waiting for the lightning bolt).  When I spoke to my friend today and she said all of these words it all came whooshing back at me.  I had lost focus.

Also, we discussed speaking things into being.  I know that sounds magical and seems as though it should be followed by an incantation of sorts.  But you know, when we speak things our ears hear what our mouths say and we’re sort of planting seeds of whatever it is we’re speaking.  So by me griping I’m reinforcing everything that’s bad by convincing myself, out loud, that it is indeed bad.  So on my way home today I was talking about all the stuff I was griping about earlier.  I was sort of rattling off a list of various things as they should be as opposed to how I was perceiving them.  It’s amazing how once you stop griping about something it seems to be less distressing.   Hmm.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Be God’s. 

This past Sunday at church we had a visitor.  He was a worship leader from a church in Russia.  I'm not sure of the purpose of his visit but he did us the honor of leading in one song.  Being Russian and having some difficulty with English, he chose to perform the song in, well, Russian.  It was a nice, lively, song and the lyrics were put up on the screen in English.  They were typical praise song lyrics with lots of great things to say about Jesus and what he's done. 

While I'm listening and following along I'm thinking about God (rightfully so).  I'm listening to words and I have no idea what is being said (assuming I didn't look at the screen).  It made me think how here's someone who is using words that I don't understand and is singing praise to the same God to whom I sing.  Ok, work with me here.  I realize that was obvious.  I think sometimes in our American, Christian, Jesus-white-like-me, society we don't think of other people (other people meaning other cultures, races, tribes) as acknowledging God like we do.  I think we perceive people in other places who are different than us as being lesser people or maybe uneducated or undereducated.  In some cases they may be.  But God sees no such thing.  And they worship that God that sees no such thing. 

We have our perception of God.  We have our perception of how he is, how to worship, and even how he looks at us.  These people, even though they don't speak the same language as we do and even without big church buildings, and without screens to put lyrics on, and some wearing only loin cloths, have their perception of how God is too.  I'm sure that, like us, they see God as being like them. 

Think about this.  They look up at the same stars as we do each night.  They see the same sun, moon, and sky.  We grasp that and maybe even find it a little awesome that someone in Australia or Uzbekistan is looking at the same set of planets as we do.  It's kind of a cool thought.  Now imagine that the Jesus that saved you, told you parables, walked the earth, called you by name, died and rose for you is the very same Jesus that they're interacting with.  Same guy, different place. 

Now when I see the pictures that our missionaries bring back from far-away places I'll see people, singing, and praying to the same God that hangs out in America.  And I'm just like them.  People that God loves as much as he loves me.  And you!

Seien Sie Gottes!  Tanrı'nın!  Sea Dios!  Be God's!

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

I’m at work now and doing the duty for which I am paid.  However I am slowly edging into I-don’t-care mode.  You see, by this time tomorrow I’ll be making my way onto an island.  Galveston Island to be exact.   Yes, the family of Marsillius will become islanders for the weekend.  I can hardly wait. 

You might remember that we made this trip last year exactly one month before Ike ripped through and did a replay of The Great Storm of 1900.  All reports say that things are almost back to normal and to come on down and join the fray.  We’re going to see for ourselves.  I’ll be curious to see what’s different and what’s no more.  I think it might be a little sad to see it all beat up.  But we’re going to stimulate their economy in an effort to help them dig out and become an even better Galveston.  Woot!

Also, in even more mundane trip information, we are staying at a new place.  At the recommendation of a fellow Xangan (and a delightful and humorous one I might add ), we will be residing at Casa Del Mar.  While last year’s stay at foo-foo Hotel Galvez was fun (and pricey!), we now know what makes the most sense.  See, the spouse will be golfing.  Lots and lots of golf.  The daughter and I will be sitting on the beach.  This means we can get up and have breakfast in our handy-dandy kitchenette then walk across the street and sit on the beach.  Then at lunchtime we can go back and have lunch in our HDK then walk back across the street and sit on the beach.  THEN….ok, you get the idea.  This will limit the eating out to maybe a couple of times at dinner and that’s it.  We don’t want to spend all of the money on eating.  There has to be some left to purchase t-shirts and trinkets made from shells, right? 

That’s about the size of it.  If you need me I’ll be on the beach. 

Off I go now to do some more work….and care even less than I did a few minutes ago.  

Be God’s!  He really likes you a lot!