Saturday, May 20, 2006
People
I realized something just now and it was so important that I needed to share it with you. Life is not about the experiences, the adventures, the cool stories, the fun times, it's about the people. The people you meet, you spend time with, you share parts of life with. Life is about the individual people that comprise each moment of your existence. You see, I'm in this beautiful country doing all kinds of amazing things. I've been to unbelievable places and done so much I can hardly write it all down. But ya know, it's not the places I'll remember most or the bad things that happened. It's the people that I'll carry home in my heart. Last night I fixed dinner for my girl flatmates and it was so wonderful all of us hanging out and getting to sit and talk. I enjoy them so much. Just before dinner I was talking to Gloria and she brought up the point that she had prayed before she came to New Zealand (she's from Malaysia) that God would give her Christian roommates. The will of God is so very gracious to me, because He provided me with the most wonderful flatmates I could have asked for. Each carries their own personality, and I love just being with the girls. I truly love sharing in their lives and a piece of me will stay here when I leave in just a short time. Maybe you figured life out far before I did, maybe you realized it's not about what people know about us, maybe you knew that the greatest joy on earth is sharing in another's life, but you see, I've just realized it. I'm sure subconsiouscly I've known it, to some degree at least, but ya'll, it's just amazing being with people. The things that I hold most dear from being here are the conversations that I've had with people, the moments I've seen them light up because something they're talking about energizes them, when a broken smile turns whole, and when I get to sit at a dinner table and just share life with girls that I will treasure forever.
Thought to ponder for the night: (This is when Abraham went to Gerar when Abimelech was king. Abraham has once again told men Sarah is his sister, only) "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her" (Genesis 20:3-6).
Thought to ponder for the night: (This is when Abraham went to Gerar when Abimelech was king. Abraham has once again told men Sarah is his sister, only) "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her" (Genesis 20:3-6).
