Thru Linda’s Eyes
GUEST POST by Jeffery Chandler:
This past weekend my family and I had the pleasure of having Barbara and Brie’s friend, Linda, stay with us for four nights. Linda is a 23 year old African from the small Kenyan village of Lemuru and is now in the U.S. indefinitely. Barbara and Brie first met Linda during their 2006 mission trip to Kenya and they became fast friends. Thanks to the internet they’ve been able to stay connected. Barbara got to visit Linda again during her June 2008 trip as well. Linda’s been in Texas for about six weeks living with her sponsor family in a small town north of Fort Worth. This was her first trip to the big city of San Antonio and we were bound and determined to show her some south Texas hospitality, meaning overwhelm her with love, food, activities, and attention.
Many of the things we were able to do with her were “firsts” for Linda. She got her first taste of San Antonio Tex-Mex food (she may have had some so-called Mexican food in Fort Worth but this is the real deal in my humble opinion of course); her first ride on a boat (the Riverwalk barge cruise); and her getting her first pair of short pants! We all wondered what her dad and mom, back in Lemuru, would say to that? Linda’s sponsor family in north Texas had orientated her well on many things American prior to her visit to south Texas but we were truly blessed to take her orientation to a whole other level.
Maybe the funniest moments with Linda started with our taking her to the top of the Hemis-fair tower in downtown San Antonio on Saturday morning. She was amazed to be, in her words, “on top of the world”. She was scared to death too of course, and the high winds that day didn’t help at all. At the bottom of the tower she got to experience her first IMAX/4D movie, “Skies over Texas”. This was a funny time as she (and us too) screamed at the special effects, especially when the rattlesnake tail crosses over your feet and legs and it feels so real.
On Monday morning we took Linda to Sea World (another first) and probably the most amazing thing I witnessed was Linda’s reaction to getting to touch a real, live dolphin at the feeding pool. We saw the sheer amazement in her face and the joy she experienced by being able to be so up close and personal with one of God’s most awesome creatures. Seeing that joy on her face was a WOW moment for me as well and pretty much brought tears to my eyes.
While at Sea World Linda got her first roller coaster rides and those were very memorable (and hilarious) moments for sure. During her first coaster ride, on the Steel Eel, we saw sheer terror on Linda’s face (and we have it captured on film, thanks to Sea World’s coaster camera) as we descended that first drop. At the end of the ride she could hardly walk and there were tears in her eyes. I believe they were tears of joy at the freedom she felt in being able to be here in the USA and riding her first coaster. Brie said that Linda screamed the entire ride (of course I couldn’t hear her screams because I too was screaming).
After that we ramped up the excitement another notch and took her to her second coaster ride, this time on The Great White. That ride proved to be even more terrifying for poor Linda. The Great White is one of those coasters where you sit in a harness with your feet dangling (there’s no floor) while the ride takes you upside down a couple of times, and sideways at high speeds. Needless to say, when the ride stopped Linda couldn’t move – she was frozen in terror. We had to tell her that she needed to get off so that those people waiting could get on and if she didn’t move the attendants would make her ride it again (at that thought she got up). Again she cried but with a smile. We literally had to help her walk down the ramp to exit. The Great White had turned her world upside down, literally (and my world too, I was one extremely dizzy 56 year old dude afterwards).
You might be asking, just how did Linda get the courage to ride these exciting and scary rides? In addition to Barbara and Brie’s urging of her, Linda has a sense of adventure as evidenced by her willingness to leave her tiny village and travel thru places like Eldoret and Nairobi in Kenya, on to London, and ultimately to Texas. Even though she traveled with American friends she was alone in her ethnicity and culture. She truly believes that God has a purpose for her here in the states, and we know that to be true. So even though she may have been absolutely terrified on the Steel Eel and The Great White coasters (so was I) she carried on like a real trooper in her bravery.
I cannot fathom what Linda thinks of our culture, our foods, our fast paced lifestyles, and, relatively speaking, our big homes. Her comments about our foods usually include, “very spicy”. When she talks about our lifestyles she says, “everyone is in such a hurry”. And she is just amazed at the sizes of our homes. It must be simply mind-boggling to be in Linda’s shoes and to see the U.S. culture thru her eyes. Hopefully it’s a mind-boggling thing in a good way. I can still hear Linda say over and over in her Queen’s English accent, “I can’t believe I’m really here in San Antonio with you, it’s really happening”.
Linda tried to teach Barbara, Brie, and me some of her tribal dances. I can honestly say that Barbara and Brie got it. It was hopeless for me. Whenever I tried to match their steps and rhythm Linda would break out laughing and it was over for me. That was the gist of my tribal dancing. Oh well. I suppose it proves that old saying that one cannot teach an old dog new tricks.
I can only imagine the things that Linda is sharing with her family and friends via the internet. We pray for Linda’s safe passage into this culture and we pray for God’s plans for her to come to fruition. I’m happy to have a new friend.
Sanity is greatly overrated
Am I crazy to listen for and to God? Does He even talk and if He does talk, can I hear?
Some say listening to God is insane. I was reading from some old writings of a guy that experienced a piece of the great Welsh Revival, a hundred years ago or so. The truth pulled from these papers are easily remembered and impactful. LDOG.
- Listen to God
- Do what God tells you to do
- Only do what God tells you to do
- Give God the Glory for what you do
My bus trip across America started with listening to God. He speaks in lots of ways. For the bus trip, He spoke out of a trapped feeling I was experiencing in the circumstance of life. The trip was my way of getting away for a time to realign and get closer to God.
It seemed God was ok with my bus trip as it is usually easy to know when God is displeased with my choices. I kinda get this sick feeling in my gut that I really blew it and I need to ask forgiveness quick. As He was ok with the trip, what would God want me to do? I think being available for His plan is paramount in my obedience. I don’t know exactly what He has planned for the adventure. I do hope to be obedient as He reveals His perfected plan and will for my life.
Only do what God tells you to do refers to the Moses trap. God told him to tap the rock and he struck it instead. It is important to Listen and Do. But only Do what God tells you to do. Don’t add to it. Don’t take away from it. It is God’s show. As I travel across America and back again. I expect to hear from God. I expect to be obedient and Do. I hope to only do what God tells me to do.
As the many God Spots are lived out during the trip. I pray I will give God the glory for His handiwork. I need to continually remind myself. This is not about me. This is all about God.
I trust you will follow me on the trip at www.isrv.org . I look forward to reading your encouraging comments as we bus and blog across America!
And you call yourself a Christian…
It makes me angry! How many times have you heard this, “And you call yourself a Christian!” Paul and Barnahas got in a heated argument and “TEMPERS FLARED!” Nobody in there right mind can question the authenticity of Paul’s Christianity. Yet, he had a temper. I can imaging the “nay sayers” shouting. “And you call yourself a Christian!”
It is encouraging to me, we can be who we are in Christ and still be the person God designed us to be. Sometimes we are opinionated and sometimes tempers will flare. But we are still a child of God with every intent to be faithful and willing to die for the love of Jesus Christ.
It is miraculous how God works things out for the good of those that love Him.
“Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. But Paul wouldn’t have him; he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus; Paul chose Silas …”
Looked death in the face…
“We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas—they’ve looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ.”
It makes me wonder about the men of God and by what credibility they come to share with us “the way”. One might say, “I have been called by God”. That is pretty special in itself, but requires some interpretation and faith in the individuals ability to discern his calling. By Biblical standards the question would be, has the one called looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking pastors. My dad was one and I loved him. I just wonder how important it is for a pastor to chase a lion in a pit on a snowy day. If you were to send your pastor out as your representative, by what credibility would you send him? Would it be something like, “Listen to this man. He can bring a great dish to a potluck dinner?” Or would it be, “Listen. This man has looked death in the face for Jesus.”
I just wonder…
Fact or Fiction? God Spot or Not?
“All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously…
Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: "Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists. The angel said, "Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your coat and let’s get out of here." Peter followed him, but didn’t believe it was really an angel—he thought he was dreaming.
Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze.”
I was chatting on-line with a person yesterday who said they had lost their faith. They didn’t believe the Bible anymore and felt like that was the truth. I wonder why it is we believe what we believe?
It seems that even as Peter had an angel that encouraged him to believe in circumstances that appeared to only be a dream, we were sent the Holy Spirit so that we would believe.
The difficulty for those that don’t perceive the presence of the Holy Spirit is believing without seeing. That is called faith. In the midst of living life, our faith is challenged when God doesn’t perform to our expectations. We conclude there must not be a God.
Oddly enough, it is those same circumstances that pulled us away from God that could have drawn us closer. The missing ingredient is faith. Without faith, it is unlikely you will know the presence of the Holy Spirit. It all comes down to believing in what you don’t see such that you can see.
God is amazing!
Christians are wimps! Don’t argue. Go!
“…the Master said, Don’t argue. Go! I have picked Saul as my personal representative… And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job." archie paraphrase
What ever made you think that being a believer of “the way” meant you would not suffer? Do you think God made you and gave you eternal life so you could have the world massage your feet and feed you grapes?
Get over it. It is tough being a believer. It is even tougher to be faithful and be a believer.
God made you to bring Him glory and lay it at His feet. God made you to love Him. He has loved you from the beginning of time. It is your time to return His love by bringing Him glory in the midst of the raunchy circumstances you find yourself in. Praying to your version of the magic slot machine in the sky is not God’s idea of you gifting Him.
Bringing Him glory is praising Him for what He has done for you in sacrificing His Son on the cross. That is but a minimum. Getting past the minimum is sharing His love with others through kind acts, Words and thoughts.
When you lead a lost person to a knowledge and appreciation of God’s love, you hit a home run with God! Really! That is why you are here. You are here to share Christ with others, which places glory at God’s feet.
So get out of the batters box and do what you were designed for. Praise God. Then, show others “the way”. God bless.
Reincarnation Stinks
Realizing that you can really get burnt in life, I pondered about the possibility of believing in reincarnation. Some people really believe in the concept. Now that takes faith!
I thought maybe I’d like to come back as a butterfly. They are pretty and float on a cushion of air. They fly effortless to the beaches of Mexico and then on up to the canyons of Texas. How fun that would be until a bird swooped down and ate me.
Then, I thought about being a turtle. I would have a hard shell. There is no way a bird could eat me or would even want to try. I could live an uneventful life, minding my own business and eating lettuce. Unfortunately, I would have to cross the street and then it would happen. The mess would involve a bus…
You know. I think reincarnation stinks. I like the opportunity believers have to spend eternity in heaven, sitting at the feet of Jesus. I’ll bet Jesus appreciates God Spots. I look forward to seeing you there.
Sister sees God Spot!
My sister lives in Virginia. She is married to a wonderful man who devoted his life to law enforcement. She has been in the fire for a few years as a school teacher. She chose to stay in the fire. She could have chose to get out.
I believe it is common for believers to find themselves in the fire. The people of earth are whacked out and it is natural for circumstances to heat up and we feel pain. Keeping in mind God rules, it is the evil one or the sin found naturally in man that creates the circumstances which places believers in the fire. Does that make sense?
In a nutshell, believers represent good. Nonbelievers may want to be good, but don’t get it. This creates friction. Most of the world doesn’t believe. So, we get to feel the pain. God turns the table and uses the pain that comes naturally from living among the lost to draw us closer to Him. Pretty cool, huh?
My sister has taken the stand in school that God rules. The school can make rules, but God trumps man’s rules. Because of her stand as a believer, they wish she would retire. She has been through an incredible fire and you know what? She doesn’t even smell of smoke.
Are you in the fire? Will you choose to get out or will you choose to go through the fire? Will you smell like smoke or will you smell like the grace of God? You choose…
The Rioting Mob Went Wild!
“You had God’s Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!”
At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”
We live in a world that is seemingly whacked. It hasn’t always been that way. You’ll certainly not pull up God’s blueprint for the world and see big letters on it, “Make this one whacked!” The question for us is to ask, “What shall I do in a whacked out world?”
Stephen had the answer. It was simply: be full of the Holy Spirit and keep your eyes on God. You will hardly notice the rioting mob and be ok with the rocks that are hurled. God promises us a better place for the faithful.
Situational Ethics
Have you bought into this thing called Situational Ethics and not even know it? See if you can relate to this. Suppose your son, who you love very much does something really despicable. You confront him and he is ambivalent to your judgment on his behavior. So much so that he habitually commits the same act over and over while he lives in your house, eating your food and disrupting your life.
Situational Ethics might say, “Dump the kid. He’s no good. He will never be any good and he is a drain on every thing you are trying to do for the rest of your family. Understand? You take action for the common good of the rest of the family. Sounds admirable and likely something you may do on a regular basis in a different venue.
Now if you are a believer, there is a problem. The problem is God. He makes the rules. You decide whether to follow them. God through His Word gives us the story of the prodigal son. Dad gives son his inheritance. Son blows it all on wild women and song. Son eats pig swill and finally understands his father’s unconditional love.
No where in the story does the father say to the son, “If you don’t meet my standards, you are not my son.” A son will always be a son, regardless of whether you choose to acknowledge him as a son or not. God makes the rules. You choose whether to follow.
There is only abundance for those that love the Lord and live a life according to His good will and purpose.
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