Friday, May 1, 2015

Sticky Rice Days

I call days like today, "sticky rice days".  Days that are filled with thinking about Asian faces and places.  Faces and places that have found such a home in my heart that they will never depart. God in His beautiful goodness still lets me eat sticky rice and put my feet on Asian soil several times a year. My heart is not discontent, just longing....  This longing keeps my face towards the ground and prayers going upward.  In these days of walking Oklahoma soil I often feel torn, my physical feet walking among people I love and know, with opportunity for gospel and discipleship, and the feet of my heart walking through prayer among the masses of people in urban cities and rural villages of Asia.

On this "sticky rice day", God surprised me with such a gift.  I went to the trail to walk much later than usual.  There were no other walkers or runners.  I put my headphones in and had Matt Papa singing about the nations and it's all for His glory loudly rang in my ears.  I began to talk to Father about the nations, the lostness, and the need for the gospel.  My words went to Thailand, China, Japan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam....but most of the time we talked about India and much about Nepal. As I was looking down the trail, I saw what looked like a woman in an amber colored sari walking towards me.  My heart began to beat fast, secretly I thought perhaps I was seeing a vision.  Sari wearing women don't walk down the streets or the walking trails in Enid, Oklahoma!  As we got closer, it was indeed an elderly Indian woman in a beautiful amber sari.  I took my earphones out, after all why listen to songs about the nations or talk about them when you can engage them?! (something most of us should think about) I put my hands together and timidly said, "namasta" (which is the only Hindi word I know, and I'm sure I didn't say it correctly in my Okie accent)  She smiled and greeted me in return.  With my no Hindi ability and her limited English we struggled, but the struggle is always worth it when we engage the nations. We shared our names, she told me where she was staying, I told her where I lived, and she told me the state she was from in India.  There was one point when all language barriers dissolved and we spoke on a level that was heart, woman to woman, mother to mother.  She said her daughter lived here and it was so far from her.  I replied that my daughter lives there, in India,  and it is so far from me.  No words needed to be spoken, we connected as her eyes met mine and understanding flooded the space between us.

God in His bigness once again reminded me that He is able!  Able to reconcile physical feet and heart feet.  Able to bridge miles and prayers.  Able to take me to the nations or bring the nations to me.  Our responsibility is to be His gospel bearers to all nations.  Mission is the state of our heart, not something we do.

Please pray for the nations and  Go to the nations.  Never forget that millions have still never heard the name Jesus, let alone that He has come to give them salvation! A thought that is hard for many in the West to conceive, but true.  "How will they call upon Him who they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him who they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone telling them? And how will they tell them unless they are sent?  Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of the those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15

My feet and my heart will be walking soon on Asian soil, but until then, He is able!

Still learning,
Kim


Of course my new friend and I took a selfie!!