Are You There?

It's interesting to me how God can speak to you as you walk. My first few weeks back in Ethiopia after the holidays have been busy. The sun, the wind, the walking, the teaching...have made days and nights pass quickly as my body and mind have struggled to adjust back to life here.

What I've realized is it's easy to get lost in thought or busyness. And to also become kind of calloused to the environment around you if you're not careful.

So, God has been speaking to me on several things since I've returned. About myself. And about Himself, who He is. Who He's calling me to be. Who we can be together. He is a God of woo. He likes to woo us. To delight us. To make us chuckle. To make us whistle even in awe. I like that. And I love Him. He's full of surprises. Also of challenges. And of good discipline when its needed and rich mercy. May He continue to go with Me.  And may I keep listening and looking for Him.

The other day, I was walking to church and I'm not sure where my mind was. But I literally almost fell over what I thought was an empty sack on the street. When I almost fell, I was stunned to realize that the “sack” was actually a person sleeping. Holly- are you there? WAKE UP. Wow. How present am I really to the people around me? Do I really see? Do I really make myself available, keep myself in each moment enough, to allow God to use me to pray, or encourage, or respond in some way?

this was a person sleeping...

I then went to church where a simple gospel message was preached. This “good news” I had heard about every week almost since I was five years old. But I felt tears flood my eyes in gratitude and my heart stirred by this gospel, that a Savior had paid for my life with His. That freedom from sin and the ability to approach God without fear was made. I was moved. But I remember a time when I had grown calloused or not moved by that message. Perhaps I had heard it so much, I forgot its significance.

This only became obvious to me when I was in Haiti showing the “Jesus film” in different places. I remember sitting in crowds of people and watching them respond to the life and sacrifice and victory Jesus won, and just feeling NADA, nothing. I knew then something was up. Religion had calloused me to relationship. It can happen. As I sat in church last week, this also challenged me. Don't become calloused to me, Holly. Or to people.

Sometimes here I find myself thinking: TOUGHEN UP. Don't let that make you cry. Don't let that make you mad. You won't survive here long if you're “soft.”

But then I think of Jesus. He was “moved” and effected by His environment and the people around Him. He was calloused by the miles walked. But His heart wasn't calloused. He was fully present and affected.  Yet, His gaze was fixed. He spoke truth and was unflinching to what He was called to do and be.  He was marked by a life of service and sacrifice. All of this challenged me. And continues to challenge me.

May God keep my life in balance here. May I be tough- wise, discerning. But not calloused to people's pain or my own gaps. May I be fully present to respond to others, always humbled by the work of God in my life. May I not fall over opportunities God puts right before to serve and love.

Onward...keeping these verses in mind:

Isaiah 53:3

...He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

(but by his stripes...we are healed...)

Hebrews 3:12-14
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 12: 1-3 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

 

Matthew 9: 35-39

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

God give me courage, us courage....AMEN.

A Big Praise

Today a big praise for my Dad- Jim Garrett. Celebrating his birthday. I'm so blessed to have a Dad who serves and has always been fully present in my life- with love. Happy Birthday Dad
(January 23)!  We love you!

My dad, Jim, with my sister, Noel :-)

Prayer Requests

Continued prayers for my family as we serve God in the USA, Czech, and Africa. For provision, unity, protection.

For the “field” God has me in now, that I can be fully present and available to represent Him well.

For the students and staff of Hope University College.

For my friend Katie's final processing of adoption this week, that Ruby and family will get safely home.

Katie and her new daughter, Ruby

For grace and time to start writing a book.

For continued good health.

Blessings to each of you in this new year. Please keep me in prayer and know I'm praying for you.

Onward with You,

Holly