Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Cole, Sandy and I got caught in the rain tonight! It was so fun!! The raindrops were so big and as we were running down the street to the hotel near by, I opened my arms and as I lifted my head to the sky this huge raindrop came and hit me on the forehead!! There is something about getting caught in a sudden storm that makes me soo happy :) I love being caught off guard by things that happen in nature. It seems like there have been so many thunder storms here lately. When we were in the hotel there was one point when there was a huge crash of thunder and at the same time the hotel lights flickered off and on again. Sandy was like, "I think we were just hit!" There is something about being hit by the unexpected and finding joy in it. Like earlier that night. We were all walking to dinner and the sky in front of us exploded in brilliant light and color! We all just stood there for like 15 minutes exclaiming about how beautiful it was as the Thais just walked around us not even glancing up. At one point all the colors of the rainbow were seen across the expanse of the sky and there was no rain. It was like, "God, what are You doing?"

Later that evening, we went to our apartment and spent some time in prayer and worship and reading from 1 John. It was like, ya...this is what real fellowship is like. It was real, raw and healing. We got to expose and share some of our personal struggles and where we are at with God and receive His love. One of the things we talked about is how when we grow up with feeling a lack of love, this orphan spirit is created in us that causes us to not fully trust that the love of God is enough. We spent some time in repentance and letting Jesus restore us. It was beautiful. We got to talking afterwards about how this is what real community is. It is when we can be real and exposed and there is no fear of shame or withholding of love. If the church doesn't do this, they are misrepresenting Jesus. He said He is the Light and that those who walk in the light have fellowship with Him. In the light, there is exposure and freedom.

As I think back to the events of just a few nights ago, I can't help but smile at the ways that God just loves to take me off guard with His presence. There can be a lot of darkness here. But God's voice is thundering across the nation, His tears of laughter and love and compassion are falling down, to catch us at the most unexpected moments. He is washing this land of Thailand, cleansing it. And then through a sunset, His glory is revealed. I love my God! I love the people that He has put around me right now and that I get to share life with. I love that it is in the unexpected events that take place every day that He catches me in His intense love and I get to be touched and experience His presence just like the followers of Jesus did, over 2 thousand years ago. So get ready, for the unexpected...