Beams of Glory

I have come realize that I am overwhelmed with blessings everyday here at La Senda. John Piper and C.S. Lewis helped me to understand these blessings more clearly tonight. Although this is long, listen to what they have to say.

C.S. Lewis writes:

"I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.

Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, ninety-odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences."

Piper concludes:

"The sunbeams of blessing in our lives are bright in and of themselves. They also give light to the ground where we walk. But there is a higher purpose for these blessings. God means for us to do more than stand outside them and admire them for what they are. Even more, he means for us to walk into them and see the sun from which they come. If the beams are beautiful, the sun is even more beautiful. God's aim is not that we merely admire his gifts, but even more, his glory."

Wow. This was convicting and eye-opening for me. So many times, when I actually recognize a gift from God, I simply thank him and enjoy the gift. Oh, how I am missing the point!

Here in Guatemala, I wake up every morning to the beauty of the sun over the mountains. I get to see Steven's smiling face everyday. Marili tells me many times a week, "Te quiero mucho" (I love you so much). Dave and I get to teach eight kids about the Bible everyday in devotions. I get to cook dinner for five kids about twice a month. I pray with my first hour class every morning. And these are only a few!

More than these, I get to see and experience everyday first-hand the command from James "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." Twenty-one abused, nelgected and abandoned children are cared for, loved and most importantly taught about Jesus and I get to know them and know the people God has chosen to care for them!

I could easily choose to stand on the outside and only see these blessings. But, that is not what God has intended. He wants me to stand in the beam, look back to its source, and say, "God you are so great and worthy of all glory and honor! You are even greater than all of these things!"

Midpoint

We're right about at the midpoint of our time in Guatemala. It brings a mix emotions--even contradictory emotions. I can't believe it's already been two months. It sounds so much longer than it has felt. At the same time, I can't believe we have two more months until we get to see family and friends. Our moments of homesickness are coming much more often. In a random moment, I'll be struck with some little experience I can't wait for, like Fall. How stupid is that? I'm very much a Summer person. I've always complained about Winter, and I secretly want to punch people that say, "But aren't you glad you get to experience the seasons?" We've been here since February; we haven't even missed a Fall! But for some reason I can't wait.

Last week was Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Spring Break, and it was a nice halfway point. It was good to simply have a break, and my parents were also here. We spent a couple days in La Antigua, and a couple days here. It was so good to be with them. We had a blast showing them around and sharing some of our experiences with them (like riding in a chicken bus). It was great, too, to see them with the kids. They are fantastic parents, and it was fun to see them interact with the kids. It made me so thankful for them. I had almost forgotten how lucky I am to have such great parents. You would think that would be hard to do while helping in an orphanage, but such a man am I.

After my parents left, I had some time to reflect and look forward. We're so thankful for our first two months' worth of experience. We've been able to do things I've never imagined. For instance, I never thought I'd be able to read Jungle Book to a Guatemalan six-year-old taking a bath. I never thought I'd pray on a dark, quiet cliff while looking at a well lit city two miles in the distance on a nearby mountain. I never thought I would ride three-to-a-seat on a school bus again...with two grown Guatemalan men. I look back and think about how rich our experiences have been, and it makes me anxious for the next two months. We're refreshed and renewed.

Grande es tu Fidelidad

There is something about singing to God in another language that is amazing. I have been thinking about this for a while but couldn't completely understand how I was feeling. We have been to a Spanish and English speaking church as well as a Spanish speaking church during our time here. We have spent most of our time in the Spanish speaking church.

Most Sunday's I can follow along with most of the songs and comprehend some of what I am singing. During the preaching I can usually follow along for the first five minutes and then my brain is so overloaded that my attention goes somewhere else. I was anxious to be a part of the Easter service and worship in another culture on such an important day in the life of Christians. Luckily for me, there was only singing this Sunday, so I understood a lot more of what was happening!

Great is Thy Faithfulness is one of my all time favorite worship songs. I will never forget hearing Luke (my brother-in-law for those of you who don't know him) sing it at Dave's and my wedding. It was an amazing worship experience. If you didn't hear it, you truly missed out. This morning I had the privilege of singing this song and worshipping our great God in Spanish. As I was singing "Grande es tu Fidelidad" I realized why it was so amazing to be able to worship God in another language. There are so many times in prayer or in song that I feel I just don't have the words. That what I am saying just doesn't portray how I really feel. Worshipping God in Spanish gives me more words to worship Him. I can worship Him with new words. It was such a great worship experience and I am so thankful that God has given me new words to worship Him with!