As I had my hand submerged in the toilet...

Since moving into my house, I have done some things I don’t generally do.  Or at least things I don’t generally do successfully.  Some of these activities include:

Hooking up my television to the cable.  When my efforts on this endeavor proved to be successful, I could barely believe it.  How in the world did I manage to make this work?!  These are the things I usually have Dad or some other more “technologically equipped” person do.  Last time I tried to do something like this (which was hooking my computer up to my printer), it took about 4 months to get the thing working… and I didn’t even do it, I ended up having a friend fix what I had done.

Fixing the toilet when it broke.  Yes, I have been here for just over three days, and the toilet is already acting up.  These are the things I generally have the big sis or the invincible Mom do.  First of all, it’s gross.  Secondly, if you read the previous paragraph, you know there’s a good chance I’ll mess up something like this more than it already is.  BUT, I pulled off the lid to the top compartment, saw the chain being all unattached, and knew I had to take matters into my own hands.  I reached into the not-quite-clean-looking water, and successfully fixed the toilet, which is now flushing again.

Being especially homemaker-ish.  In these past three days, I have cooked and baked copious amounts of food, because of said cooking- have done lots of dishes, done the laundry, sanitized the kitchen, moved in my stuff and organized it all. These are the things I do on occasion, but not on the high frequency schedule like the past few days. 

As I had my hand submerged in the toilet tonight, I realized that God has equipped me with the skills and “courage” (hey, for me, sticking my hand in the toilet requires courage) I need to be living on my own.  I love how God provides even the smallest needs.

And then I was reminded of this past summer.  I was invited to co-lead a mission trip to Costa Rica.  Now if you know me, you know this is outside of my comfort zone.  I had only been camping once before (and not all that successfully), I had never been on a mission trip longer than about a week, and I tend to be a “homebody.”   But I said “yes” and had the most amazing summer of my life.   And God was faithful to equip me this summer. 

I could not imagine spending my summer any other way than in Costa Rica.  I learned so much about myself, about my God, and about life in general.  “Comfort” to me before this trip was having 13 kinds of yogurt to choose from in the fridge, a bathroom all to myself with 6 different kinds of perfume, a car at my fingertips at all times, and a comfy mattress with University of Washington sheets.  There were times during this summer that I missed these items, but I was never in need.  I had plenty of food, bathrooms that served the needs I had, shoes to walk in or buses to ride, and a cot and sleeping bag to rest in. 

When God leads me to any situation, good or bad, He always equips me.  Even when I think there’s no possible way I can get through it, I do.

Wherever it is that you go, God will go with you and provide you with all you need.  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So wherever God is calling you or leading, fear not.  He is there with you and will never forsake you, even if you’re fixing a toilet.

You would do this

Seeing as it’s about time for student teaching and classes to start up, I made my way down to Salem yesterday to move into the house we are renting.  All I could think about on my drive down was this cute yellow house I have been dying to get into.  By the time I got to Salem, it was about 9pm and getting dark.  I turned onto the street where our beloved yellow house resides and I began smiling from ear to ear.  I got to the top of the hill, which I knew meant I was finally at our house, I pulled into the driveway, grabbed the first suitcase that fell out of the car when I opened the door, and waltzed my way to the front door.

Before I had left, I wrote down the key box code on my hand to make sure I wouldn’t get locked out.  As I walked/waltzed/flopped my way to the front door, I look down on my hand, pleased that the code is still present and visible.  I open the screen door to get to the key box, but it didn’t seem to be there anymore.  I wondered where it would have been moved to, so I used the light of my cell phone to search the premises for this essential key (no pun intended) to my entrance. 

Now I begin to panic.  How am I going to get in?  Why would they take away the key box when they had just sent me the email telling me the code?  As I got myself into this panicked frenzy, I realized there were lights on in the house.  “Hmm, that’s funny.  I thought I was the first to move in.”

Then I noticed the furniture in the front living room (which I was seeing because I had my face pressed up to the window) was different than I had remembered. 

This is when I realize I am at the wrong house.  Completely humiliated, I grab my hefty suitcase, my purse, and run for my car.  I remember getting into my car and saying under my breath, “you would do this, Jill!”  Apparently, I turned into the driveway one house too soon. 

I sat for a long time trying to tie this into something Biblical… like how heaven awaits us but we’ll get there on the first try, or how we need to pay attention to the details, or how we have to stay focused until the very end, or something along those lines.  But then I realized this is just a funny story.  If it teaches you any lesson, let it be this: write down the house number to the house you’re moving into before you get there.  

Fake fish that are alive

I admit it.  I look at my “stats.”  Blogger keeps track of how many views my page gets, what posts are being read, how people find my page, and where the people who are reading my page are from.  I’ve had 1,662 views, my most viewed post is “I guess I didn’t come off as ‘campy’,” I’ve been referred by 10 different websites, and viewers have come from 10 different countries (including Slovenia, Netherlands, and Malaysia).  But the stat I find most interesting is the keywords people have typed into their browser that have brought them to my page. 

Among these keywords are “grocery store wet racks,” “barren orchids,” and my all time favorite, “fake fish that are alive.” 

Now when I think about the people who have typed in these words, I know they were not intending to get to my page.  We’ve all done this- been searching for something important (like “fake fish that are alive”), we click on what we think will be a helpful page, and it turns out to be some stupid blog or unhelpful site. 

But then I thought, “what if these people did read my blog?”  Maybe, by a google misguide, these people will get a little piece of Biblical truth.  Maybe something I have said will stick with them.  Maybe I can plant a seed. 

In our daily lives, we run across strangers everyday.  We interact with people (sometimes without even knowing it) and we make an impact on their lives.  We are the salt and light of this world. 

“You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14).  What we say and do is noticed by others, sometimes by accident (like that poor soul who desperately needed to know about fake fish that are alive who ended up at my blog).  So we must let everything we do be seasoned by our faith.  Always remember that we are Christ’s representatives and something little we do may end up playing a vital role in someone else finding Christ. 

Who knows, maybe in heaven God will have a stat sheet for us to see all the “keywords” that planted seeds in others’ lives: “was patient in the long line,” “offered help to the lady with a flat tire,” “smiled at me everyday,” “always found joy in every situation.”  You never know what little things you do that may have a tremendous impact.  

Simply come, simply groan

Today is one of those days.  I feel like writing.  I want to write some inspirational blog that makes you all think, “Wow!  I feel moved by that!”  But of course, I can’t think of a funny anecdote to relate to a Biblical truth to move you all (“you all” refers to the 10 people who read this) to tears.  I have things I want to say, things God has taught me over this summer, joy that I want to share with others, but I don’t know the words to say it all.

As I was sitting here in my blue lazy boy chair agonizing over the fact that I don’t know what to write, Romans 8:26 came to mind: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” 

How many times have you approached God in prayer but not known what to say, or how to say it?  How many times have you felt the deepest pain or the greatest joy but not known how to ask God for help or say “thanks” for the joy given you? 

This is the beauty of the Holy Spirit.  He lives to intercede for us.  We don’t have to know the words to say.  There is already someone telling God exactly what needs to be said on our behalf.  Don’t hesitate to approach God with groans.  The Spirit is there with words to say. 

When I talk with my friends, post something on facebook, write a letter, leave a voicemail, or speak by any other means of communication, I feel the need to come up with clever, witty phrases to convey my “deep insights.”  I think I come to God feeling the same way.  “How can I say this to impress God?  How can I present this to God in the most mature way?”  God doesn’t care that you use impressive words and expansive vocabulary.  Simply come, simply groan.    

Jesus with skin on

It was our first meal in Cachí (the village where we stayed in Costa Rica) when we met our friend, José.  As we finished our meal, I looked out the window to my right and saw a little boy’s head peeking around the corner.  I waved and he smiled back.  After a good 5 or 10 minutes of staring in the window, he decided to come inside with his own permission.  The group was receiving directions for the day when this boy began walking around, giving hugs, waving “hello,” and making himself at home. 

I tried to ask José how he was, “Como estás?”  No reply.  Then I tried to ask him his name, “Como se llama?”  No reply.  As a last resort, I simply tried to say hello, “Hola?”  Still, no reply.  It turns out that José is deaf.  It broke my heart that I couldn’t communicate with this little boy who was so excited that the gringos had arrived in Cachí.  How would I build a relationship with him?  How would I get to know him?  How would I share with him about Christ? 

The fact that we struggled to communicate with José didn’t deter him from visiting us daily.  Everyday as our bus would return from our village ministry, José was standing in the road awaiting our return.  He wore the biggest smile, waved his arms, and ran alongside of the bus as we pulled up to the church.  José was a common sight to see among our team.  He loved to take our cameras and have paparazzi photo shoots, he loved to clap to the music we played, he gave daily hugs, and was our biggest fan at futsal games. 

By the end of our stay in Cachí, it was apparent that we had all built a relationship with our new friend.  As we said our goodbyes as we loaded the bus to leave, José gave out his famous hugs (this time a little longer than normal) and shed tears to see us go.  It broke my heart.  But I was joyful in knowing that we had managed to show love to José (and he showed love to us) regardless of the fact that we could not talk to him.  We had shared Christ with José. 

Our ministry in Costa Rica was with the ticos there.  For the most part, they did not speak English, or only spoke a little.  This made ministry difficult for many people on the team who did not know any Spanish.  How could we share Christ if we couldn’t speak the same language?  Where do you begin? 

Just like with José, sharing Christ does not need to come from words alone.  Of course, we were equipped with Spanish pamphlets that explained the Gospel, but the main way we shared Christ was through our actions.  The students were often sent out to be “Jesus with skin on.”  This was a time for students to go out into the villages and do things Christ would do: pick up trash, buy treats for kids, wash cars, strike up conversations with lonely people (even if these conversations only consisted of ‘como estás?’), clean someone’s shop, LOVE PEOPLE. 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  (John 13: 34-35)

That’s what we are called to do: love people.  So find ways to love.  How can you love with actions?  How can you share Christ in all you do?  Go and be Jesus with skin on.