The Folded Page

Last year I sat in a faculty meeting at APIU writing in my journal. This is what I wrote:

Two months from today I'll be on a plane back from Cambodia. And then the States.. . We're in faculty meeting. Damrong is showing us a preview of a faculty retreat I'll never attend.

After writing that entry I flipped to the back of the journal and folded a page. I wrote:

March 26, 2009

Father, I'm praying the unfilled, unknown pages into your hand. I'm trusting you now with these pages. I want to commit myself to your promises.How did God bless you between March 26 and _____________?

Tonight I finally reached my folded page: April 30, 2010. Here are some of the blessings I have received since I folded that page in my journal.

1. God gave me a job that doesn't consume my life. For once I don't work every night--I have a life outside of school (gasp).
2. I have found some solid friends in Orlando. (As iron sharpens iron friends, Prov. 27:17).
3. God provided a car, a place to live, and even a new bike :)
4. When the future seemed most unsure, God sent people to encourage me (my parents and the Redding church members).
5. God gave me a six months to reconnect with my parents.
6. God gave me some good colleagues to work with.
7. I have (as one friend mentioned recently) a rich life with things to do, adventures to have, and events to look forward to.

I'm grateful for my blessings and yet I'm not satisified. No, I want more blessings!! I love the idea that I read in Desire of Ages that God's blessings actually prepare us for more blessings. A larage blessing would be for a greater hunger for God and then (of course) there are temporal blessings I'm praying for. I'm so grateful for God who gives and keeps giving.

"But the gifts of Jesus are ever fresh and new. The feast that He provides for the soul never fails to give satisfaction and joy. Each new gift increases the capacity of the receiver to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. He gives grace for grace. There can be no failure of supply. If you abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift today insures the reception of a richer gift tomorrow. The words of Jesus to Nathanael express the law of God's dealing with the children of faith. With every fresh revelation of His love, He declares to the receptive heart, 'Believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.' John 1:50."
Desire of Ages 148

A Yellow Shirt

Someone recently asked me if I like her spent a great deal of time analyzing what to wear for the day. I didn't say much because I was too embarrassed to respond with how little I analyze what I'll wear. My criteria is: is it ironed?

Well, today I ran out of ironed shirts but I noticed my Thai yellow shirt hanging in the closest. I looked at it in its unwrinkled glory and thought, "What are the chances that I'll meet a person from Thailand today? Hmmmmm...zero." So I put on my yellow shirt and went to work. While I was at work, I got a phone call from a friend. She told me that she was on my side of town for an appointment and suggested we meet up for lunch. At her suggestion we went to Thai food. It wasn't until after we ordered that it hit me. "I'm sitting in a Thai restaurant wearing a yellow shirt that has Thai writing on it." What weird forang would show up at a Thai restaurant during a month when the yellow shirt/red shirt situation had gotten even worse than usual looking as she supported the PAD?

When we went to pay the bill, I stood in this awkward position trying to cover up any Thai writing on my shirt. I don't know, maybe the restaurant owners saw the writing on my shirt and thought of the time when yellow only meant loyalty to the King and not loyalty to a political party.

Observations

I've been playing host to a friend from Bangkok for about a week now. I've had fun hearing Thai words again and just getting a chance to talk about Thailand. I've also had fun listening to my friends observations about America.

For example, every time we drive pass a homeless person she says, "I can't believe Americans help so many countries but they don't help their own people."

Also, my friend is completely unimpressed with my apartment situation. "What you pay that much and they don't have a maid to sweep the halls or security guards?"

Life is different here. My friend says, "It's more convenient in America." I say, "It is more lonely in America."

I Love A Country

I fall in love with countries. One country that is foremost in my heart is Thailand. I tell people that God reveals parts of himself through different cultures and there is something beautiful about God revealed in Thai culture (their kindness, politeness, and funnness--I make up words---are just some things that I love about Thais). Thailand has been falling apart politically for the last couple of years. This month at least 25 people were killed in Bangkok because of the political situation. I read the news and pray for Prahtet Thai.

Conversation

I had a conversation tonight with a man who is just getting to know God. When I prayed over our supper he said, "I've never prayed over food before." Through most of the meal he shared with me the things he is learning about God, the prayer experiments he has made and the answers that have come because of those prayers. He kept laughing, "Coincidence or providence?"

At one point he shared with me the things he doesn't get about the Christian group of friends he has made here in Orlando. He said, "They only pray about people. They don't pray about animals." I thought that was the greatest and funniest spiritual concern I've heard. (He's a vet by trade so I could see why he might worry.) He's also disturbed that there is no salvation plan for animals. I told him what I shared with a friend recently: we really don't know about animals; God just might bring our pets to heaven.

I told my friend that God has His hand in his life. I pray for my friend and I pray for myself. I want to remember how God is working in my life too!