There's so much grace...

Two nights ago my friend drove me out to a piece of land purchased by Outpour Movement that will be used for a future ministry site.  The drive out there was beautiful with the mountains as a backdrop to one side, the sun setting, and some scattered rice fields lining the dirt road we traveled on.  Peace settled in thick as we reached the top of the hill, everything was so calm.  Leaves crunched beneath our feet as we walked past a small "temple of prayer" to overlook the city.  And then, silence.  But it was the loudest silence I've ever heard.

Standing there overlooking Mae Sot, the sun beginning to fall below the clouds, I didn't even want to take a breath.  The beauty of that place was overwhelming.  The city lights of Mae Sot were slowly beginning to flicker on.  Breathtaking.

And in that moment of silence, Jesus whispered, "There's so much grace."

Thailand is a beautiful place.  I mean, I'm "suffering" through 80-90 degree weather daily.  There's green and mountains all around me.  I get to ride my bicycle through the bustling streets dodging car doors, motorbikes with drivers who never look, and gangs of street dogs.  There's rich history and ancient culture here.  Each day is a new adventure, certainly uncertain.

And yet, as I ride my bicycle to and from the shop each morning, as I walk the streets past shops and temples, as I look at the faces I pass by, there's a heaviness settling over this place.  A county in mourning for the passing of their King, uncertainty has covered this place like a thick blanket.  Fear, doubt, and apprehension linger around every corner.  The atmosphere has changed and we have felt it.  Still, Jesus whispers, "There's so much grace."

On my ride in this morning, the whisper of Jesus was loud in my ears, "There's so much grace, Kristy, so much grace."  With headphones in, I put that very song on repeat by Jonathan David & Melissa Helser.  The words spoke deeply to my spirit...

There's so much grace.
There's so much grace.
There's so much grace.
There's so much grace.

Every morning I bike past several temples.  Shrines and altars are a normal part of the scenery.  Dressed in burnt orange and walking solemnly, I daily pass by several groups of monks.  Incense, ringing gongs, intricately designed rooftops, golden statues and every so often a distant "call to prayer" - some days it's hard to take it all in.  And yet, there's so much grace.

There's so much grace my heart is overwhelmed by it.  There may be confusion and a collision of religions happening around me.  There may be fear and apprehension as a nation mourns and questions.  There may be hunger, rejection, poverty, and great need around every street corner.  There may be situations that look hopeless and needs that are greater than I know what to do with, but, there's so much grace. 

I needed that reminder as I looked out over that epic city view a few nights ago.  I needed that reminder as I rode my bicycle in to work today.  It was all I could whisper under my breath as I rode.  With every face I saw, "Jesus, grace".  With every temple I passed, "Jesus, grace".  It's only been 3 months here, yet this place is home and my heart breaks for it.  I long to see Jesus' grace cover this place, these beautiful people, this ministry, all of it.

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:14-15).

 I long to see a nation crying out "Abba, Father" knowing who and whose they are, awed by the overwhelming grace of the Father who calls them His own.  It's why I get out of bed in the morning.  It's why I ride my bicycle dodging every manor of obstacle to get to work.  It's why I clean floors, sand tables, break bike chain, stain wood.  It's the root of why I'm here - not just in Thailand.  I need reminders of the grace Jesus has given to me.  I need to be reminded of "...how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that (I) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18b-19).

His grace... there's so much of it.

His grace covered an angry mob seeking to crucify Him.  His grace covered a nation who constantly "forgot" about the faithfulness of the Lord: parting seas, protecting from plagues, raining down food from the sky and making water come out of a rock.  His grace covers a nation who mourns and transitions into something unknown.  His grace covers people kneeling at empty altars and hollow statues.  His grace covers those who've never heard His Name.  His grace covers those who've heard His Name all their lives.  His grace covers those who are hurting and broken as much as it covers those who are restored and transformed by the Father.  There's so much grace.

I don't understand His grace, it doesn't make sense.  But I'm so grateful for it.  I'm not worthy of His grace, I've done nothing to earn it.  But I can't live without it.  And His gift of grace to me is what I pray drives me to continue giving grace to others, praying grace over others, sharing the grace of God with those who've yet to be freed by it.  My prayer is that the places I go and the things I do will always leave a trail of grace leading others straight to the Father.

Beauty Surrounds

The longer I live, the more places I go, the more people I meet,
the more beautiful this life becomes.

Each day I'm settling more and more into my life here in Thailand.  It's beautiful.  My morning bicycle ride through town is filled with beautiful smiling faces, warm with greeting.  The colors are vibrant and full of life in this rainy season - everything green and growing.  The sounds echoing through the streets, all beautiful in their own unique way.  But more than what I see or what I hear, I'm finding the most beautiful moments of my life here in the people I daily get to interact with.  And as I take time today to reflect on those moments, it's the phrase "Beauty Surrounds" the Lord has impressed upon my heart.

Beauty surrounds in a morning of playing, laughing, and running around the sports fields with kids.

Beauty surrounds in moments of laughter and silliness, in times of being together.

 Beauty surrounds in times of fellowship and sharing a meal.

Beauty surrounds in times of encouraging, challenging, and empowering one another in our walk with Christ.

Beauty surrounds in times of working together to move the mission forward.

 

Beauty surrounds in partnership, in seeing a generation of young people empowered.

Beauty surrounds in moments of celebrating each others' lives.

Beauty surrounds in moments of investing and coming alongside others- of taking time to know a story and understand a life.

Beauty surrounds us if only we would take a moment to appreciate the people, the places, the conversations, the sounds, the times that make life beautiful.  It's a beautiful life to live and a Beautiful Savior I serve.

Beautiful Sounds

When I hear excessive car horns, I think of cycling through the streets of Beijing, China.
When I hear babies crying, I think of AGC Baby Centre in Nakuru, Kenya.
When I hear dogs barking in the middle of the night, well, I think of a lot of places all over the world!
When I hear the loud hum of semi trucks, I think of Salgaa, Kenya at night.
When I hear the words "Jesus Cristo", I think of it being chanted loudly in the Andes mountains of Huallanca, Peru as we worshiped Jesus with fellow believers.
When I hear the song "Free Falling", I think of singing karaoke loud and off key with friends in Vietnam.

It's funny the sounds we connect with - some sounds are encouraging, some inspiring, some  annoying (fingernails on a chalkboard), some funny, some disheartening.

Living here in Thailand, I'm beginning to learn the daily sounds and appreciate each one.  Bicycle bells, motorbikes zooming past, dogs barking, the nasally greeting of "Swadikah" echoing through the streets as I ride past.  All are sounds I'm growing accustomed to and identifying with this place I now live.

Waking up this morning and heading downstairs to begin getting ready for the day, my ears were greeted by a beautiful sound.  Weekly we have a house helper who comes on Wednesdays.  She is Burmese and speaks no English, which makes for some pretty great hand motion conversations between the two of us since I'm only just beginning to pick up some Burmese words.  And by only just, I think I know two!  Just today she was trying to ask me something about the upstairs rooms, and since neither of us were really understanding, she grabbed my hand with a big smile and led me upstairs, pointing out what she was trying to communicate.  Together we both laughed and smiled as we finally understood one another.  A beautiful sound, for sure, but off topic from where I was headed.

As I walked down the stairs this morning, I heard the faintest sound of a familiar song.  There in the kitchen singing in Burmese, our house help was singing the tune of "Blessed Assurance" - a song that is a beautiful sound to me on so many levels.  It's a familiar hymn that I know - beautiful.  It's one that reminds me of my grandmother and hearing her sing hymns as she walked around the house or sat at the table with a song in her heart - beautiful.  Its words are a powerful declaration of who Jesus is..."mine" - beautiful.

My heart and ears were so blessed in that moment of recognition.  What a truly beautiful sound.

I continued on with my morning, getting ready for a full day of work.  I had my journal and Bible spread out across the pallet couch in the living room.  As I continued gathering items up, our house help had also made her way out to the living room and over near my pile of stuff.  I watched as she looked at the Bible sitting there, picked it up, turned to me and said with questioning eyes, "Jesus?"  I said yes and repeated the name, and with a big smile, she pointed at her heart, held up the Bible and nodded "Jesus".  What a beautiful sound!  We may not speak the same language, but we both could understand that each had Jesus in our hearts!

I'm honestly moved to tears just thinking about it.  Life in another country can be overwhelming - especially when you're first starting off.  Everything, and I do mean everything, feels different, looks different, sounds different, and is just unfamiliar.  And that's not all bad - in fact, I've come to truly appreciate that about the places I go.  It's a beautiful different and a beautiful struggle to understand and appreciate the different.  It's filled with good days, bad days, and confusing days.  Trust me, that last one is a thing - there are days that are neither identifiable as good or bad, just confusing!  But to have moments like what I was able to experience this morning, those are blessed times.  My heart was deeply moved in that moment and I was reminded of what I value more than anything in this world - to hear the name of Jesus coming from the lips of His people.  That's my heart.  I want to hear Him praised, honored, spoken of with such high regard, and I long to hear it all across the world - in every corner.

There's a verse the Lord has burned on my heart and that I've made my prayer and truly a proclamation and promise that I'm believing the Lord is about to do...

"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed.  For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."  -Habakkuk 1:5

I believe that.  I'm praying for that.  I'm longing for that.  I believe that what Jesus wants to do around the world, among the nations, is greater than anything we could ask or imagine - something we wouldn't even believe possible, even if He told us He was going to do it.  I long to be utterly amazed by what God is doing around the world.  I am utterly amazed by what I see Him doing.  And I long desperately to be a part of the beautiful sound of His renown echoing from every corner of the earth!

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."  -Isaiah 26:8

My hope and prayer for each one who reads this today is that you may be reminded of the beautiful sounds that surround you as well.  And my prayer is that you will add to the beautiful sounds a collection of praise to the Father for all that He has done and all that He has given you!