Wow, okay guys, it's been almost 2months since my last post...how'd that happen?
I'm sorry I've been shitty at keeping in touch, the truth is that things really haven't stopped here since just before Christmas. I've been working a lot and travelling more than usual (well you know, more than a normal person should anyway..) I'm actually getting ready to travel again this Saturday to a country called Nicaragua (just google it). I'll be there for a week helping translate in hospitals for a group of doctors and smart people that are coming over from the US. Rapidly becoming an expert in suitcase-packing, that's for sure.
Not much else to report- work in Santo Domingo has been steady. The special school I was working with has now closed for holidays, so we've been doing a lot more in Laura Flores. Mate, I just love those children, they are such a head-ache but I love them more for it. God has shown me that I am actually not bad and entertaining large groups of kids- after a couple of hours everyone is exhausted but I seem to feel energised..weird, but hey, someone has to love singing to 150 screaming ankle-biters. I love that they're so free and curious, it's wonderful. (Note: I am not ready for children, just ready to look after other people's for a couple of hours, after which I can go home to peace and silence...just for the record.)
On the down-side, this week has been a pretty hard as far as saying good-bye goes. I said good-bye to my Ecuadorian family last Saturday as they moved down to another city, as well as a good friend who moved with them, and just today I had to say good-bye to my mate Lydia as she left to go home to the UK. Blah, crappy feelings, however it's nice to have the certainty that even though you may not get the opportunity to see people again in this life, you will see them eventually 'up-there'... you know, like when we're all chilling with Jesus and the waterfalls and all the other awesome stuff that we can't even fathom now. How wonderful it is to have that certainty.
It's easy to convince yourself that 'you're a traveller, and good-bye doesn't effect you' but it proves hard to part with people when you manage to create such strong bonds with them. I've really been thinking about how good God is for surrounding me with so many amazing people and how blessed I am that He is able to show His love for me through these people. I've crossed paths with some pretty amazing characters in my life so far, and even though some of them might have only been there for a split second, God has used every person and every little situation to teach me something. Then of course, there are the people that are a little more permanent, who teach me and support me everyday. I thought about these important people, the ones that mean the most, and it made me ask myself- what did I do to deserve these people's love? It doesn't matter that I'm annoying, or abnoxious, or ignorant, they love me anyway. I don't have to ask them to love me, I don't have to do anything for them to love me, and I definately don't have to pay them to love me- they just do and it's FREE. I read this today-
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk,
without money and without price.
Isaiah 55:1
We thirst for love, and we're hungry for love. God invites us 'to the waters' 'to buy wine and milk'...'without money and without price.' People love us for free...because God loves us for free. ..why are we so accustomed into believeing that we have to work for everything? Why it is so hard for us to accept that love, especially God's love, comes without a price? He shows me this foremostly by surrounding me with so many people to love in my life..how much more does He have to do to prove it? It doesn't matter how annoying, or abnoxious, or ignorant I am- my mum is still going to love me; my best mate is still going to love me....and above all, God is still going to love me.
That's pretty effing awesome.
I look forward to the day when I will be to have all the people I love in the same room at the one time. Although I fully believe that 'nothing is impossible with God', I accept that this proves slightly difficult in this life as they are spread over um...well, 4 continents... That's a tough prayer, right there. God's got my back though, He hears me. I might just have to wait until the waterfalls...
Just before I go, praying for all of you that might be living or have family up in QLD, or that might have been affected by the floods after New Years.. My heart goes out to you Australia, it's been a tough couple of months.
Miss you yobbo's...
Love,
Cris
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