Yesterday a close friend came over, we will call her Fla for
now. She is in University here in Kampala studying business management. Over
the last year and half I have loved getting to know her.
Fla is a little younger than me, has a big family, works many
jobs to pay for school, is a solid believer, has big hopes, single in a culture
where that is not normal, and is just one of the most AMAZING Ugandan ladies I
am blessed to know! Can you tell I love
her?!
We normally meet every Saturday for bible study. We are
going through a good book on Proverbs 31 and both are taking a lot away from
our weekly studies. But for the last month Fla has been taking tests. She has
been studying like crazy and we have not gotten together. It was just a month
but it felt like FOREVER! As of yesterday the wait was over! We got together
and hung out for over an hour, so not
long enough but I take what I can get. We chatted about EVERYTHING. What else would you do after being apart for
a while but yet life keeps going on?! She told me about her Christmas plans
and how the family was doing. (She has the cutest niece! She is called Zoe and
she and I are roaring like lions at a Christmas party.)
While together we talked about how we were really doing,
spiritually. I love the fact we can be real with each other. We just say where
we are with the Lord, our faith, and the life we are called to live. By the end
of our time she had to head off to work. We ended our time in prayer. It was
the sweetest time, holding hands and giving EVERYTHING to the Lord as we
prayed. After Fla left I had some time
to think and pray.
Many thoughts were rushing around my head…but the one that
stood out the most is the fact God is asking me to walk life with Fla. Not here
to tell her the gospel, she knows it and believes it! The crazy thing is God
asked me to move ½ around the world to walk this crazy thing called life with
her. To pray for her, spend time with her, laugh with her, cry with her, hold
her hand, share blessings with her, and LOVE HER.
Often people think that a missionary is someone that works
with people who do not know the Lord, yes sometimes that is true but not always
what is needed. Something that has been forgotten is the “make disciple” part
of the great commission.
Therefore
go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit -Matthew 28:19
Jesus did not say go and make “converts,” people who say
they believe in Him. From what I can see in this messed up, crazy, up side down
world is there are more converts than disciples. Many people who can talk a
good talk but that suck at being
with people. We are called make disciples and to LOVE.
By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another. –John
13:35
Love is an action verb. It is a daily choice, one we have to
make no matter what kind of mood we are in.
The fact that the Lord has called me to Africa to walk life
with a believer and that I daily have to choose love, is the biggest lesson the
Lord has been teaching me. You might say “well that is not a hard lesson,” and
you are right.
It is not a hard lesson to get but living it out is a whole other story my friend. Daily I am working
on the living it out part. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment