India Part 3 – Understanding

Our “regular” schedule took a more defined shape for me on Thursday. Regular, other than my roommate and I both waking up at 4:00 a.m. Thursday morning due to jet lag. That turned out to be a nice time of reading and writing in our journals. I was still trying to ensure that my attitude issue from the day before was overcome. I could not fathom being any good to the Kingdom of God if I didn’t get it straightened out. I prayed that morning and asked God to please teach me how to get beyond it. I said, “I know that this is not a one time issue (I have dealt with it before…apparently it’s a weak spot in my flesh) and that it requires faithfulness to your Word daily, but I sure would appreciate it if you could show me something this morning to set me on the right track.” He is faithful and in my daily reading I found some neat things that ministered to me throughout the rest of the trip.

Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight…”

Psalm 49:3 “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.”

Psalm 49:20 “Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beast that perish.”

“Dear Father, grant me understanding,” I prayed.

Later that morning, while at breakfast with the team, Pastor Jeff asked if I would speak at one of the churches on Friday evening. Some of the satellite churches have women pastors so Brooke Herron and I were asked to lead at those churches. I was told that I could speak on whatever I wanted.

This schedule that I mentioned earlier consisted of eating a wonderful breakfast each morning at the hotel, finding our way over to the tent where the 800+ kids from all around Faridabad would gather for YCF (Young Citizens Festival), singing, dancing, playing, teaching, praying and serving these BEAUTIFUL little people and then eating lunch with the team is how we started the day. During that time we were on a constant vigil to keep water in our bodies and to take frequent breaks out of the heat. I believe 6 people on the team total suffered from some level of heat exhaustion. Even two of the little children passed out from the extreme temperatures. I was so concerned that I, in the not-so-great-shape that I’m in, would be one to fail physically in the heat. I followed all orders on drinking water and Gatorade, and never argued when I was told to take a break. I was a good little girl. Just like in elementary school. I am happy to say I did not wilt.

After the kids left in more than a dozen tour buses we would go straight to lunch. Everyday it was a wonderful table full of Indian foods, spiced very mildly for our American palates, and even ice made from bottled water just for us. We would usually hold a meeting after lunch to quickly inform each other of the evenings events, who would be going where and when to meet.

Thursday night four teams were appointed to four churches. I raised my hand to be on a team but as I had gone the night before I did not make the list and stayed at the hotel. I was equally glad to stay put due to exhaustion. My time alone that afternoon and evening allowed me to make a lot of notes for speaking on Friday night.

I went down to the lobby before the teams left to be sure that I was not missing anything and to find out when I should make my way over to the basement for dinner. I found out that almost everyone else who was staying was sick. It was also enforced that I should not cross the street alone. I calculated that two other people were in the hotel with me that could go to dinner. When it came time to go I went to the rooms of those two people and one was sleeping (I woke her up) and didn’t want to go to dinner, and the other didn’t feel that she should leave one of the sick people. That left me alone. I was a little aggravated by this, but determined not to be put out. I communicated with everyone left in the hotel to be sure that each of the sick people and their care takers had enough food to eat and didn’t need anything beyond rest. Then I went to the hotel lobby and waited. I was hoping that one of the returning teams would come looking for us, but I wasn’t confident. I knew I could eat dinner at the hotel restaurant, but I really wanted to eat with the group if possible. My patience wasn’t even needed. Less than five minutes in the lobby and Pastor Jeff and Tim Reid walked into the hotel. They had been at the airport trying to retrieve our luggage. Pastor Jeff stayed to attend to getting the luggage to the correct rooms and Tim and I rode the van over to dinner.

I was so glad to see everyone’s excited faces. They all looked flushed with the joy of having seen God at work and the feeling of humility that comes when the Holy Spirit ministers through you. They had nearly all drug themselves out the doors of the hotel that afternoon, tired from jet lag and heat, but they were refreshed now from doing the work of the Kingdom. It was really beautiful.

Friday’s schedule was much the same. We continued to get to the know the children in the morning and did as much as we could to entertain and help facilitate the work that the church was doing so marvelously. Lunch and rest followed as it had on Thursday and we were feeling a little more comfortable with our surroundings and in our adjustment to the time zone. I was also told that we were being asked to speak on a specific topic at the church that night. Of course, it was NOT the topic I had spent hours making notes on the day before. Oh well, this just meant that God had something else to share, and really didn’t need my input. Sometimes study is of great importance to sharing the message that God lays on our heart. It polishes the gems and gives us confidence in sharing them. Sometimes though, God wants to share something that doesn’t require our flawed insight. I think in the environment we were in, it was even more important that I didn’t share from my American perspective on the topic. Instead, I needed to be in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through me from His perspective. My understanding of the people I spoke to was unfortunately limited, but His was full and true.

To be continued