Honestly, I’ve probably written at least three blog posts for this/last month but didn’t post any of them. Let’s chalk it up to busyness laziness. After last night, I think I finally know what I should get out there this month: I’m on the brink. Not in a crazy, needing medication kind of way. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
A lot of the hopes and dreams I had in coming into this environment seem just on the edge of becoming realities. They don’t seem intangible and far off anymore. They seem close and real. Since the summer I’ve focused on abiding in the Lord. Meaning, everyday my biggest goal is to spend extravagant time with Jesus, trusting that He is the one drawing my friends who don’t know Him to himself. As I wait on and abide in Him, he will bring forth the fruit, or as He says in John, “If you abide in me you will bear fruit.” So I’ve waited, and prayed, waited more, prayed more. And as God has brought me friends, some have moved on, and some have stuck around. Recently two approached me about starting to read the Word together. Just like that, on their own, and with no coercion on my part. I was floored.
We’ve also waited and prayed about opening our home to majority, Arabic speaking people here in hopes that our place can be a place of restoration and healing. And out of the blue, a friend calls us saying he wants to move in with us to be closer to the university. He isn’t a believer, and recently lost friends to a tragic migrant boat sinking off the North coast. He arrived a few nights ago to stay with us, and we’re pretty stoked about it.
This is also in addition to a close Yemeni friend I have here staying with us. He is a believer from the majority background, and as his countrymen have started rejecting him opportunities to work and progress because of their suspicions about his faith. He’s hit his rope’s end. Without money and a lot of direction he’s been crashing at my place the last few nights, praying with tears for his country, his family, and his future.
I’m on the brink, because a lot of these things are the very things I’ve desired as I’ve waited on God. I’ve been wanting to live with and learn to love and serve the people I’m with as God draws them to discover himself. But, I’m also on the brink because the more real this becomes the more I see I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s overwhelming and can even produce a little fear. But as the fear rises, I return to where this all started in the first place; Him. If we abide in Him we will bear fruit, for apart from Him we can do nothing. Please pray for us!
[Note: All of the above, serious situations have featured more than enough light hearted laughter too! Ie 1) Some Yemeni friends throwing me a birthday party last week and attempting to sing in English. 2) When our new roommate moved in we almost burned his room down thanks to faulty wiring. 3) And my closest Yemeni friend that’s also staying with us tried to join me for an Insanity workout this morning. After 5 minutes he abruptly said ‘kiffaya’(enough) and walked out! Praise God for laughter!]