Roommate
If things have seemed quite on the center front it’s because all the adventure has been occurring in the life of my roommate. I have mentioned before what a pleasure, blessing and all around learning experience it has been to get to know and live with my good brother, M. Since the day we met he has been a blessing to me and since before I got here he has been a person of blessing to those around him. It is a joy to see those who not knowing God, not living in relationship with Him, show a working of love in their lives. This is the beginning, because on top of this I have been blessed to see M know God and start a relationship with Him. I’m getting to see, especially this month, how a relationship with God, a friendship, a sonship, brings freedom from past hurts and lies not only in the life of the one who knows God but in his relationships with those around him. I have been privileged like never before to see God bring healing to M and I can say that this truly is one of the miracles Jesus speaks of when he says “’…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these,...’” (John 14) and “’if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17)
Why do I say this? So that foremost the Father may be glorified. I give thanks to Him and to the faith he has given M, me, my teammates and you, my brother and sister to see these, his miracles. Of what use is it to see a mountain move? But, to see a person living, changed, freed from lies and hurts of years, to hear him say I feel lighter, I physically feel like I’ve been caring a weight on my shoulders that is gone now. To hear him say I forgive those that over the course of years have continually hurt me. To see a joy and a life that surpasses all understanding, that is a true miracle, something that I cannot do, something that no other than God himself can bring to humanity. Rejoice with me brother and sister, God is good, and Jesus, the firstborn among many, walks before us.
God is bringing M into fullness of life and I thank you for your prayers and God for answering. Please continue to ask that God would bring M into a closer relationship with Him and that through M God would make himself known to M’s family, ex and friends.
Reflections
As I mentioned above God has been doing a mighty work in M’s life and I am nothing but thankful to be able to see the fruit of His work. This past year and a half overseas has been the hardest thing I have done in all my life. At points I reflect and want to cry because there has been no lack of pain and confusion but at this point I also share that I would do it all again.
Why? Am I a masochist? No. I am alive. This experience has brought me the closest to God I have ever been. The pain and confusion has pushed me to ask questions of my father, to seek His face. And the answer didn’t come; to my utmost disappoint and dismay, the next day. It came with time. It came after months, it came after a year, it came after a year and a half. Today I say that God is good, not solely from faith in what I have experienced before coming overseas, not solely from what I have seen in the lives of those who know Him, not solely from that which I read in the Bible but from the experience of a year and a half relationship with him in this my current country. God is good and I thank Him, I thank him that He died for all and conquered death on the third day. I thank Him that He is alive today showing me and my brothers and sisters how to live. I thank Him for his sustenance, provision, faith, truth and life. I thank God that I can share this, His joy, with you.
I also rejoice and give thanks for the overwhelming hope that God has poured out this month. The experience of victory fuels my hope and I am very grateful for the victory seen in M’s life and the answered prayer in the form of good times in community and growing community here in country. I have an older believer who I will be meeting with weekly to enjoy fellowship and there is a young single Latin American guy who has arrived in city. I am also greatly looking forward to good times with family later this year and being able to share in person with you. The joy continues as I grow in clarity of career goals while developing the cross-cultural communication course. Praise God.