Made in Korea: Roamin' Holiday

Last night, I was asked to lead devo time - and given the time it took to go get my Bible and come back to prepare. However, my audience was not the children or the staff of Impact in Coimbatore, but a family here in Bangalore. (We've been roamin' around the city for a week so far.)

Last Friday night, Rachel and I took an 8 hr night bus north to the state of Karnataka and arrived in Bangalore at 6:15 am. We found our party 20 minutes later (which was altogether another adventure in itself), and soon we went from being expected "guests" of their house to beloved "family" of their home. Impact has given Rachel and I a two-week holiday to travel and sight see, etc. before the holidays hit and we become inescapably busy with Christmas play practices, teaching the choir, and the usual daily tutoring/teaching lessons and sessions. Oh, did I mention that we are responsible for creating and implementing a Sunday School Cirriculum (which won't be initiated until after Christmas, but the prep work is now).

Strange timing...don't you think? Why in the world would God give us a rest BEFORE the work has started? Don't most people take vacations and go on holidays AFTER they have worked themselves raw? Hmmm...Then why...Oh, yes. This is where Hebrews 4 comes into play: ACTIVE rest. The perfect paradoxical Bible School cliche.

"For the one who has entered His rest has himself rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest...For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart..."(4:10-12)

Not surprising that this was my devo passage for last night. I had been reading Hebrews this past week as I felt I was needing a good reminder of "better things"). Yes, the supposed writer, Paul, is talking about salvation and how silly it is to re-work something that is already done and permanent, but it is true in other respects as well. It has quite accutely come to my attention that the ministry I had in my head and in my heart for this trip are not what I initially expected and when the inevitable choice to practice being available HIS way is presented before me, I have to choose. Do I believe that rest will keep me active? "Releasing Everything, Simply Trusting". And how can I? Because, the work is already done.

I do not have to worry and concern myself with my motives and motions if the word of God is able to discern for Himself the contents of my soul and spirit, body, and mind. So, I am left to take every thought captive, to treat my body as His tabernacle, and to guard my heart - all in active rest...with of course, the help of His "paraclete". And for the times I am weary in my weakness, there remains an invitation to come and receive rest from the only One from whom it can be given. God is so good.

Ahhhh...and we still have one more week here...pretty glad we get a rest now. And also one that is continuous and simultaneous to our every day lives.

(Here's some pics of the past week!)