I am so humbled and feel so privileged to be able to once in a while (and sometimes after as long as 10 years) meet those whom we invested in and enjoy what I see.
Some are moving on, moving forward, some are receiving what was sowed into them and suddenly starting to multiply what was given to them. I am not a powerful evangelist, that is not my gifting. Though I know that we all have the call to share the gospel. Having received life we give life.
Today I visited the church where I served with my gifts some years starting from around 1997-98 then full-time from 2000 until we left for home assignment around 2004. After that we started the Tree of Life Ministry outside the one church to serve the greater body of Christ in CM and around.
It was good to be back. Receiving spontaneous hugs (not a Thai culture) from some. Hearing them say that: You showed us what love is and you taught us, now we are taking it to the community.
Those last words makes it worth all the labor, sweat and tears.
Others have moved on planting churches, training and equipping young people, healing and restoring the broken, setting captives free.
Thursday to Saturday I spent with some precious women in a retreat. It was not a silent retreat but with enough time to meditate on the word and for reflection to receive new strength to go on.
I was reminded once again why I do what I do and why I am where I am, in the Samaria of Thailand.
In the scripture John 4 when John writes that Jesus was in Judea and was going to Galilee, Jesus needed to go through Samaria. In effect He must because of the geography, but I have my interpretation, he needed to go, means it was like a call, or a burden to do. Or because He actually had an assignment in Samaria.
It was all a set up by the Father , because we know that Jesus only does what He sees the Father do, or for ' such a time as this' :
-The well,
-the woman,
-the conversation,
-the unthinkable mix of Jesus conversing with a Samarian woman who also had a reputation.
But to me it is so beautiful. The Father's set up! The Prophet/Savior/Rabbi's lovingly exposure of who she is, and who He is, the ONE who has the Living Water. And then she goes to tell the village, that she had perhaps met the Messiah?! Why don't you come and see.
One of my the 'children' now a beautiful young woman shared today: First God had to tell me to be me and He showed me who I am. And that only serving in the true me is the way that the gifts/talents/ He has given can be productive and successful. Not by trying to be someone else or like someone else. Just being me.
We are His gift (carriers of His gift) to the community. Jesus says in John 4:10 ''If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you :'Give me a drink' you would have asked Him and he would have given you living water.''
Yes we are imperfect vessels, some of us are chipped, broken and mended, broken again and glued together again with His healing Grace. But the gifts and talents Father has invested within each of these vessels are from Him and are for the church and the community. Life flows out of the vessel who stands in its true identity. It cannot flow through masks and pretentions and desired identities.
So the first step to be fruitful is to know who we are.
Anna
