Let it go! Let it go :-)

    Tonight my teammates and I enjoyed a few card games together.  During the games we shared stories of life and it was an enjoyable time!

    While they shared tonight, it seems like I was able to hear with different ears.  I gained more understanding of who they are.  Different things have shaped them.  I learned a bit about how they were able to survive the post-war experiences that they did.  They do not live with the narrow perspective that everything has to "fit" in a narrow box of westernized logic.  Experiences don't have to have an explanation.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond explanation.  Some of the things they experienced, nothing could have truly "prepared them for it."  In fact, probably just because they were willing to take it as it came, were they able to just keep going and accept each experience as an adventure. 

    If I am able to stay here much longer, I am going to need to let go of a lot of things.  One thing in particular is my desire to "make sense" of everything.  I need to be flexible and willing to adjust with the unexpected and even seemingly "irrational" things that happen here.  Things that may see "irrational" to me are common place to others.  I need to let go of my critical thinking skills and evaluation of certain things.  Because the way I have been "evaluating things" is according to a pretty narrow perspective.  

    I am learning to laugh more.  Learning to let go of expectations.  Learning to accept things as they come.  (Notice I say "learning" here. . .This is still a big process). 

    The truth is the team is seeking to honor God through their efforts.  That is their heart.  The way they do the work here, is different from my expectations.  It is different but different is not wrong.

    In fact, I am learning that God ministers to people in a huge variety of ways. . .ways that if I "evaluated them" I would probably be tempted to say, "no that's not the best way."  The question is who am I to evaluate?   I am nothing in His sight.  Who am I to evaluation God's ways?  I do not have the right or credentials.  God uses all kinds of ways to reach people.  He used all kind of ways to speak.  Throughout His Word we see examples of this -- He spoke to Jonah after he was swallowed by a whale.  He spoke to Balaam through his own donkey.  He spoke to Elijah in a whisper.  He spoke to Paul after blinding him first.  He did all kinds of "crazy" things to speak into people's lives.  He didn't just limit himself to "logical" or rational ways.  He decided to use a stammering, 80 year old man who had killed someone to lead his people out of Egypt.  He chose to use a bunch of fishermen to be His future ch/rch leaders.  He took a future king from tending sheep, had him flea for his life for a few decades and then become king.  God didn't stay in the realm of human, natural, rational, logical thinking, when He deals with us.  So, why should I expect Him to work that way now?