When Mom asked me a few days ago what I missed most about home....I had a bit of a hard time answering her. I mean, this is a civilized country, I had only been gone less than a full week, and I am not all that "needy". But, within the past few days i have definitely come to the conclusion that what I think will be the biggest thing for me here is....WATER! The other day I paid 4 zl for about 5 oz of waterand then I only paid 7.50 zl for my entire dinner!!! Sure my cup of water was treated like a celebrity, accompanied with a plate of lemon and lime slices, leaves of mint and even ice, but I almost cried knowing that in the states I usually drink about four glasses of iced water with lemon for FREE. So what do I miss? Free water, lol.
Today I went to Bible study and a staff meeting. We are really studying Ephesians in depth. I love it. This morning while I was looking into Chapter Two, about how "formerly you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working int he sons of disobedience...lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and mind,and were by nature children of wrath" but God "made us alive together with Christ...and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus", God gave me the revelation and wisdom to understand something new from that that really impacts my thinking. Before we come to know the Lord as our Savior--as we live for ourselves and our own ideas of what living is--we are really dead because we are not living a life that is filled with purpose and meaning that God created us for--to bring glory to Him and to be in fellowship with Him. They do not have an eternal mindset, they are living to die. They know that one day they will die and they try to milk all they can out of this life--they indulge their desires and lusts of the flesh because it is all they can think to do, believing that this physical life is what there is and there is not future inheritance with a risen Savior. But we who believe, we are dying to live. We realize that we were created and with a purpose higher than to fulfill our own desires and lusts. We die daily to ourselves and the things that in our former nature as "children of wrath" we were in bondage to but which we are freed from in Christ. And we look towards the eternal inheritance we have with our Savior when our life on earth comes to an end. The world lives to die, we die to live.
An eternal perspective. Remembering the extent to which Christ went to save us. Remembering He lived so that we may live, and He died so that we may live. Remembering that we "who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ"; we who have been brought near were once "by nature children of wrath, even as the rest". And it is "not as a result of works" but by faith that we are saved--the gift of God. We too were once living to die, I hope to help people too see how dead they are without Jesus, but give them hope in the life that He alone gives.
The last thing I would like to share is about my experience with the trains and trams and busses! I really love "getting around" using public transit. It is a lot of fun for me. I hope it opens up some more doors for ministry. Today on my train between Gniezno and Poznan, i was bale to talk a little with three different young ladies. They didn't speak much English, but enough to have short conversations. They seemed so surprised and quite delighted that I would take the time to talk to them. I find the people of Poland to be a little bit.....standoffish at first. Yet they are such a very aggressive, up-close, culture. There are not people smiling, or much conversation as people walk, even in restaurants people somehow look so somber and are so quiet. And yet, as I stood in line to get my ticket for the train, Rich clued me in, that if I am not right on top of the guy in front of me in line, I am not in line! So here i was, thinking i was being so considerate by giving this person the space i would appreciate, when in reality, it is not something they value--in fact, it is devalued because it puts "me" at a disadvantage. So I guess that pops my "space bubble".
No comments:
Post a Comment