Ceaseless Giving. Global Bonds.

People take advantage of other people.

right?? 

they work the system, they get their money's worth, they live on somebody else's dime. 

I'm just thankful that in a world filled with people out for themselves, Christ was not like that. 

Isn't it amazing that he was human, and while humans are people who take anything we can from other people in order that we can have a better life, He was a human who made sure the best life was assured for us by giving everything He could to us. from take to give; from striving for better to resting in best. He really does fit our needs like a jigsaw puzzle, doesn't he? He really does fill our voids. Astounded today by the beauty of his unending giving. How does he keep on doing it?

Tonight was our international night in PMI, and not only was the diversity incredibly beautiful, it was so much fun. We had friends from Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, China, Turkmenistan, Belize, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, and of course, India and America. We played games from other countries and sang everyone's national anthem and ate each others' food. i did a little jig and a dueling banjo performance - my banjo was carefully crafted from paper plates and toilet paper tubes, so you know that was a priceless two minutes of everyone's life. I placed second in the limbo competition, and what the very tall Ethiopian first prize winner lacked in back flexibility he made up for in BONELESS LEGS. We all were amazed; we laughed and laughed with delight. We danced around moving bamboo sticks and laughed even more when every one of us got tangled up in them, tripping over the traditional moves from the Philippines. Life is beautiful; the world is beautiful; the people of the world are beautiful. Salad from Laos is spicy. Cakes from China are chalky. Corn nuts from the Philippines are crunchy. And we all ate them together.

                             

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Ceaseless giving.

Global bonds.

Happy Independence Day! I started this blog last night, feeling like i was writing two different paragraphs in two different directions with no transition piece, but also sensing that these two ideas would be something i would wish i'd written down. I labored through the two concepts separately today, ruminating on the contrast of God with the world by way of Christ and the contrast of the world with itself by way of countries.  

The contrast of the world with itself is sensational; exquisite. His contrast with us is both meritorious and necessary.

(Even photographically speaking,  contrast, which is just basic difference, is vital; did you know that? Without contrast you have flat colors and depthless perspective.)

Since it's Thursday, we had song practice for the Sunday service. We have a mission Sunday this week, so we were working with especially globally-focused material.

i was particularly moved by this song. 

Somehow, this one's better heard than read, but here are the lyrics:

Love unfailing, overtaking my heart
You take me in
Finding peace again
Fear is lost in all You are
And I would give the world to tell Your story
'Cause I know that You've called me
I know that You've called me
I've lost myself for good within Your promise
and I won't hide it;
I won't hide it
Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go 

to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth 
For You alone are the Son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God.

I didn't even realize until i was singing it on my walk home that it coupled the two themes i'd been working with separately all day! 

we don't hide His Promise to ceaselessly cover our sins. we can't keep it in our heads, in our homes, or in our countries. we have to go, and we have to talk about it.

Truth takes the fear out of difference. Truth gives us the opportunity understand people, to go to them where they are.

we learn to love each other in our differences because of how He Loved us.

He Loves endlessly, and He Loves the whole world, and that's why i love it, too.

  Ceaseless Giving.                   Global Bonds. 

He covers our shame and joins our hands. 

how deep is my desire to be just like that.

Love from Delhi,

Julie, giving more ceaselessly; bonding more globally.