Skip to main content

Being too busy for Larry.

As I walked past him I heard him ask those passing by (myself included) for money towards a downpayment on a cheeseburger. It brought a smile to my face and touched my heart, so my friend and I decided to get him a coffee and sandwich (there were no fast food places in sight). Stood there buying the coffee I was struck by cynical thoughts; thoughts that maybe he wouldn’t accept it and say that he wasn’t in the mood for coffee. Interesting to think that I was concerned about being rejected by someone who is rejected numerous times a day…I realised how selfish I am and how it was so not about me not feeling rejected, but about him feeling, if not much, maybe a little bit of dignity. We got the coffee and sandwich and gave it to him, and he was very grateful for it and positive. It was one of those wide open doors I could have stepped through, and maybe taken him closer to Jesus. But being pressed for time and with a commitment to the prophecy rooms we simply blessed him and told him Jesus loved him before we headed off. My heart was tugged and challenged by the situation. Looking back at it I become so aware of my own priorities and values, and wondering where the heart of Jesus is within them. How can I live in line with what He wants to do in peoples’ lives, including being faithful to the “planned” when the unexpected comes along.

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday children's prayer | Handing out shoes and feeding toddlers.

No day is the same here. After getting up early (which seems to be what I do here), and eating breakfast which was bread with butter (accompanied by an amazing cup of coffee given me by an American friend), I headed to the prayer room for children's prayer. This is a prayer time where the children come voluntarily to pray before school on Tuesdays and Fridays. Entering the room I was so impressed by how it was full of children eager to pray. There were probably 60 or 70 children there, and it was amazing to see one after the other choose to pray for their families and people who are sick, and other subjects on their little hearts. It was so great and an experience that I will carry with me for a long time. After prayer it was "Shoprite" time, which meant piling into a bus with other visitors and missionaries for the weekly shopping trip. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I had a few items to buy and hoped it would be a stress-free experience. As we drove along ...
Read more

It’s been one week.

A week ago we were sitting at work talking about how quickly the Corona situation was escalating. News of closed gyms and limited gatherings were there, and we were wondering what now. Only the day before we’d been open, and while taking the hygiene precautions and reminding each other to not hug or shake hands, there was a sense of support in each other, and normality was still there. Then suddenly it all changed. From being a crisis in China and Asia, then Italy, it had well and truly arrived in Norway. Friday morning we sat in our staff meeting. News of the closing of all schools and kindergartens for two weeks had come the evening before. We sat there with so many questions and few answers. The one thing we knew for sure was that this was a time to be available and present. A time to be proactive, and to make sure our people knew that we were there even if we weren’t open. That day we made many phone calls and sent messages and emails. Some were worried and needed reassurance,...
Read more

At a crossroads yet again.

This evening feelings of weariness flood my soul. Weary of not knowing. Weary of choosing to trust. Weary of waiting. Weary of walking yet not knowing what I am walking in or towards. Weary of figuring out life on my own. This past month the reality of crossroads in life has hit me yet again. I knew it was coming, but suddenly it was there and I just had to go with it. There’s not much more I can do...except waiting and trusting and choosing. Choosing to let God be the One who guides and fights and prepares the path before me. My crossroads is “do I stay or do I go”? From Kansas City and IHOP-KC. In October I’ll have been here two years, which feels like 5 years and at the same time 6 months. In December I go home for Christmas. It’ll have been a year since last time and I’ll be seeing my niece who’ll be 3 instead of 2 years old, and my little nephew who will be 1 year already, and I’ll get to meet little Julie who is only three weeks old as I write this. She’ll be 4 months when I meet...
Read more