One of my favorite things is when the power goes out in the evening and prayer time is outside on the steps by moonlight. No one has arranged seats and everyone is really close, our voices are combined and float up to the heavens for our Lord to look down on us and smile. Tonight that happened, and it was wonderful! Tonight I had a rrevelation, but instead of seeing things from my point of view I saw them from God’s… kinda.

I was sitting on the steps with girls all around me. Mamta was next to me with my arm draped over her knees, Nagi was holding my hand against her face and leaning against the side of my knee, Rhema was in front of me leaning against both my knees, Lata was next to me holding my other hand, and Mary and Savitri were behind me rubbing my neck and back comforting me. As I looked around me  I saw my body being stretched between 6 people and knew that they were feeling my love being poured out to them individually. I was thinking about the fact there is NO WAY that I could pick one over the other and that I love them all with the same amount of passion, but for different reasons. I realized that this has got to be a little bit like how God loves us: not one over the other, but still each with all the love that anyone could give (keep in mind that I am human and God is … well God so His love is on a much greater scale than mine). And as I was thinking this, I was looking around at the girls that I love SO much and feeling them  love me back, and that felt SO good! Again I thought that that must be the way God feels: He loves us with all that He has no matter what we do, but when we love Him back and hold his hand and lean against His knees He smiles down at us and feels the love back and He is pleased! 

I don’t know if that made any sense to anyone but myself, all I know is that God loves me a whole lot and I don’t deserve ANY of it! God loves me the same no matter what I do, but when I love Him back He gets excited and is well pleased. When I talk to God about the struggles that I have He listens and cares, and helps me to get through them, and He is well pleased. When I shout out to Him because I am angry or confused, He listens and smiles because He loves us, and He is well pleased. When I work hard for Him, and then tell Him how it affected my life and how I am processing that, He smiles at us, and is well pleased. My Apa loves me with the same passion and the same love no matter what I do, but when I interact with Him and make Him a part of my life, He is well pleased!

So friends please the Lord, and feel His smile! Weather you are lower than you’ve ever been or flying higher than a kite, tell Him about it and listen to Him. Shout to Him and pray to Him. Laugh with Him and cry with Him. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do it with Him and recognize that He is in control and He cares, because He DOES! 

Being in India has taught me many things, and I pray that I continue to learn throughout my time here. One thing I’ve realized as I’ve seen the majority of the population serve false Gods that DEMAND DEMAND DEMAND and have NO GRACE and NO LOVE and NO REDEMPTION, is that I serve the one and only God, the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM. I serve the God of wonders, the God of heaven and earth, the God who created us and loves us. I serve the BEST most wonderful God that there is and I am SO happy about that. God is good and God is present in our lives! HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT?!??!?!?! 

“Praise the Lord! Stotra Strotra Stotra Amen!”