I learned something from a short woman with short gray-haired beating the drums with fervor. Her husband was a Scotsman. He pointed to her and said to me; “Do you know who Animal is from the Muppets?” “Yes,” I replied. “Well that's my wife on the drums. Be careful if you sit in the first few rows. It is entirely likely she could explode at any moment.”
I am in Thailand, at a gathering of all the international churches in the city of Chiang Mai. As we began to sing, this woman played with an abundance of passion and delight. I have never seen such a drummer. It was about 40 days ago we left the USA and headed to India. Even such a short time has forever changed the way I see. I feel something like the blind man who had mud put on his eyes. J*sus asked him, “Do you see anything?” The man said he saw men, but they looked more like trees walking. We all see, but we see from a distinct position. When that position changes, how we see changes. I thought I saw clearly before, but I now feel I did not see wholly, or completely before.
The ordinary here is really quite extraordinary. We spent time with a family who has lived the last 18 years in the slums of India. We met an Irish couple retiring from 50 years of teaching in Nepal. We met a family with 6 children living in China. We met a single man coming from 14 years of work with street children in Cambodia. Suddenly, all my confidence and my feelings of superiority disappear. A child should be quiet in the presence of his superiors.
Even those I thought I knew, those who travel with me, amaze me. They act with great courage, they endure hardship, they respond in loving kindness, and they will not give up. They are just ordinary {extraordinary} people. Perhaps, given more time, G*d will show me the extraordinary in all I think is ordinary, even me.
Right now it is easy to see how extraordinary everyone else is, but I feel depressingly ordinary. My faults are decidedly ordinary and common. My gifts don't seem as impressive as those of others around me. I am uncomfortable and hot. Extraordinary people can do these things, live these amazing, inspiring lives, but what about ordinary people? What about me? What about us?
Maybe this is faith:
A desire gently leading you towards what you secretly fear you are not capable of doing.
If so, I need more now than ever. Maybe that's good.
I am in Thailand, at a gathering of all the international churches in the city of Chiang Mai. As we began to sing, this woman played with an abundance of passion and delight. I have never seen such a drummer. It was about 40 days ago we left the USA and headed to India. Even such a short time has forever changed the way I see. I feel something like the blind man who had mud put on his eyes. J*sus asked him, “Do you see anything?” The man said he saw men, but they looked more like trees walking. We all see, but we see from a distinct position. When that position changes, how we see changes. I thought I saw clearly before, but I now feel I did not see wholly, or completely before.
The ordinary here is really quite extraordinary. We spent time with a family who has lived the last 18 years in the slums of India. We met an Irish couple retiring from 50 years of teaching in Nepal. We met a family with 6 children living in China. We met a single man coming from 14 years of work with street children in Cambodia. Suddenly, all my confidence and my feelings of superiority disappear. A child should be quiet in the presence of his superiors.
Even those I thought I knew, those who travel with me, amaze me. They act with great courage, they endure hardship, they respond in loving kindness, and they will not give up. They are just ordinary {extraordinary} people. Perhaps, given more time, G*d will show me the extraordinary in all I think is ordinary, even me.
Right now it is easy to see how extraordinary everyone else is, but I feel depressingly ordinary. My faults are decidedly ordinary and common. My gifts don't seem as impressive as those of others around me. I am uncomfortable and hot. Extraordinary people can do these things, live these amazing, inspiring lives, but what about ordinary people? What about me? What about us?
Maybe this is faith:
A desire gently leading you towards what you secretly fear you are not capable of doing.
If so, I need more now than ever. Maybe that's good.
