A Simple Faith

I just want to say that I am incredibly grateful for the simplicity of God's way. While it is probably the most difficult way to take, it is simple. It's not complicated, nor are we expected to understand all of the ins and outs before we take it, we follow in faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7- For we walk by faith and not by sight.

Isaiah 55:9- For as heaven is higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

It's been an interesting few weeks at work at the Surin Rajabhat University. The school hired on another foreign teacher after the last one quit mid-year. This guy is from Chicago and things started off quite strangely to be very honest. The first day, after learning I was a Christian, he ridiculed me for Creationism and how stupid the belief that a God created and maintains this earth is. A simple "hello" would have sufficed for day one. He has since proceeded to go around the room, each teacher experiencing some ridiculing, highly intense "discussion" about one thing or another. For the other foreign teacher, it was how ridiculous his PhD was in Japanese studies, why study a difficult foreign language, that's stupid. Well, things seemed to be getting out of hand for awhile. It seemed that nobody could do right in his eyes, he was a science teacher from Chicago who talked to you in conversation like a lawyer talks in a courtroom. The Thais couldn't really take it and generally avoid him now.

But after he had an episode with one of our Thai friends, I confronted him and told him that the way he was talking to people was extremely abrasive. Honestly, he's got to be about the most abrasive sort I've ever met. Since then, he's tapered off a bit. He's not as eager to dig into an argument with everyone. Still, he has told me he respects me, which might sound all good except that means he wants to talk every day now. So yesterday held an interesting little "discussion".

Yesterday it was about how people in older times were ignorant and stupid compared to us, since we have modern ways and technology. The premise was that learning and science and modern advances are what makes a good society. I disagreed, I said that people are basically the same throughout the ages, just with different circumstances (technology and so on). That somehow turned into the garden of Eden, where he ended up stating that God was unforgiving (wow...) and that Adam was stupid and ignorant, not really knowing what he was doing. Everything he said he was trying to implicate God somehow. But I wouldn't budge on that one. I gave him scripture after scripture where God told Adam EXACTLY what he was to do/not to do, and what would happen if he disobeyed. Adam knew what he was doing. If God is unforgiving, what is the cross? And so on. Once he saw that wasn't working, he switched to predestination and God's omniscience. Wow, now that's a changeup. He was trying to corner me by asking if I believed God knew everything that would happen. I said yes. Logically, that would mean that we are robotic, simply acting out what God has already set in order to happen. I said, No. This terribly frustrated him, and he began to get upset (a normal occurence mind you). "That can't be, you can't say that". I then demonstrated to him, using scriptures how that God says he knows all things, and yet He gives us a very real choice to do right or wrong. So God does know everything that has, can and will be, and yet gives us a real choice. He was bubbling with angst at this point. He pointed at me and said, "You are irrational!" I simply gave a little smile and said, "That's fine with me. Because God has said that His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts, and we cannot understand everything about Him. For me, that's just fine." With that, his face was already turning purple, and I thought it might explode. So he sat down without bringing it up again for the afternoon.

So why do I tell you this? To tell you how great a debator I am? Please, no. I am not the prize fighter in a debate, I generally hate confrontation. But I saw something yesterday that bears repeating, and that's the power of God's word and a simple child-like faith.

Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.

Matthew 18:4- Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I saw that God's word can stand on its own feet. God doesn't need me to have all the answers to this man's questions of the Bible and science, what he really needs is a word from God. After talking with Leah about all this (she was there during the whole episode), we both concluded that there is a world of hurt masked behind this abrasive facade. Pray that we can reach out through that to a hurting heart that desperately needs the Lord. But I hope you are encouraged as you interact with people everyday. We have no need to feel stuck or helpless in this world, God has given us everything we need. He has given us His words.

God's Healing: Body and Soul

I thought I'd jot a note and let everyone know how things are progressing since the accident. That seems so long ago, and yet it was only a month now that we were in a hospital, minds spinning wondering what happened. Life changed dramatically after that. We couldn't use the motorcycle, it needed repairs and frankly we weren't really "in the mood". I think you could imagine why! Our injuries have healed wonderfully. While I'm still working on the whole bending the thumb stuff, it's pretty much in tact now. With a few minor jolts of pain when I bend it weird or put too much pressure on it, it's just fine and in working order. All my abrasions have turned to pink memories of discomforts gone by. No more worries of infection or complication. Leah's knee has been healing beautifully. She is walking, pretty much running. We were able to go to Bangkok, and she could get around on the stairs, just as long as we took frequent breaks. She wont' be jumping in on a marathon mind you, but God has been so good to us. The healing has been wonderful.

Something I didn't think about initially was what to do about getting around. Suddenly, that became the biggest bear. No more motorcycle meant we were dependent on others to get around most of the time. I can take the songtaew (bus-truck kind of thing) to work every day and be fine, but even then I am depending on it being on time. And sometimes, it just isn't. For everything else, we had to ask favors and depend on the others here to help us get to church and even the grocery store. Especially in the beginning, when Leah could barely walk. And it was a struggle, because as much as people say we are not imposing, you always have this guilt feeling that you are. So you have to get over a lot of pride and allow people to reach out and help you. That's difficult. So we are indebted to the Joneses and Vonda and the Hayes for helping us exist this past month.

Recently though, we decided to go ahead and get the motorcycle fixed. We weren't sure what we'd do with it, though we knew we were going to sell it before we left. Then God put it in our heart to do something we never knew we could... get back on. While this may not have seemed possible in our minds, God knew it was. And so just this week, we received word that our motorcycle was finished, for a pretty minimal cost. After I brought it back to the house, we just sort of looked at it, and we both knew that we had to at least try getting back on. I had driven it since the accident, really just to take it to the shop and back. But we just felt we needed to do this, and so we did. I am thankful because I realize it's not only our bodies that God has healed, there's something in our hearts that God has healed as well. So yes, we are driving the motorcycle again, though in an almost paranoid fashion. Drivers seem to explode out of every bush and side-alley. And I'm not exaggerating too badly there! It's been really nice just to be able to get around on our own again. I know it's cliche, but you don't really know how good you have it until you don't. The ability to get around and do what you need to do. That's a privilege, not even a right. And I thank God that we can do that now.

I will still take the songtaew to work each day... call it paranoia, but the road to school is filled with people getting on and off the road, and I don't want to risk it, so the back of a truck suits me just fine. Thank you for praying, because God tends to answer even the prayers that we don't know we need to pray. He just does what is best for us, and we've seen that first hand!

The Roadrash Anniversary

Well, I must say that this has been an incredible experience, in every way imaginable. I'm typing this sans thumb as is, but managing okay. Leah's surgery went very well, lots of stitches (not sure how many), as there were two layers to do. They really cleaned her out, and she's been feeling it every since. Today, they took her bandages off (which combined with her leg was about a foot in diameter, it was a rather huge bandage). Leah liked to call it the ham bandage, as it resembled a big old ham! Anyway, when it came off, there was no swelling in her knee, and the stitches looked pretty good. Sorry Matt, no pictures of this! :) My thumb should be 3 weeks before the imbolization comes off. Leah, we're not sure about yet. It could be more time, we just don't know. She tried standing today, but that alone was excruciating for her. I think she's gotten stronger even since this morning, but it may be a long time in healing. Thankfully, the doctor said that there was no bone damage, not even tendon damage, all skin and muscle. God really was in this, because the blow when right between the joints, avoiding any tendons, bone, and even any blood vessels. (even as I was looking at the horrid wound, there was virtually no bleeding when it happened! There's just so much to praise our God about!

And that's not to mention all the love and support that people have given. We have not lacked for friends during this time. There has been a constant flow of people in the room. From church members, to co-workers at the university, to people we used to know, to people we don't even know! Many tears have come from our hearts over the love that people have shown. And not to mention all the love and support from our friends here. I am sorry we cannot write each and every one of you, perhaps over time. The hospital has no internet, so whenever I can get over to the church, I check and try to tell Leah what everyone is saying. Your prayers are not unanswered, God has been doing something wonderful. This was the oddest anniversary we have every had I must say. Never planned on spending our 4th in a Thai hospital, but there we are. And yet it couldn't be more perfect. God has brought us even closer to Him and each other. We have held each other and shared our fears, tears, and joy over all the love.

It could have all been much much worse, and again, it just wasn't. God was there. He was in each detail. He didn't do this to us, He allowed this for us. We have had only to benefit from this. Still, recovery, showering with a plastic bag over my left hand, struggling to walk, and so on aren't exactly anyone's idea of a "good time". What is good is our God and the support we have felt in this time!

Thank you thank you thank you, for praying! I know that is what kept us really going. I'd like to think I'm just strong, or I've got it all together, but truth is I've got nothing. I was reduced to helplessness as I saw my wife gashed. It's only God that things went the way they did. Thank you all for your love!

In His Incredible Care,

Andrew and Leah Kilcup

Motorcycle accident

Here is the email I sent to our family, I thought I'd put it where more people could read it.

Okay, nobody freak out. I just want to give you the facts before you see the status updates of "we're praying for Drew and Leah" all over the place. Today, going to lunch from Rajabhat, we were in a motorcycle accident. Unlike the others, this one was not so minor. It could certainly have been much worse than it ended up, but all things considered, it was pretty bad. It's hard to recall what happened, but here's what I remember. We were going down a long stretch of road and there were some students in front of us. They were veering left, and I thought they were going across the drainage ditch on a bridge. But just before we went passed them, they turned right, our motorcycles collided, and ours went spinning across the road to the right. Thankfully, there was no oncoming traffic. Our motorcycle skidded across the road with us underneath.

When it finally stopped, we were both underneath it. In the adrenaline of the moment, I shoved the bike off, burning my hand as I did so pushing on the exhaust pipe. I had know idea I was burned at the time. When I looked at Leah, she said something about her knee. Sparing you the details, her knee was split open from end to end, and very deep. It was terrible to see her in such pain, but I tried to keep my wits about me. People just poured over to help. Some shielded Leah from the sun with their jackets while others took the bike away. Thankfully, a teacher from Rajabhat came by and offered her car to take us to the hospital. Leah hobbled in and off we went. Kathi and later Jim met us at the hospital, where we were both cleaned up, x-rayed and taken very good care of.

So here's the lowdown. I have lots of abrasions on my right leg and arm, and a fractured thumb. So I was released from the hospital with a "thumbs up" for a couple weeks. Leah's injury was really only one, but more serious. The gash in her knee went pretty much to the bone, but they got it cleaned up very well and right now, are taking her into surgery. They need to do surgery (complete with general anesthesia) because they need to do two layers of stitches.

I won't mince words. This was terrifying. But there is so much that could have happened that didn't. It could have been head on, it could have been much much worse. But it wasn't, our God was in control the whole time. We're okay now. Leah's smiling in the hospital, and I'll be going over there to stay with her. She has a private room, which is very nice, but has to be there for 3 days. The motorcycle is bent a bit in the wheels, but otherwise looks okay. So we are praising God. Even in the midst of the pain, she was singing. My heart broke to see her in such a condition, but was overjoyed with how good care God provided. We had no fears about the hospital, and people were coming in and out the entire time. There was so much love all around us, my eyes were constantly filled with tears.

So please pray, recovery will take a while from here. We're okay, just beat up pretty good. But our spirits are high. Pray for Leah and I as we recover from our injuries. All of this considered, we wouldn't trade the life God's given us for a minute!

Wherever God Leads...

Well, perhaps it's been a little too long since last we updated this blog. We will play catch-up very soon. There has been so much happening, it has been a whirlwind of a summer! Although... honestly, all year has felt like "summer" in one way or another. Point aside, God is at work in our hearts and lives, that is for sure.

We came to Thailand to try and discern if this is the place God would have us stay on a permanent basis. In fact, we were kind of set on that notion. We sold or gave away much of our belongings, and settled down on the idea that we would set up a basis from which we could serve in this country for a long time. The first 6 months were rather brutal, adjusting to so much and going through some of the hardest struggles that we have ever faced. But God only showed His goodness and love through it and we came through just fine. But something else was going on. During the time that we have spent here, we have seen a change in our heart. God has changed us, there's just no way around that. We are not the same people we were when we left the United States. But perhaps it is that we have a bigger heart for the US. Strange as it may sound, living and serving the Lord in Thailand has given us a bigger burden and urge to serve in the US.

Funny thing is, it has nothing to do with culture, food, comforts or any such thing. Truth is, life can be very comfortable in a place without all the trappings and distractions of American life. The slowed pace and general friendliness of the people honestly make it a wonderful place to live and raise children. But it's not a matter of comfort, it's a matter of following the Lord's direction. And for whatever reason, it is pointing us back to the US. Lest any think this to be a sudden and rash decision, this is something we have toiled over in study and prayer for months and months. We were both determined that it would not be for any reason such as discomfort or frustration. While those may be a part of life at times here, it is also found in life anywhere.

Of course, I realize that this begs the questions, "what next", or "where will you go", or "what will you do"? Honestly, we don't have those answers. It seems that God reveals the next step, one step at a time. While I would love to know what's around the next 12 turns in the road, God chooses to reveal one at a time. While here in Thailand, we have realized that God has given us many opportunities and has opened our eyes to abilities and possibilities that we had not dreamed of. So the answer to "where " or "what" is impossible to find at this point. It could be anywhere, anything. All I know is that we will follow Him wherever He leads. As we find out more, we will keep you posted here.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for some updates from this summer. There's been a lot happening.

Following Him wherever He leads us,

Andrew

The Power of Relationships

One thing we have learned living and serving the Lord in Thailand is the power that relationships have in ministry. Ministry, we have learned, is a life not so much something that you do just at church or on a Sunday. Ministry in the New Testament church was something that overflowed from the relationship believers had with Jesus Christ. And much of that ministry between people happened through relationships. The church itself is about relationships (Ephesians 4:16), illustrating this the way that a body is connected together and operates through those connections (joints and ligaments). Nothing is more apparent than ministry here in Thailand.

When the teen group from Anchor came here, they taught English at one of the local schools here, Surawittayakarn School. They met number of people, but a handful of the students kept coming to see them while they were here. They were especially enamored by Shane and Tiffany I think! At any rate, these students (Foam, Jeep, Ice, Korn, and Doc to name a few) kept on coming even after the teen group returned to the United States. To sum things up, they have been coming out to church events (though not actually church itself) this entire time up to the present. Now, they are all going off to college... some in Bangkok, some in Chiang Mai, some a little closer. We maintain contact with many of them through facebook and email, and continue to pray that the things they heard about Jesus will sink into their hearts.

However, to illustrate just how much of an impact these American teens made, I include an excerpt from their yearbook. Here is a page that has the coming of the Anchor teens to their school. What may have seemed like a little thing, teaching English, could be in fact life altering for some of these young people. They saw and continue to see Thais and Americans whose lives are different, there is joy and real peace, something so many people here lack. So thank you, Anchor teens, what you did here made more of a difference than you may ever know!

Songkran: Water water everywhere...

Andrew and Sai soaking and being soaked.

I can't believe I've become one of those people who have a blog and don't update it. Shame shame shame. Well, honestly, it's been hard to think of major things that happened in April, somewhat of a slower month you might say. School is out, but we are supposed to report in each day, so there is usually not much going on at the office. The one major highlight of the month is the huge festival in Thailand called Songkran. Actually, it is the biggest holiday of the year, like Christmas or July 4th in America. The celebration is the Thai new year, the Buddhist year of 2551. The holiday itself takes some explaining. Basically, it is a water free-for-all. Anybody is a target, the old and the young. And don't think anyone will have mercy because you drive a motorcycle, in fact, you are the main target! So riding around town, we had to expect to get drenched anywhere and everywhere we went. Riding to the market, to the grocery store, for dinner, even for church. It's all fair game.

Ah, but life would be rather dull if one just resigned themselves to a water-logged existence. So Saturday Leah and I teamed up with Sai, one of the high school age girls at the church, and dished out our own recompense! We just loaded up a trash can full of water and sprayed anyone who ventured down the road in front of the church, which is one of the main routes in town. So as wet as we got, we had the satisfaction of dealing out a few gallons on our own! My initial thought was, "Wow, the US needs to get in on this!" But what with the road rage we already deal with in States, there'd probably be riots in every city! So maybe it wouldn't work. We even had a little water battle with some of the kids across the street from our house. It was really fun to spend some time letting them get us dripping wet. They even climbed the wall and ambushed us from the trees! What little monkeys! It was a very good opportunity to build relationships with kids we otherwise wouldn't get a chance to meet. Now when they see us, they say hello (or sawadii to be specific) to us.

On a more serious note, the church celebrated Songkran in their own way. Besides everyone coming to church a little more water-logged than usual, they had a special ceremony. There are a number of things that are traditional for Songkran. First, the water wars, that's the most obvious. Second, everyone wears bright colors, usually Hawaiian style shirts. Third, many people wear jasmine flower leis. Fourth, they will smear baby powder or a cream on their faces to cool them off. More often, people will do it to their friends as an act of kindness. But fifth, they will perform a ceremony to honor their elders. This is something the church does in celebration of this renowned holiday. All of the older members of the church sat in chairs in a semi-circle while the younger people formed a line. Each younger person took up a small bowl filled with cool water with jasmine in it. It gave off a sweet fragrance. They would take this and pour a small amount on the hands of the older person, who would in turn take some of that water and put it on their head. They would give their thanks for the life of that older person. In turn, the elder would give a blessing to the younger. This would happen all the way down the line. Little children thanking their elders, older people blessing the younger ones. What a beautiful picture of such biblical texts such as Titus 2 where we are told to honor each other, both older and younger. It was a very moving ceremony for everyone as each person expressed their love for one another.

So Songkran was about as different as it gets. It's an all-Thai event, and we were privileged to experience it. While our clothes may still be drying out, our hearts were really moved and encouraged by a church showing love for each other in such a unique way.

We did make a video which we made available to a few of the churches that support the Hayes. If you would like to see it, you can follow the link below and download it from there! Let us know what you think!

http://www.mediafire.com/?1guzyzim3nt

Redeeming the Time: Practice makes Better...

Well, I wanted to put up that last post (pardon the length) because it was a very interesting study we had done recently, but I also wanted to let anyone who reads this know how it impacted our lives. God gave us an opportunity to grab onto just yesterday (Sunday). It was a very hot day, and the fans in the church just didn't seem to be able to keep up, so it was a bit of a struggle. But we got through just fine. Still, you don't realize how much heat can sap your strength. I teach on Sunday afternoons, tutoring a local doctor's children in English, which is helping to build some key bridges into their lives. Kathi as well is working to build relationships with this family. I teach for an hour, and then we usually go home, eat or whatever, getting rested up for the evening. Well, this family is extremely giving and so invited us to go bowling with them. At first, we were both thinking... ugh... it's so hot, and we are so very tired... bowling seemed like the last thing we wanted to do. And yet, we knew it was an opportunity that God had brought along the way. So we decided to do it, and never regretted it. God proved to be the wiser of us in bringing this opportunity along. And so we were able to put our study into practice, grabbing up the opportunities that come along the way, making time for them instead of holding to any rigid schedule.

So we did go bowling, and apart from my own lousy scores (Leah's was actually much better), what wasn't lousy was the building of relationships with this wonderful family. Their youngest son, who is elementary school age, is usually shy and doesn't EVER speak to us, or anyone else for that matter. But at the end, after we had cheered him on (even with gutterballs), he really warmed up and would at least look at us! So we thank God that His wisdom is much greater than our own, and we thank him for an opportunity to "practice what we preach".

Redeeming the Time: A Study

As part of our adjustment process here in Thailand, we have been reading through the book "Cross Cultural Connections" by Duane Elmer, a must-read for anyone experiencing life in a different culture. Be it missions work or otherwise, this book is suited for anyone heading into the unknown territory of another culture. As we were reading through the book, something really caught my attention in chapter 13. In summary, this chapter is dealing with the issues surrounding time versus event. The issue is whether one sees time as hours and minutes or as opportunities... strictly related to a clock, or more relational. One section in the chapter dealt with "Time in the Bible", where he makes a distinction between the Greek words chronos and kairos, both usually translated as "time". He mentioned Ephesians 5:16, the famous verse about "redeeming the time", and so it got my mental gears turning. Is there credibility to what he's saying? If there is, it changes a few things! This is what I have found then...

Elmer makes a distinction between the two words, stating that,

"Chronos refers generally to time segments, sequences and what we might think of as a specific time or time period. In today's culture, we might think of it as clock time or calendar time."

Of the other word, he states,

"Kairos, used nearly twice as often in the New Testament, approximates the way many people in the Two-Thirds World perceive time. Time is understood not in terms of specific segments but more in terms of opportunity, the right time, the appropriate time or the meaningful time. Thus, kairos people value the moment, the event or the opportunity and try to make it significant and memorable." (pgs 121-122) This then set me off to discover if the things he stated about these words were so.

CHRONOS: In my search, I found about 54 hits for this word in the New Testament, here are some examples.

Matt. 2:7- Herod asks what TIME the wisemen saw the star.
Matt. 25:19- The master in a parable returns after a long TIME.
Luke 1:57- Elizabeth's TIME came to give birth.
John 12:35- Jesus says only a little TIME is He with the disciples.
Acts 14:28,15:33,18:20-23- Speaks of staying in a place for a TIME.
1 Peter 1:17- Speaks of life as the TIME of our soujourning.
Rev. 20:3- Satan to be loosed from the pit for a TIME.

Compare that with KAIROS: In my search, I found about 80 hits for this word in the New Testament, far more than the prior word...

Matt: 8:29- Demons asking Jesus if He will torment them before the right TIME.
Luke 12:56- Jesus speaks to "hypocrites" who cannot discern the TIME.
John 7:8- Jesus does not go to a feast because His TIME is not yet come.
Acts 12:1- King Herod attacks the church "at that TIME" (the right time).
Romans 5:6- At the right TIME, Christ died for the ungodly.
Gal. 6:10- As we have OPPORTUNITY, let us do good...
Eph. 5:16- Redeeming the TIME...

And here are some extra-biblical examples from some common, everyday type correspondences in the world at the time of the New Testament...

1. An Alexandrian contract reads, "Apportion to him TIME (chronos)". In other words, he needs more time to do something.
2. A statement from a lawyer that says, "seizing a favorable TIME (kairos), she broke into my client's house, and carried off the foundling."

The evidence is rather overwhelming in my estimation. While these meanings are not necessarily exclusive from each other, they are generally referring to different things. So when Paul tells us to "redeem the time", is he saying that we need to fill our minutes, hours and days? Is he suggesting we need to be a part of the rat race, or even the Christian rat race? Or could he be saying the opposite? Could he be telling us to make the most of every opportunity? I tend to think so. Frankly, given a choice between a meeting or family matter, people in a third world agrarian culture will opt for family every time. They won't always miss the meeting itself, but they might be a few minutes late. They could not think of brushing somebody off because they might be late to something. In the western world, business is life and life is business. Time is money or at least valued as such. But is that entirely biblical?

In Elmer's evaluation of Time versus Event cultures, he makes some interesting comments about the typical western time-oriented culture. He notes that things were not this way until the industrial revolution, when people began punching clocks. On an assembly line, everyone needs to be there, if somebody is late, it holds everything up, and so our view of time began to change. Everything was tied to time, it was money. We measure life by time, we earn money by time, we sometimes even measure our success or effectiveness by time. Why is the wristwatch the most common graduation present? He says this,

"Many of us remember the hectic frenzy around the house trying to get ready on time for church or some event. We arrived on time but at the cost of shouting and tense feelings. Maybe it is still true in your house. Nevertheless, our time orientation served us well for things like gross national product, national emergencies and progress in science. It has, however, often take its toll on relationships." (pg. 119)

That somewhat floored me, mostly because it is so true. Even in something like church, this aspect of American thinking dominates. We view our time the same way the business world views it. We fill our lives with schedules and calendar items and times to be here and there. Then if something comes up, even an opportunity, it is lost because we "have to be somewhere". What has happened?

On page 118 however, Elmer makes another interesting note.

"It is my observation that much of the two-thirds world is becoming more like the west and much of the west is becoming more like the two-thirds world. For example, younger-generation Americans are less time-oriented and more event-oriented. Two-thirds world people, with exposure to the west, are becoming more time-oriented... Everyone has the same twenty-four hour day. Beyond that, however, people think about and use time differently."

In my estimation, nothing could be more true. I've seen clashes between two cultures even in America, where perhaps older generations look at the younger generations with disdain for their lack of concern for time. Likewise, younger generations may look at the older ones with a smirk because they are perceived as being nailed to a clock.

This raises some interesting questions. It is easy to fill our lives, make our schedules crazy, and imagine that we are living our life to the fullest for the Lord. "Look at everything I'm doing". But what are we doing? In the last number of years I spent in the states finishing up seminary, my life was nothing but hectic. I filled it up to the max with events and calendar items, being here and there doing this and that. I barely had time to breath! But towards the end (before crossing the ocean), I began to think, "what am I actually doing?" I wondered, in the insanity of my life's schedule, how many lives were actually being touched by mine? Is it possible to create such a busy life (even with good things), that we miss the opportunities that are afforded to us every day? Are we in such a hurry in the grocery store that we fail to even recognize the existence of the cashier, much less offer them a kind word, much less show them the love of Christ?

Life in Thailand sometimes seems dreadfully slow. It was a huge adjustment coming here. But then, it made me think. Is life too slow here, or is it too fast back int he US? The truth is, it would be wrong to make a blanket-statement about he US in this way, for there are many places, usually rural, where this is not the case. But in more metropolitan areas, it is definitely the case. And it's not like you can just have a daytimer or blackberry burning service or something. You can't ignore the demands of work and obligations, especially in America. But you can look at your life and perhaps take a priority-inventory. I've had to do that, I suppose I was forced to when we moved here. Redeeming the time... Did God intend for us to fill our lives with things, meetings, stuff to do? Or did He intend for us to view time a little more as an opportunity that only comes once?

Perhaps our super-civilization can learn some things from the rice farmers, the goat herders and the people of the field. Does God suggest that we fill our minutes with business and schedules, or that we use every opportunity that comes our way for Him?