I read this line recently in an article about TCKs (third culture
kids). “I love that they go deep quickly.
They
understand so well the value of right now. It doesn’t take them years to
make friends because they may not have years.” http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=2035 Having been around TCKs for
the last 20+ years as I’ve been involved in cross cultural ministry outside of
the US, I am fascinated by how TCKs work and think, and how they mature and
embrace life and language and diversity in ways that I’ve never experienced
before in my years of living.
But I find myself reflecting
that these same words apply to the people who are a part of my immigrant and
refugee world here in Belgium.
Case in point: last Sunday
we hosted a home group of new believers here in our home. People from different
countries who speak a common language; people who are also now speaking a new
common language, that of following Jesus Christ. I literally watched miracles in our midst, as a pot of chili
that was cooked to feed 10-12 made it all the way around the table for 17 of
us! It’s as though Jesus was there
in my living room, feeding the 5,000 that had arrived on our doorstep. We didn’t even have to say FHB to each other:
(“family hold back”, a lovely phrase that I learned from my missionary
colleague Karen Benson, which translated in this particular setting meant that
Steve and I weren’t going to get a bowl of chili). In the end, there was enough to go around. We didn’t have any baskets left over,
but then we weren’t feeding the crowd fish either! (Read from the New Testament
in the Bible, Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-14 if you
don’t know the story!)
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| Cleaning up the chili pot! |
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| Jehovah, Jirah, our provider |
Then I watched this group of
new believers, most of whom have just met each other in the last several months
since learning the truth about Jesus, come together and go deep very quickly as
tears began to surface. Tears of
joy for some as they shared the good news (and cream filled éclairs to celebrate!)
that they had received permission to stay and begin a new life. Tears of great sorrow and sadness and
fear for others, as they shared the sobering news of upcoming appointments and
needs for documentation. And
that’s when the second miracle of the day happened. Our friends needed a very important paper for their
appointment which was scheduled for the next day. But it’s Sunday afternoon in my home here in Belgium. There is no way possible for us to get
that paper in time for them to bring it to their appointment. So we all decided to go deep quickly,
because we didn’t have time on our side.
We needed the paper now!
But we had God on our side, and it was such a teachable moment as we
prayed together and asked God to release the document. Thirty minutes later, my husband Steve
walked in the door to announce that they had gone to the office, there was such
a nice lady working at the front desk (the only person there on a Sunday afternoon)
and she was able to print the document.
Happy friends went home and slept well that night and God had provided
another opportunity to prove Himself as Jehovah, Jirah, our provider to these
babes in Christ.
Celebrating miracles in our
midst.
Make sure that you keep your
eyes open.
God is at work!
