We are in Kenya. We are in Kenya. We are in Kenya. A year ago I would have been at work doing some MS Excel programming and moving automotive parts in a warehouse to create space for more parts... I AM IN KENYA. We are walking through the streets of Kenya, we are teaching primary school kids that Jesus is the Winner Man, we are eating mangos, chapattis and beans. Karibu. We are in Kenya. No matter how many times I repeat it, it still feels weird and unreal.
When we arrived here alot of us asked the question: What exactly am I doing here and what is my role in the group? We all love Jesus and want to be part of His Kingdom and what He is doing, but what does this look like in a group of 16 individuals?
I was actually thinking to myself: Joh Marié, what have you gotten yourself into this time! I felt incompetent on so many levels. Even with things I would usually be very comfortable with. This is when I realised God wants us to trust Him every step of the way for advice and not to lean on past experiences. It sounds alot easier than it is! We LOVE to draw from past experiences and in the process we exclude the Holy Spirit from our decisions.
Apart from this I saw a miracle unfold in our little group of 16. Without noticing it in the moment, everyone was starting to discover and step into their specific roles.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 NIV
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles,
second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
Jesus was saying to each of us individually: I have handpicked you, you are here for a very specific reason. And if He says it, who am I to question the reason. All He requires from me is to hold His hand and let Him guide me in it, one step at a time.
On our last night of debrief in Kilifi, the Holy Spirit had me in awe with another revelation. One we all know, but forget ALL THE TIME. Many believers today(including me) have made the Christian life only about serving. While it is true that we are servants for the Lord, this idea alone misses a very important dimension. Jesus is looking for lovers, not maids. He's looking for intimate companions, not forced slaves.
Frank Viola captures this in his book Jesus Now:
''The Lord is looking for something way beyond mandatory obedience. He desires voluntary lovers. Those who have been captured by His love. Those who have been captivated by the sight of His stunning worth. Those who have allowed His love to penetrate their beings and return it to Him. Any love we have for Jesus is a reflection of His for us.
We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Whether you are male or female, you are part of a girl - the most beautiful woman in the world. And your Lord is madly in love with her.''
So when the King of the universe grabs hold of you, grab hold of Him with your whole being!!