So much more...

Before we knew what happened, Ettienne, Nicholas and me got the surprise of our life… 

We were on a different flight than the rest of the team and would have had to wait on Madrid airport for about 20 hours before boarding our flight to Portugal.  Anticipating the same procedures as the previous time, we prepared ourselves for the “duty free shopping area” (almost like no man’s land on the airport) and getting some sleep.  But this time things were a bit different and before we understood what’s going on we were at border control and got a stamp in our passports.  This meant we were free to go into Spain!!!  Immediately our plans changed.  This was an opportunity we could not let go by.  We gathered all the maps and info we could get about Madrid and decided to get a day pass for the subway and explore as much as we can.  None of us have ever been in Madrid and for most just taking the subway was already a new experience.

During our exploration of Madrid, I pondered on the similarity it has with our relationship with God.  He shows us areas we have not yet explored and we have the choice to either stay with just that which we are familiar with, or go out into that which is still unknown to us.  When we take the step of faith to explore other areas He shows us, we grow in our relationship with Him.  And the beauty of it all is that we can return to an area which we have explored before and find even more!!!  It is my desire to experience all that God wants to show me.  I do not want to grow use to certain things and get to a point where I am just satisfied with that, because in God there is so much more!!!  I want to get to know Him better every day and love Him more.

As we explored Lisbon yesterday I was reminded of this parable again.  During our time in Portugal, I stumbled upon this quote – “We must overcome the notion that we must be regular…it robs us of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre.”

May we all live extraordinary lives because we serve an extraordinary (more than ordinary) God!!!  It is the God with whom reality means that we can walk on water, heal the sick, cast out demons, multiply food and go against all the laws of physics and boxes of “reality” we have.