Little Children....

All the paper work has been turned in and I'm in preparation mode...even though we still have a little under three months left before departure. We had our first official team meeting at our team leader (KB)s' home, which was a first for me and I LOVED the way it made us instantly feel like not only a team but a family. She's a strong leader and I'm really excited to travel under her and learn from her!

KB gave us each a folder full of info about the trip. This woman is crazy organized. She also challenged us to fast one day a week until we leave and gave us a myriad list of things to pray through and for. HARD! The team chose Thursday but that is unrealistic for me so I chose Saturdays. In some ways easier, in some ways harder. Today is Saturday. This is my first day. And I'm hungry. And so I blog :)

Our team has several couples, meaning, we will have men! And these men are EXCITED about teaching the Word! It is so beautiful and encouraging to me to see men lead and serve!! There are some great single gals, too, that I can't wait get to know better. All total, we have 15 people on our team...It's going to be an amazing trip just from the looks of the roster!

I've been in a bible study this school year with my friend Annie who is also on our team. We've been studying through Isaiah and have been blown away by the prophets vivid description of idols, idolatry, and the One True God. Throughout this book of the Bible, we've been constantly reminded of our trip to India last September. Annie and I had just started the study and were living it on the streets of India at the same time. In many ways, we could better understand the gravity and deception spoken of by Isaiah: That with one half of the wood they make fires and cook their food, and with the other half, they carve idols that they then bow and worship. That these idols have mouths but cannot speak, ears but cannot hear, and are burdensome. They cannot move from place to place but must be carried by those that create them. They cannot answer prayer or give hope. They are lifeless and those who worship them will become like them.

These are strong, eye opening, and maybe even offensive words to some. But they are true not only for cultures with 33million gods and goddesses...but for me and my culture as well. In fact, there idols are visible and plainly seen as idolatry in light of scripture. The idols in my culture are much much more subtle. And yet, just as lifeless and deceptive. My culture has idols like food (that is really real to me right now...did I mention I'm hungry??? lol)...like drinking and partying...like sexual exploits and constantly seeking after pleasure...like wealth and material possessions...(It's been said that while we are busy keep up with the Jones' most people in this world are just trying to survive). I could go on and on but I think you get the point. And hopefully you are sifting through your own life and asking yourself, What gives me comfort? What is it that makes me feel satisfied? Where am I getting my self-worth, my hope? What am I turning to in hardship or relying on to "escape" the difficulties of this life? If you are like me, the answers are sometimes not pretty. They are selfish, and often based on deception. And more times than not, leave us feeling the same or worse then before we acquiesced.

Contrast the above with the words of the Lord through Isaiah in chapter 46:3-4:
“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
and have carried since you were born.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

I'm so thankful that the Lord has given me this opportunity to see Him so clearly, through scripture, through the people groups of this world, and through my own struggles as I walk with Him. "It is in Him, through the shedding of His blood, that we have our deliverance--the forgiveness of our offenses--so abundant was God's grace" Ephesians 1:7

And finally, I love how John addresses us in 1 John 5:21...and the sweetness of his warning:
"Little children, guard yourselves from idols."

Amen.