7.13.2012

FFF: Guatemalan Style Part 3: Redefining Blessed

When planning to join with Susanne's Friday's Favorite Five this week, I was again noticing and thankful for more things that we have that those in Guatemala don't have.  I have already shared 2 weeks worth (part 1 and part 2) of favorites regarding the things that have become so very visible to me. 

My list was, once again, going to be including things we have here that those in Guatemala don't have.  As I was noticing these things, living my week, and preparing my list... my perspective began to change.   

This week I have been thankful for those things that I noticed in Guatemala... that I don't always seem to have or even notice. 

This week, these 5 things became favorites for me as I realized...  it may very well be me that misses the blessing and so often does without.  

1. Love:  I experienced a love there that was so very constant.  A love that overcame ANY perceived obstacles.

Meet Kim.  She and I seemed to connect from the moment we met.  We played soccer together.  We shared a story of Jesus together.  We sat together on the bus.  She helped me carry all of the items I was trying to juggle.  We enjoyed each other.

On Sunday morning Kim had come to church and we were sitting next to each other.  My dad was sharing, through a translator, about the death of my brother one week earlier and his decision to still make the trip.

Kim knew he was my dad.  As he was sharing, my tears began.  She put her arm around me and pulled me close, patting my shoulder the whole time.

We were together for a short time.  We are not of the same age group.  She has a tragic family situation.  We are not of the same country or of the same culture.  We do not speak the same language.

Verbally... that is.

The language of Love... she spoke to me.  It came through very clear!  And I loved her back the very best I knew how.  Oh how I learned to love her in that short time!
 

2.Community:  They have a sense of family and community that we largely do without here.  I especially noticed this in the villages around the lake area. 


Often they are born, marry, live, and die in their own village community.  They "do life together" in the truest sense of the word!  There is so much that I could learn from this!


3. Laughter:  I distinctly remembering at one point, when hearing those children laugh, that their laughter sounded just like the children here in the United States.  And with those children it doesn't take much to get that boisterous laughter pouring forth.  Oh how they laugh!

What a beautiful sound!



4. Family of God:  We had the opportunity to attend 2 different church services while there.  One was in Guatemala City on a Sunday morning.  One was a weeknight service in one of the lake villages.

Words don't even begin to describe the experience. We were singing in English (when we knew the words) while they sang that same song in Spanish.  We shared (through a translator) words of hope, truth, promise and blessing to each other. 

Having had this experience, I can't even begin to imagine what heaven will be like!!

Every Nation.  Every Tribe.  Every Tongue.  Together for eternity...

All for His glory!

Be still my heart...



5. Jesus: What a beautiful thing it was to be able to share Jesus... not just to them... but with them!  Whether it was through a simple Bible story or mixing cement together, we were sharing our God that spans across all the differences, any differences... because He loves...


I have considered this week and concluded that if I am not consistently aware of, thankful for, and purposely noticing the above as favorites in my every day's... then maybe I'm not the one so blessed after all.

What about you?  Is it just the material things we have that you find the most blessing in?  Or have you stopped to consider all of the gifts... grace... that we are given that could still remain if every piece of material goods were taken away?

Yes, the greatest blessings and favorites of my week indeed!

16 comments:

  1. nikkipolani1:31 AM

    Still more wonderful fives, Donnetta.  A little taste of heaven where the things that are barriers (language, culture, etc.) just melt away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How I treasure connections like you speak of with Kim.  That gave me tears. And 
    I love experiencing the oneness with the believers of every tribe and nation... is precious both now and will be in eternity.  :)  

    ReplyDelete
  3. mrspear11:39 AM

    Love this - and hoping this is not the end of hearing about your mission trip!  I am so blessed!

    And there is nothing like the love of Jesus and His children to sooth the painful parts of life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've never traveled outside the country, but from those who have I've learned it is truly an eye-opening experience on so many levels. So sweet to think of children's laughter sounding the same in any language and what it will be like in heaven when every tribe and tongue is represented.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Faith2:03 PM

    What an amazing list. this post blessed me and made me realize that the things we cannot purchase truly ARE the real faves..the real blessings...mercy, grace, love, community. loved this!! God bless you!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. OutnumberedMom2:16 PM

    "Doing life together" -- I like that! I love your perspective that when our perspective is not His, we're the ones missing the blessing. So true.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nancygraycejinks9:54 AM

    This is such a beautiful testimony to you and your dad's love for our Savior!  I have met several Ugandans and I noticed very first thing what a love they have both for the Lord and for life and people.  Your story made me think!  

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your perspectives are such good reminders.  We have so much here that it clogs our vision of what is the real blessings of life.

    ReplyDelete
  9. MyQuietCorner11:06 AM

     It was amazing to me how so many of those barriers did seem to disappear the longer we were there.  I'll bet you experienced the same thing in your travels?  A little taste of heaven, Oh the thought of that...

    ReplyDelete
  10. MyQuietCorner11:07 AM

     Connections and Oneness, something I did not envision happening at the level it did when I left.  Makes eternity seem all that much sweeter (and it was seeming pretty sweet before I went!)

    ReplyDelete
  11. MyQuietCorner11:10 AM

     I'm glad to hear you say that you hope it's not the end of hearing about my trip.  I have SO MUCH MORE I want to share, but was fearing maybe people are starting to tire hearing about it... both here and in the everyday world around me.  So, don't worry!  Definitely more to come, if only just for YOU! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. MyQuietCorner11:11 AM

     It was so much more eye-opening for me than I even imagined it might be.  Hearing the children's laughter experience caught me off guard, but it was a precious moment in which I found myself just sinking into and enjoying every part of it. 

    ReplyDelete
  13. MyQuietCorner11:12 AM

     Thank you for this!  Yes, realizing that those gifts of grace from HIM really are the true fav's, aren't they?!  God bless you as well!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. MyQuietCorner11:14 AM

     Oh you summarized this all so well, "When our perspective is not His, we're the ones missing the blessing."  I'm working more and more to gain His perspective each moment of each day!

    ReplyDelete
  15. MyQuietCorner11:16 AM

     Thank you.  I have more to share about my dad and the trip experience for him/us with having just lost my brother.  God truly did use that in amazing ways! 

    Yes, I also noticed this there... their love for God, life and people.  I wonder if it's because they aren't distracted by so many other things that we call important?  Still thinking through all of this myself! 

    ReplyDelete
  16. MyQuietCorner11:18 AM

     Yes, I think you've nailed it Susanne!  Having so much that it clogs our visions of what's really important.  And now to sort through in my own head of how to navigate that and keep the perspective in the right place long term...

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking a moment to stop and chat. I enjoy the presence of you!
~~~~~