Making Music

Rhythm. There are many elements to music, but rhythm for sure is one of the most important ones; specially when different instruments are trying to play together. Last night we had a speaker talk about the rhythm of life and how sometimes our journey seems to lead us to quietness and others to act loud! So true! There's the routine of things, the meals, the work; and then there are those moments of crescendo where you feel like all eyes are turning towards you and waiting for the song inside you to be freed.

In the middle of this speaker's message I realized that not only do we live life in different rhythms but, as others do as well, together we create a melody, with God as the director. He's the only One who truly knows how it all works out. He's the one that can lead the base to a slower tempo, while increasing the intensity of the flutes, or the violin; and that's just how it all works out. We don't all live at the same rhythm. Actually most of the times our lives seem to be going at a very different pace from the ones of those around us; and that's just perfect! We only need to set our eyes on the Director, to follow His lead and open our ears to the music that we're creating together. The more we stop comparing ourselves to the other musicians, the more we can focus on our part, and make the orchestra sound all the better. He's such a Master Composer. Just follow the lead. Look at Him in the eyes, and open your ears. It's beautiful!

Deep and Wide

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

-Ephesians 3:18-19

Oh, to comprehend the love of Christ! What a life time journey! I've read this verse a million times and I keep thinking about it, yet for a few years the part that God has highlighted to me is the whole thing about "comprehending with all the saints". I use to think that knowing God's love was only about getting in His presence by myself. But while that is very, very important (VERY!) it is not how He chooses to reveal all of His love to us! We can learn some, a lot, about the depth and the height and the length in our times alone with our Maker. 

All you need is LOVE!

However, He is a relational God, and so He has hidden the treasures of the fullness of His love in others, in the people we encounter; our family, co-workers, friends, new acquaintances. Each person was made in the image of God, and since He is so infinite and uncontainable, one of the ways to know Him (and His love, which is His essence), is to get to know other people, and find the treasure He hid in their hearts.

It's so fun! 

Papa-God, like a loving daddy on an Easter Sunday, has hidden precious treats in people's personalities (some more hidden than others, ha!), in people's talents & passions, in people's dreams & desires... and the  way to get to experience the fulness of His love, that love that surpasses knowledge; that goes beyond preaching points and life principles; is actually to get to know and love people! Yay! Again, one lifetime adventure with Him! ...I'm on it! ;)

A Bite of Heaven

Cultures. Love Cultures. Cultural differences fascinate me. I find it so amazing that in this sea of 7 billion souls not one mind thinks exactly like another, and even what seems so black and white in one culture actually has a million shades of gray in another.

God's so incredibly creative! He reflects His character through all of this. Granted some traditions need redemption, but the diversity and unique gifts of each nation are definitely to honor Him. I love How each and every culture (tribe, nation) has a distinct music, dance, art and food. Wow!! Yay God!

All that to say that I went to Bethel's Festival of Cultures last night and had a great time trying out food samples and soaking up insight on ways to cook rice, ways to play music, ways "we here say..."

I believe the eloquent C.S. Lewis nails it in the "Letter to Malcolm":

 "I do not think that the life of Heaven bears any analogy to play or dance in respect of frivolity... It is only in our ‘hours-off,’ only in our moments of permitted festivity, that we find an analogy. Dance and game are frivolous, unimportant down here; for ‘down here’ is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment’s rest from the life we were place here to live." 

Makes sense, doesn't it? That the things that here are considered childish and unimportant, mere entertainment, are the ones we actually find beauty and joy in. They're what reflects our Daddy's heart, His love and how we were made in His image, what we can create.

I had 22 spices rice from Jordan, buñuelos from Mexico and Ecuador, chocolate and fondue from Switzerland, brown cheese from de Netherlands, some kind of licorice from Finland, a tapioca-cheese bread (pao de queijo) from Brazil, rice with carrot and raisins from Afganistan, Latvian salad, Ketchup Chips from Canada, eggplant parmesan from Italy, chicken curry from India, tea from England, something something I can't pronounce from South Korea, and a few other food samples plus the enjoyment of music and performances that all in all represented the 40 countries that the 547 foreign students of BSSM are from. So awesome! So rich! So God! My heart was so filled with joy, awe and wonder at how creativity flows and the many ways things can me made. It was great to also get prophetic declarations for countries, so that they can come to the redeemed fullness of what they were made to be! It felt like a little piece of heaven, a bite of heaven.

"But in this world everything is upside down. That which , if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven."

That's just it: Joy is the serious business of heaven!

Gratidão!

Thankfulness, agradecimiento (in Spanish), gratidão (in Portuguese); has become a theme in my life. There's just so much to be thankful to Papa for! He is so good! It seems like I'm going deeper in recognizing His blessing hand and being able to see Him in the little and the big things. It's so fun to be His daughter!

"God is good" has taken a whole new dimension, I think I wrote this before but it still strikes me. I used to think one had to figure out in which ways He is good. Like, a lot of people say that when their circumstances are going down hill (I believe it's true God remains good, and on our side; Almighty, All-loving), but there's this plain, out there goodness that is just so fun to enjoy!

I am thankful for many, many things, but in all honesty I'm most thankful for Him! He saved me in every way, He leads me, He's so majestic beyond words and yet so personal and intimate, trustworthy. This is the God of the Universe we're talking about, the One who so lovingly sent Jesus so that we could be in relationship again. He's more than a song, and more than life; He makes me come alive!

I just want to share all of that with you, I'm not trying to be cheesy or speak "Christianese", but this love, this goodness of Him is so real and tangible I can't contain myself, I can't keep it in! Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!