GOD

Several really cool things happened last week. I'll share a couple.

I have been tutoring refugee high schoolers for the past 2 months. It's been such a joy. I look forward to Mondays and Fridays when I get to sit with Somalis, Somali Bantu, Liberians, and Afghanis and help them learn this English language and our American culture!

Last Monday 2 of my students were not in class, so I had an hour and fifteen minute break. I went out to my car and got my Bible. I opened it and randomly began reading in Hebrews. I started with the scripture that says Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." I continued reading and was just really sucked in to the Word of God as He talked about Jesus being our Great High Priest. Mmmm...mmmm...good stuff!

So you may be thinking, "So what, Kim. What's the big deal?" Well, I'll tell you! That happened around 8:30 that Monday morning. I got home around 3:15 that afternoon to find an email in my inbox from Daniel. Check out what God was doing in Daniel's quiet time that morning around 8:30:
"...Have spent some good time with the Lord. I've been meditating on Hebrews 4:12-16, which is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Starts off about the Word of God and how it's sharp and active. Then it goes into a sobering section about how God sees all and we will give an account of everything to him. But then, it starts talking about how Jesus our Intercessor has gone through everything we've gone through, He's lived in our tendons and sinews, and He can sympathize with our weaknesses. So therefore, let us go to the throne freely, quickly, confidently...we don't have to wallow in our sin, psyching ourselves up, feeling like we have to do our time in the penalty box. Just an amazing five verses. So deep and rich..."

I sat on the couch, computer in my lap, with a silly, querky smile on my face - amused with God. Amazed by God. He is knitting our hearts and our lives together and this was just a really precious way to remind us of that - that He would lead us both to the same passage in our quiet times. A passage in Hebrews, a book neither of us had been reading lately.

God makes me smile.

The second thing God did that really amazed me was He gave me an opportunity to speak about Easter to a few of my refugee students. Last Friday I prayed for each of my students as I drove to school to tutor. In the middle of first block Abdi, a 14 year old Muslim Somali Bantu refugee with tons of energy and a beautiful smile, said to me, "Miss, yesterday Jesus was at my apartment." HUH???!??!?!?! I was confused, so I asked him to keep going. He said there were people outside of his apartment saying, "Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!" And they were closing their eyes. I of course didn't know what they were doing exactly, but this opened an opportunity to speak about spiritual things.

We talked about Easter. I told them about our holiday and how we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. I drew pictures of the crucifixion. You could see pain in his eyes as I explained what crucifixion is.

My heart was leaping inside. Was this true? Did Abdi really open up a conversation about Jesus and was I really getting to tell the gospel story to him!?!?!!? Yes!!! I was!!

I was on cloud nine!

Then in second block, I began sharing the Easter story again. My students in second block have better English than Abdi, so I could explain it with more details. As I was drawing Jesus on the cross, Omar said, "Yes, and there's that thing on His head. I saw this in a movie."

Is there such a thing as cloud 100000000000000??? Or does that ruin the cliche?

The amazing thing about these two conversations is that these two boys live in the same apartment complex. Several of the students do. And I get to teach ESL to their parents in the afternoons. God has really interwoven my life into the lives of these families. Oh, how I can see that God is at work among the Somali Bantu living in Fort Worth. It is so very humbling to be reminded that God doesn't need us, yet He chooses to use us. He has already been at work among the Somali Bantu who are in my classes. They told me they watch stories about the prophets on t.v. and their parents tell them stories from the Qur'an about the prophets. Abdi told me his family has a Bible in their home.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.