Good Friday: beauty of diversity

 

I have travel around the world. I have experienced different cultures.

I have heard God worshipped in different languages. 

I have visited a wide variety of churches in the United States.

What is the point of unity in all I have experienced in different churches around the world? Jesus Christ.

Today is Good Friday. A day that holds special meaning to two billion Christians around the world. A day to remember the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s death, we have access to God the Father. We can have a very real and personal relationship with God.

I absolutely love the beauty of the diversity of Christ followers. How I can experience God in different ways through the uniqueness of each church.

God has created each of us different. Different personalities, appearances, talents and abilities. Each one of us are unique. Shouldn’t the way we worship God reflect this beauty and diversity?

There are many differences in churches. Differences in worship, traditions, and how things are done. Differences can divide or differences can be celebrated.

I see the differences but I also see the bigger picture. I see how we are all united together through the blood of Christ Jesus.

How do we come to the Father? Through His Son Jesus Christ.

Thank you Lord God for today. Thank you for the chance to remember how much you love us! That You loved us enough to rescue us through Christ Jesus. Thank you for Christ’s sacrifice and death. Thank you Abba Father for how Jesus allows us to come to You. Thank you that Jesus is the One who unites us together. You have built Your church upon Christ Jesus. Thank you for the beauty of variety seen among Your people. May Christ Jesus continue to united us together. In Jesus Name, Amen

Spring is here!

Spring is finally here. Which means I have officially survived my first Boston winter!

I quickly fell in love with Boston when I moved here in August. I loved the city of Boston. I loved our home near the ocean. I loved working in Boston near the Charles River and the Public Garden. I loved the beautiful fall weather. I loved celebrating the Red Sox winning the World Series.

And then winter came.

The hardest part of the winter for me wasn’t the snow or the cold temperatures. It was all the cloudy days. And the shorter hours of daylight. How I missed the sun!

I learned a few new things this winter…

A proper winter coat has down feathers. Any other coat leaves you very cold.

Schools in the north do not close often for snow. We had just two snow days all winter long.

Snow boots are not just for sledding but for every day use when walking around Boston in freezing temperatures.

Schools do close for a week in February for “February Vacation”.

It gets darker earlier in the evenings.

A sunny Saturday in March is the perfect reason for ice cream at the local ice cream shop. It doesn’t matter that it’s still cold enough to be winter. The sun is actually out!

The ocean is gray most of the winter as it reflects the cloudy skies.

AND Spring does eventually come.

I always love Spring but this year I am especially excited for this wonderful season. I am falling in love with Boston again!

I love walking through Boston Public Garden and seeing people, kids, babies, and dogs out and about. People sitting on park benches, reading books, enjoying the outdoors.

The ocean is stunningly blue . Summer and beach days are around the corner.

Boston Red Sox season has begun.

Towns like Rockport have the cutest little shops and great ocean views.

I can venture out of the gym and enjoy running outdoors near the ocean and the Charles River.

Saturday evenings are now perfect for sitting outdoors with good friends eating fish and chips while enjoying the ocean views.

I am suddenly aware of all the places I want to explore, discover, and enjoy. And I anticipate discovering more reasons to love this great city.

Daylight Savings Craziness

I love Daylight Savings in the spring as it means longer daylight hours. I am so happy. I have more energy. I can run outdoors again. The days are getting longer.

Now, Daylight Savings can provide a little craziness in people’s schedule. For instance, if you forget to turn back your clock you could find yourself an hour late to church that Sunday morning.

One year, I was getting ready for work thinking I had plenty of time. This was several days after Daylight Savings. When I realized that I was an hour off. School was actually starting in 10- 15 minutes. Thankfully at that time, I lived 5 minutes away from work. I managed to throw on some clothes and arrive as students were walking into school from the buses.

This year, Monday morning is when the Daylight Savings Craziness struck me. It was dark when my husband and I were leaving for work. The one downside to Daylight Savings in the spring. Yet, nothing else was out of the ordinary. It was a normal Monday morning and a typical day of teaching.

Until right before lunch. While I was teaching, one of my students politely raised her hand to ask a question. However, her question was completely unrelated to the phonics lesson. This sweet girl’s question was “Mrs. Nyakairu, do you know that you are wearing two different shoes?” 

I looked down at my feet and was stunned to find out that she was right. I was wearing two different brown boots.

The amazing part was that I hadn’t noticed. Even though I had been wearing them for five hours that morning. Another teacher had been teaching with me that morning. My students had been with me for four hours. I had interacted with adults throughout the school building.

Did anyone notice my mismatch shoes? Not a single person!

Now, I realize that both of the boots are brown and very similar. This past fall, I was very sad to find that I had lost my favorite pair of boots while moving to Boston. All the outfits I wanted to wear with the chilly fall weather were incomplete without my brown boots. So, I eventually bought a new pair of brown boots. I later discovered the original pair, strangely packed with my hiking gear.

After I got over the shock of wearing mismatch shoes, I realized there wasn’t anything I could do about it but go throughout the rest of my day.

Normally my husband picks me up from work. He also drives me to work every morning, saving me an hour commute (one way) on public transportation. I really love my husband.

However, this was the one day that Stephen had late meetings at work. The one day that I was going to be taking the T (train) home. The one day that I had a dentist appointment and would be waiting in the dentist office. The one day that I would be walking around Boston. I had a feeling that someone may wonder why I was wearing mismatch shoes.

My solution. To wear the snow boots I had at work. Yes, I keep snow boots at work. Only in Boston. To wear at recess time when we walk our students to the public playground. In the snow, in the ice, and in the cold. I learned quickly that snow boots keep my feet much warmer.

And that was the end of my Daylight Savings Craziness. What will next year hold for me?

 

Unexpected Challenges

Unexpected challenges. Challenges that come suddenly, without warning. That appear to have no immediate end. Ones that require God’s grace daily, moment by moment. Full of days that are exhausting, draining, and leave you feeling empty.

It has been two month since I have written a blog post. I felt like I had nothing left to give at the end of the day.

And this particular challenge ended just as it had begun. Unexpectedly, Suddenly, Intensely. 

I was left with immense relief along with lingering questions. Questions that I do not have answers to. Questions that I will never know the answers to. Questions that leave me without a sense of closure.

In the midst of these questions, I chose to rest in God’s grace and sovereignty. I trust that He sees the much larger picture. I trust that He can and will work all things together for good. I trust that He is bigger and He is able.

I choose to remember who God is. In the midst of this challenge, did I do everything perfectly? No, but I remember that God’s grace and forgiveness is there for me. I remember that He can work all things together for good. I remember that He is able to do more. so much more than I could ever imagine. When I see the limitations, the brokenness, the past… I wonder. I worry. I fear. When I look to God. I remember that He is ABLE. He is Love. He is Grace.

“Never ending, unstoppable, never giving up, un-breaking, always and forever love.”

I choose to lay down my burdens and worries. I choose trust Him. I choose not to feel guilty by the relief that I feel but trust God. I trust that He is proud of me. That I was faithful for the season He gave me.

I choose to be grateful for the lessons during this challenge.

I am grateful for how I saw my husband supported me in amazing ways. I am so grateful for the gift of my husband. For moments when he truly stepped up as my hero.

I am grateful for how God changed my heart in the midst of this challenge. For in the midst of feeling empty and drained, my heart started changing. Bitter. Angry. Discontent. Grumbling. Discouraged. A very negative attitude started to emerge. I cried out to Him to do a work in my heart that I was unable to do. In the midst of the challenge, He changed my heart. To dependency on Him. A heart of gratitude. Receiving His grace. Praising Him.

He opened my eyes and gave me fresh perspective. He encouraged me as I choose to trust Him one day at a time.

My husband warned me one particular Sunday that he was not preaching at me. The big idea of his message “Challenges are an opportunity for God to grow our character and develop our confidence in Him”. While he may not have been preaching at me, God knew exactly the reminder I needed. My Abba Father loves me enough to convict me, challenge me, and encourage me. All at the same time.

I know my tendency. To take on another’s burdens. The desire to rescue.

My Abba Father gently reminds me that I can lay it all down at His feet. Those burdens are too heavy for me to carry. They are not meant for me. HE is the Rescuer. HE is the Healer. HE is the Restorer and Redeemer. HE is ABLE. HE is Powerful. HE is Love. 

The compassion, love, concern my heart feels is a small glimmer of God’s heart.

So I choose to trust Him.