Overflow

There is a place in the experience of God’s grace and revelation that you are on “overflow”. At first that sounds like mountain top when you hear it, but overflow today is poured out, overflowing and yet trusting and knowing there is more to come today. The dental team is feeling it physically and emotionally. The teaching teams are feeling it as they encounter needs too great for us to control or fix. In our chaos we are finding peace. In uncertainty we are finding the Spirit moving strongly in us and in our friends at La Toma. It is beyond us and yet, here we are, standing in the middle of what God is doing.

Pastora Myriam is seeing many women in the sessions each morning. Yesterday’s teaching was on reconciliation. Of the 18-20 women attending each day, about 15 of them have never stepped inside this church. They are experiencing God’s grace and love in a place they did not know had it to offer. They are engaging and asking for special prayers and ministry. Forgiveness was overflowing yesterday and with laying on of hands, oil and love…Sherri, Bonnie, Myriam and BJ witnessed the Spirit at work.

In the school our lesson for 4-5-6 grades is focused on Integrity; Respect and Trust in God. We are using the story of Joseph and I think we will add Esther today. We sing for a while (thanks to the amazing trio of Michael, Ansley and Olivia), then they tell us about their family and then we tell them the story. The next part is a melodrama where they act out the story. Ansley (by the grace of God) had a towel of many colors so the “coat” was easy to find. The craft is a bracelet with 3 beads (standing for integrity, respect, trust) and after the children make it we place it on them and say the words as a blessing of God upon them. After all of that we ask them to write a prayer to God for their family and we collect those prayers. We will divide them up at the end of the week and take them into our prayer time.

Yesterday Olivia led our devotion with Proverbs 15:15. It was beautiful and it is what we see. The people of Guatemala are richest where we are poorest. We often measure our happiness, contentment and peace by our material wealth. They measure it all in relationships, family and faith. We all are in need on earth. For the basic of water, food, shelter….AND equally basic: Love and grace from one human to another. Our creator made us this way. This mission has been a reminder to us and possibly even to the community of La Toma that we must see one another as Jesus did those he encountered…truly SEE, listen and share the love that every soul needs so much.

My prayer today is that we will all receive a glimpse of that love before we lay down to sleep tonight. Let it be.