Sharps 2 Thailand

At first glance, it appears to be a medium sized gray trash bag, held open on one end by a wire ring.  However, mounted in the center of the wire ring is a smaller, thicker ring of combustible material.  From a science perspective, the khom loi, or sky lantern, is a cool concept.  You open the “bag”, light the ring, and as the flame gets bigger, the warm air fills the inside of the lantern, and like a hot air balloon, it begins to rise.

In mid-November, the whole nation of Thailand engages in one of their most sacred holidays – Loi Kratong and Yi Peng.  Loi Kratong involves the construction of a small float from banana leaves or even bread, in which food, flowers, a candle, and even coins are placed.  The participant releases the float in the stream to symbolize the release of any anger, resentment, or grudges they may have.  The second half of the festival involves the lighting and release of sky lanterns (khom loi) usually made of rice paper.  The release is a way to make merit for past deeds.

Although both ceremonies are beautiful with thousands of lanterns released into the night sky, the next morning is often greeted around the neighborhood by hundreds of empty, burned out, lantern shells that are scattered in trees, yards, and fields all over Chiang Mai.  As I biked around the neighborhood that next day, my heart was grieved by so many empty hopes represented by these lanterns.  Mind you, the participant released their khom loi believing that in some way their sin would be carried away and they could atone for mistakes of the past year.  But, in truth, we cannot, on our own, make merit for past mistakes and failures, and have no way of atoning for our sin.

The hope we do have, however, is the realization that Jesus Christ, the one true Son of the living God, came willingly to be crucified, to die, and carry the weight of our sins and failures to the grave.  The hope we have though is in His resurrection from the dead, triumphing over hell and the grave.  When we put our trust in Jesus as our personal Savior, we need not float our hopes down stream or into the sky – we HAVE the hope living inside of us.

It was a classic moment – two pastors, one Australian speaking English, one Thai, translating into Thai – delivering the sermon to a combined congregation of English, Thai, and Burmese.  As Pastor Jonathan talks about talents and abilities, he confesses his difficulty in even drawing “stick people”.  As the Thai pastor comes to that phrase he pauses, realizing he has no word to translate “stick people”.  After a brief awkward silence, Pastor Jonathan says “mai pen rai”, which in Thai basically means “don’t worry about it”, to which his Thai counterpart immediately says, in English, “no probrem”.  I guess it was probably funnier in person…

Worship, however, was a different story.  While we all joined voices during the same song, it was sung simultaneously in English and Thai.  Yet, even though many in the church would not understand the words sung by the others, the melody came together in beautiful, harmonious praise to our Heavenly Father.  This day, there was no language barrier, nothing lost in translation.  It was praise, plain and simple, for a loving Creator that loved us so much He sent his only Son to the earth.  Even more amazing is that Jesus came willingly, knowing He would die a humiliating, criminal’s death.

The message was plain and simple…we are all given abilities in various areas.  Many of them lie dormant, some sprout and show signs of life, but even fewer actually blossom to produce a talent that exhibits fruit.  Don’t let your abilities, gifts to you from an awesome Creator, be wasted through neglect or lack of effort.  Sing praise to Him through all He has created you to do.

In Ephesians 2:10 we read “for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  What does it take to serve?  Really, what is the big deal about serving others?  For many people, this is a job description.  Nothing fancy, just a job.  But in terms of God’s kingdom, service has a whole different, and eternal, meaning.  Recently, Bill had the opportunity to share a bit of his mom’s testimony at our school’s chapel service.  She passed away on June 1, 2010 of liver cancer after a mere 3 months of illness.  The focus was not on her passing, but rather her impact before and after.  After accepting the Lord later in life, she still battled a whole host of illnesses, including diabetes.  Yet, during that time, she did her best to “live a life worthy of the calling to which [she] had been called.” Eph. 4:1  Her daily prayer and assistance she gave to one of my siblings who struggled with life issues helped turn my sister from a person who had “issues with God” to one who actively serves and loves the Lord.

The fact is, we don’t always know the why’s about our circumstances, or about those who are a part of our lives, but in reality, everything happens for a reason.  Often mom would say “I have no idea why God hasn’t taken me home yet; I suppose He still has something for me to do.”  One of those tasks, I am convinced, was to love my sister all the way to Jesus.  Mom’s selfless attitude and willingness to help and pray for those around her left a legacy in both her children and her grandchildren.  It was evident, and now will continue to live on in her children, grandchildren, and beyond.

So, the message to our Grace students, and perhaps you, the reader, was simply this:  Look at those around you.  What would it take to serve them?  A smile, a kind word, a helping hand to open a door?  None of those will cost you a thing.  Maybe even a “Hello, what’s your name?  Nice to meet you!”  Perhaps the very person sitting next to you in class next period is one reason God called you here to Grace.  Maybe that difficult person at your workplace is placed in your life for your benefit, and theirs.  If God took the time to create YOU, created to do good works, honor Him this year by serving others in those situations He prepared in advance for you.

The week of Sept. 13^th was a privileged one, as our family had the blessed opportunity to host our friend and church brother, Jeff Smith, as he came to minister in Chiang Mai and in Cambodia.  During his week with us, Jeff engaged a number of Grace classrooms on many levels in demonstrating the variety of creative ways to use our God-given talents for His kingdom work.  The evenings were spent providing additional workshops in the area of creative arts in worship.  We had the chance to share some of the cultural cuisine of northern Thailand, and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to fellowship and minister with this amazing man of God.   It was exciting to hear students talking about how the workshops impacted how they view ministry and doing Kingdom work!

Jeff also worked with another local missionary and her ministry, Powerpack Thailand.  Powerpack is geared toward using creative arts to minister to Thai children and help Thai nationals to develop witnessing tools through culturally appropriate song, dance, and performance.  Much of what Jenny uses is adapted from Jeff and his ministry, Salt and Light Ministries.  It was a true blessing to be a part of this time of outreach, ministry, and worship of our Lord and Savior.  Thank you Jeff and Jenny for allowing our family to be a part of something so special!!

The evening started out like most others during the rainy season – the sky drew darker, thunder rolled in the distance, and we said with a smirk on our faces, “Guess it is going to rain”.  This was no ordinary rain, however.  Within minutes, the street was flooded a full 7 inches deep, and water was inching its way up the driveway to our front door.  For two hours, we battled water finding its way through the tiniest of openings in the roof, running down various sections of walls and leaving us with towel after towel full of water being wrung out in the shower.

At the end of it all, we had received 8 inches of rain in just under two hours.  Every street in the mubaan was flooded, including the lower level of the school.  We stood in the doorway amazed at the river of water rushing down the street, waiting for the water to subside.  Then, by morning, the skies were clear and the street was dry.

Too often we see the storm coming, and like trials in our lives, have no idea how much rain it is going to bring.  Had we known we were about to receive that much precipitation, we would have had buckets and pans in place, mop in hand, and been ready to take on the storm.  But, we just don’t always know that, do we?  Yet, God, in his amazing grace, has given us a promise, that in the midst of the storm, he will “never leave us nor forsake us.” (Joshua 1:5)  We had no idea of the magnitude of the storm, but in the end, the house held up, the rain dried, and the street was clear again.

When you face storms in your life, remember that they do not last forever, and even though we will not know how intense the storm is, God always does.  When we trust in him as our Lord and Savior, he will always see us through the storm to the rainbow at the end.  That is his promise to us, and God NEVER forgets his promises.

Well, it has been way too long since I have penned my thoughts; not that I have not had that many, but rather that there have been more things happening then time available. So, as we wind down through the end of our first year here at Grace, some thoughts to share from a rollercoaster year.

1. Humans, by nature, make mistakes. We sin. We fall short of the glory of God. But, we also have an amazing capacity for love and forgiveness. Do both, often. And, when necessary, ask for forgiveness. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.

2. Kids are kids. Regardless of what they do, choices they make, or words they say, in the end, love on them and accept them for the amazing creation they are in God.

3. See everyone as a blessing. One of the hardest things we heard when we arrived is the mentality some have for a lack of willingness to engage others and get to know them if they are only “short timers”. Some of the most impactful people in my life have been those I knew for a few months or couple of years. Yes, saying good-bye is tough, but weighed against the thought of never having known them?? I am a better person because of everyone I have met and come to know, regardless of the time frame.

4. At the end of the day, the job is only that. It is so easy to equate our identity with our occupation, but that is a lie, plain and simple. Our job is what we do, a means to use the God-given abilities we have to perform a task assigned to us by our Creator. Who we are, though, is based on our character, and is made manifest in the interactions we have with those around us. Whether it is spiritual, physical, emotional, or mental, these interactions will, in the end, define us.

5. Re-commit yourself daily to the Lord and His purposes in our lives. Here in Thailand, we have a heightened awareness of how different we are, and the challenges we face in the day to day operations within our new environment. We cannot expect to survive long in any circumstance without the love, direction, and strength God has offered and promised – all we have to do is ask.

6. Be a blessing. Everything that happens does so for a reason. Even those things that seem horrible and negative have a purpose. Our time here in this life is short; allow it to be an opportunity to pour into those we know, to seek every opportunity to be a blessing to others. Even if it is for a short time, only God knows the eternal harvest that can be reaped.

As we push through the last month of school, may these words be those that lead, guide, and direct our family, and yours. Jesus loves you so much, he died just for you. Make the most of it, my friend.

At a recent chapel service, Bill shared from 1 Corinthians, where Paul calls the church to task over who they really serve. Bill challenged the students with this question: Who do you serve? It’s easy to think the things we buy are there to serve us, but if we aren’t careful, we can end up serving them. Example?? A businessman buys the latest Blackberry to keep current with business and those he works with. Yet, he is so caught up with catching up, he slowly slips further and further from his wife, who ultimately leaves him. Who ends up serving who?

As believers, we run the same risk with our ministries and those we minister to. We need to be aware of those in need, but remember that ultimately we serve only One: The King of Kings and Lord of Lords; yes, Jesus Christ himself. Even as churches and denominations, we forget that the churches we plant are not ours, but God’s. The ministries that are built are not ours, but God’s. He really doesn’t care whose name is on the outside, He cares who is on the inside. I can’t find anywhere in scripture where it talks about the denominations in the eternal kingdom. Some get so wrapped up in what makes us different, we forget our purpose is the same.

How do we avoid the trap? One way is to always make God the hero in every circumstance, situation, and condition we find ourselves in. When He gets all the credit, none of it is left for us, so we have nothing but Him to boast about. Even when you look at the great men and women of the Bible, the movers and shakers of their time, God was the hero in their story. Without Him, there is no provision, no victory, no salvation, and ultimately no future.

Who do you serve? If the answer includes any words beyond Jesus Christ, it might be worth it to take a second look.

In the midst of an upside down economy, it is easy to lose hope in a system that was intended to provide for us the basic necessities of life.  When we left Virginia, we left a house for sale in a grim, slow moving housing market.  It was not in the hands of the economy, however, but rather in the hands of our God – the One who supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:13).  So, month after month, we continued to make our monthly mortgage payments, slowly dwindling our personal savings account, yet all the while believing that God knew what he was doing, and that in HIS perfect timing, the house would be sold.  With so many out there in the same or worse condition, it is not hard to get wrapped up in story after story of what wasn’t being sold elsewhere.  Yet, we knew who had our situation in His hands.

Then, it happened.  While in the middle of my science enrichment lesson to the 7^th graders on our class trip to Ayutthaya, Lynette calls me to tell me we have an offer on the house!!  A couple, after seeing it for the second time, decided to make us an offer.  So, after some negotiation, much prayer, and the amazing help of some awesome friends, the closing was complete on Dec. 15^th.  That day, as I am staring at the picture our incredible realtor sent us with the word “SOLD” in red across the picture, I realized we no longer have any physical connection with, well, anywhere.  The joy of a finished deal was replaced, for a moment, by a feeling of emptiness.  We are no longer homeowners, after 17 years.  I joked to myself, “wow, we are homeless.”

But God, in a way only He can do, spoke this to my heart:  “No, your home is here, in heaven, with Me.  You’re just passing through there.”  The evening before, we had gone to a small restaurant across from the school called “Sojo’s”, short for Sojourner – A temporary resident.  How amazingly appropriate!!  So, although we no longer have a physical piece of earthly property with our name on it, God has reserved for us a place in heaven that we will eternally call “home”.

Nothing beats a cup of warm, rich hot chocolate, a plate of cookies, and live Christmas music, surrounded by a few (nearly 1000) of your closest friends and neighbors.  That was the scene last weekend as the elementary playground was transformed into a winter wonderland, minus the snow, to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Around 1000 people from the World Club moo baan and other neighborhoods came to be blessed by warm drinks, fresh baked goods, and the story of Jesus, accompanied by live music from the GIS jazz band.  We concluded the evening with Movies on the Lawn, a big-screen presentation of the Veggie Tales’ “Toy That Saved Christmas” and the old classic, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown”. 

Being away from the commercial hype and political correctness of an American Christmas, we have seen as a family what Christmas should be – Jesus, plain and simple.  Yes, the gifts are nice, the decorations, lights, and music are fun, but let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas – that Jesus, fully the Son of God, gave up his heavenly throne to come to earth as a baby, grow up to become a man, minister to those of his generation, and be crucified by the very same people he came to save.  Through his birth, death, and resurrection, though, we can take ahold of that eternal promise he left us – believe that he is the Son of God, confess your sins to him, and accept him as your personal Savior, and you will be saved.  What better gift could you give to God this Christmas than your heart?

The smell was overwhelming – freshly ignited gunpowder burned the inside of my nose, while the smoke of thousands of multicolored flares and the burning of rice fields made breathing a chore.  For those of you who remember 1991, I half expected to see a live report from Wolf Blitzer on CNN, reporting from the front lines.

 But, this wasn’t war, yet it was.  The event was actually Loi Krathong, a ritual the Thai people have participated in since the 1700’s.  The ritual involves the creation of a small “boat”, made from items common to the villages, on which the boat’s creator would place their struggles, sins, and misfortunes of the past year to be floated down the river.  In Northern Thailand, the event also includes Yi-peng, where thousands of tubular lanterns, resembling hot air balloons, are released into the night sky.  In fact, the Chiang Mai airport ceased all flights on the two most active evenings for safety reasons.

 This ritual includes the release of thousands of fireworks, mostly by individuals, as they celebrate the upcoming year of new beginnings.  Like I said, though, it is more than the smells of war, it actually is.  See, the enemy of our souls lurks in the midst of the celebration, distracting participants from the one true source of forgiveness and new beginnings – Jesus Christ.  Loi Krathong and Yi-peng are steeped in Hindu and Buddhist tradition, and on one evening, watching hundreds of lanterns being released into the darkness, my heart hurt for those hundreds of lost souls, believing the lie that through their works they can atone for their sins.  As we serve and love on the people of this beautiful nation, we are reminded of the words Paul spoke to the Corinthian church:  “you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Cor 9:11).  He will supply the means and opportunity to reach a hungry nation, we just have to be ready to step into the battle.