“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love. Love is just a game. . . .”
“I hate this game!” “I love this game!” I have been known to say this about any number of things in life. “It’s just a game, so you might as well win it!” Life, however, is more than a game I can just figure out, master, grit out, etc. As a friend of mine likes to remind me, “Perfection is letting go of control.” As a perfectionist, I know not where to turn when I feel the spiral begin and self-condemnation arise. But this I call to mind, and therefore, I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy Faithfulness. Another wise woman and wonderful prayer warrior turned my attention to Psalm 86 in crying out to my Savior.
This week, that is the cry of my heart, calling God to open my eyes and knowing He has to come through. He has. He will. The great I AM. With all the brokenness in the world and in my own life, we are still the light of the world because of the true light that gives light to every man… Let there be light!
Honestly, I’m in the down-swing of the culture-shock cycle. I may have been naive enough to think I wouldn’t really go through this part. The temptation is to go back to “stupid is as stupid does.” As in, I just don’t fit, or, “The more you complain about it, the better it gets.” Yet, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may shine like stars . . .”
We jam-packed in a lot this past week. Ups and downs of seeing lovely people, playing volleyball, eating lots of dosa, chicken, or sweets from generous folk. Helping with CE Wednesday night all the way to deaths in families close to us. I started more serious teaching. There’s been drama with student-teaching, including finding out that Emily had to go back to teach in the states and saying goodbye in Madurai. (Still trying to figure that one out) More and more comes to flood or create desert.
Ghee Dosa with Lambarts on Saturday!
Sunday was a gem with worshiping at the Chapel, the glory of sunshine, sports, good friends, even good coffee, and deep-cleaning at least one room in our apartment.
Now, the week has begun, and the joy of the Lord truly is our strength. Sweet treat to touch base with a few of you from home. As I read to the kindergarteners today, sometimes one just feels a bit lonely and wants to go to where someone loves her best, like Max in Where the Wild Things Are. Still loving those walks up and down the mountain and the chance to play football like tonight with the middle school boys in between washing laundry loads in the shower or the kitchen. ; ) We hopefully get to hike all the way down to the plains again this weekend to visit Bethania!
Of course, the internet is not up, currently, so where do we go other than sleep, from here?
Clinging to the cross,
Linnea Michelle
Masala tea :) They're all pros at this. Some of the students have it down with hot chocolate or boost in the caf, too.
Our final "3 cups of tea" before the journey to Madurai
My dear, sweet Linnea~ You are ALWAYS being lifted up in prayer and loved VERY much, even though we are oceans apart! God IS faitful! Love you! Aunt Becky
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