refill

if you know anything about me, you’ll know how adamant I am about a good, complementary refill. I mean lets face it, if I paid for a drink you better bet that I am going to get my money’s worth and get a refill. I can hear my friends right now complaining about me taking too long to leave a restaurant because I went back to top off my nearly-full coke. 

 

When B squad first pulled up to our base in Swaziland, the ground was dry. The trees were brown, and the grass, or lack there of, was dead.

It’s only rained a handful of times since we’ve been in Africa, but slowly, the ground started to regain its color. Over time trees began to blossom, and shades of green took their rightful place. By what seemed to be only mere buckets of water, life was born. With just a little water and a splash of goodness from Heaven, something incredible and beautiful was unlocked here in Swaziland. 

 

In many ways, when I first got here I looked a lot like the environment that surrounded me. The things I had allowed myself to be rooted in were no longer providing me with the nutrients I needed to survive. I was living out of a place of lack, rather than out of a state of abundance. I was thirsty for something that, for once, an ice cold Cocoa Cola couldn’t quench. 

 

I wish I could explain to you how it happened, or put to words how it has felt, but all I can say is that month two has been a big ole refill. In some of the smallest, yet most impactful ways, the Lord has been explaining to me the extent of His love. The joy I thought I found in the Lord has deepened, and my cup is overflowing for sure. Although there are often still days of hardship, I am learning to choose joy. Let’s not get it twisted… this choosing joy thing is a process. There are times when I cling to bitterness, sadness, and grumbling, but I am seeing the Lord in a way that is so tangible it is far easier to place these things directly into His hand. 

 

Nowadays in my quiet time, I like to go to a secret place with the Lord. One that only He and I can truly see, one that is just constructed by the walls of my mind. A few days ago when I entered into this secret place with the Lord, He showed me a row of trees. As the Father and I danced, the trees began to blossom the most beautiful pink and white flowers. It was then that He told me in the gentlest of tones, that I am a flower in blossom, and that everyday I am growing in beauty. 

 

With just a few drops of the love of God, the brownest and deadest parts of myself are blooming in magnificence. Imagine what would grow with a little more rain, time and faithfulness on my part! All I can say, friends, is that it is only month two of this incredible journey, and I’m praying for a monsoon.