Finding God in Ordinary Places
Lectio Divina: Latin for "diving reading"; a traditional Christian practice of prayer and scriptural reading which focuses on meditation and contemplation of the Word
Hectic is hardly the word that I would use to describe these past two weeks. After I moved into my apartment and before I started classes, I spent a week engaging in training activities for my work at the Agape Center. After so many workshops, in the words of a rather wise and eccentric professor/kayaker/ukelele player, my brain “turned to oatmeal.” So, having built-in time for quietness and contemplation was welcome. As part of our training, I joined with a small group of fellow students and participated in a Lectio Divina session. We read through and contemplated Psalm 46, and tried to focus on a few words or phrases that stood out to us. I found that the phrases that most stood out to me were “ever-present,” “God is within the city,” and “The Lord Almighty is with us.”
I’m starting to realize how important place has become. Place itself often holds a lot of meaning. If I don’t have a place that I can view as a sort of “home base” or “headquarters,” I can’t function. I am increasingly seeing God in place. For three weeks in July, I lived in the tiny city of Longde, found in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China.
For some reason, I felt God’s presence there more than I have in any other place at any other time in my entire life. There was no church there. There were hardly any Christians. Mostly, the people were Buddhists or Muslims. In Longde, three-wheeled trucks spew out black smoke, children pee and poop on the side of the street, and my students smell like farm.
(This picture was taken by my team leader.)
But I felt God speaking to me during my contemplation of Psalm 46. I could sense Him speaking to me, “I am here. I am with you. Longde is not the only place where I am present. There is no place that you can go where I am not. You just aren’t looking hard enough.”
It’s true, of course. I’m thinking that maybe my transition back to the States might have been a bit easier if I had come to this simple realization earlier. However, I did not. But my goal for this year is to simply open my eyes and look around. There are many things about this school year that are different from the past, and I’m excited to find God in so many new places and faces.
Since place is so important to me, I’m really glad that we have such an awesome apartment this year, and as strange as this sounds, I’m excited to see God there as well. I’m pretty sure that I speak for the rest of my apartment-mates when I say that we want to create a place of community and hospitality with the housing that we have been blessed with. So without further ado, here are some pictures of this new place that I’m sure will become an important part of my college life, as well as my relationship with God and others.
Hectic is hardly the word that I would use to describe these past two weeks. After I moved into my apartment and before I started classes, I spent a week engaging in training activities for my work at the Agape Center. After so many workshops, in the words of a rather wise and eccentric professor/kayaker/ukelele player, my brain “turned to oatmeal.” So, having built-in time for quietness and contemplation was welcome. As part of our training, I joined with a small group of fellow students and participated in a Lectio Divina session. We read through and contemplated Psalm 46, and tried to focus on a few words or phrases that stood out to us. I found that the phrases that most stood out to me were “ever-present,” “God is within the city,” and “The Lord Almighty is with us.”
I’m starting to realize how important place has become. Place itself often holds a lot of meaning. If I don’t have a place that I can view as a sort of “home base” or “headquarters,” I can’t function. I am increasingly seeing God in place. For three weeks in July, I lived in the tiny city of Longde, found in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China.
For some reason, I felt God’s presence there more than I have in any other place at any other time in my entire life. There was no church there. There were hardly any Christians. Mostly, the people were Buddhists or Muslims. In Longde, three-wheeled trucks spew out black smoke, children pee and poop on the side of the street, and my students smell like farm.
(This picture was taken by my team leader.)Who would have ever thought that God could be so strongly felt in such a place? But then again, who would have ever thought that God would be born in a manger? It was this place that I most strongly felt the presence of God, and consequently, it is this place that is very dear to my heart. A day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t thought of Longde and its people.
But I felt God speaking to me during my contemplation of Psalm 46. I could sense Him speaking to me, “I am here. I am with you. Longde is not the only place where I am present. There is no place that you can go where I am not. You just aren’t looking hard enough.”
It’s true, of course. I’m thinking that maybe my transition back to the States might have been a bit easier if I had come to this simple realization earlier. However, I did not. But my goal for this year is to simply open my eyes and look around. There are many things about this school year that are different from the past, and I’m excited to find God in so many new places and faces.
Since place is so important to me, I’m really glad that we have such an awesome apartment this year, and as strange as this sounds, I’m excited to see God there as well. I’m pretty sure that I speak for the rest of my apartment-mates when I say that we want to create a place of community and hospitality with the housing that we have been blessed with. So without further ado, here are some pictures of this new place that I’m sure will become an important part of my college life, as well as my relationship with God and others.
Jane, great insights about place. I had those same thoughts and struggles when I came back from my first year in China. I think maybe it's because we get to see Him at work in different ways and in a different people group in China than what we're typically used to in the U.S. It's strange when you feel God in new ways in a different country and try to make the connection that He's the same God everywhere and all the time. Quite a huge realization though!
ReplyDeleteAll the best as you seek to know Him more this year and reach out to others, too! Love you and miss you, my friend.
Love your place!!
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