I really want to share what the Lord has been teaching me in the past few weeks, as well as some of the things Tati and I have been convicted of and instructed by the Lord to do on our trip. . . .
Last Tuesday for our small group we did our monthly "treasure hunt", where we get together, worship and pray, and everyone writes down anything they "get" during this time, while asking the Lord what He is doing, where He wants us to go, who we are going to encounter, and what is going on with whomever we meet. We then share what we get, split into groups (based on common words, such as multiple people getting certain places or themes, people or objects etc) and then we go out in groups and find our "treasure". . . we always find them! having multiple things on our list (not always all) - they could be a pregnant hunchback in pigtails and that is who we will run into!
So this past Tuesday, I got the word "Slumdog Millionare" and the Salvation Army Bell and some other things, and Phil got crutches and grocery store among other things, and so we found Virginia, on crutches, with arthritis in both her knees, and she fit the description and list of things we had on our list. We talked with her, prayed for her life and knees, and the Lord used us to majorly blessed her life. I shared with her about how although I know nothing about her life, the Lord told me to share with/prophesy to her that she has identified with the slumdog mentality, feeling stuck and insignificant, never being able to rise above her situation etc etc, and that the Lord wants to bless her life and that He wants to deliver her and just as the boy in the movie gets his lucky break - the Lord wanted her to know that she is not stuck, she is CHOSEN and going to flourish etc etc (and other things that meant something to her unbeknownst to me). . . . so before we met Virginia, we walked in and outside of Publix, and next door is Vision Video; and so I was like, "Well, I have the word Slumdog Millionare, I might as well go to the aisle of the movie and I dunno, just check it out." So I rented the movie and stuck it in my purse.
Then days later, finding myself in Florida with my family, I felt the Lord pressing me to watch this movie that was overdue and unwatched. And that He wanted to speak to me through the movie. And wow, did He. I put the movie in and pulled out my journal. Here are some things He broke my heart about, showed me how I want and need to live my own life, and some great news to share with others :) I'm going to literally copy my journal entry:
- I'm in Gainesville at my folk's house- Just put on Slumdog Millionare- the movie I had come to my mind last Tuesday at small group- that I rented from Vision Video and shared the word/picture with Virginia. Lord bless and heal Virginia's arthritic knees; show her your will and the way you see her. As I watch this movie- The Lord wants to teach me something from this movie. Lord open my eyes and ears to hear and see what is in front of me.
- Jamal had only known the life of a street slumdog, and his life journey lead him to the chance of a lifetime on Who Wants To Be A Millionare, and because of his story and even traumatic experiences, he was able to recall and know the information needed for him to be the champion. *The Lord equips us with our path in life, to be on our journey, in the appropriate chapter of our story- to know what we're supposed to know- exactly when and how we're supposed to know it for what is in front of us and up ahead.*
- "Do you want the life of a Slumdog? Or the life of a Man?" - the sly words asked by the man who guised himself as a helper to the street kids, but actually would blind and maim the children to be better beggars and make him money, that Jamal and his brother were able to overtake and flee from before they became like the others. *We have to use the knowledge we have about the enemy against him. We have to be quick - on our feet - professional flee-ers of evil *
- Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. *When we use the authority invested and bestowed up on us through Jesus, Satan's weapon is used to pierce his own heart. Woo hoo! *can't touch this*!
- We have to "rough-it" in order to be AWAKE. ALIVE. . .
- . . . The casual comforts around us are actually unpleasantries to our condition; they, in reality stiffen the flex mind, heart and spirit; they coat the limber and ready muscles in fat and make it little by little harder to move. Slower in running when being chased and pursued by the enemy. Every numbing of the senses, dulling of moral conviction - every puff of smoke that tightens the lungs and every layer of fat and slothfulness increases our distance from full abundant, created, potential and intended life. Physical and Spiritual collide in this principle.
- EXERCISE YOUR FAITH. EXERCISE YOUR BODY. EXERCISE YOUR GIFTS. we have to; or we are not living full life!!
- From rags to raja - our destiny . . . it is written
- We are all slumdogs. chosen by God. He's offering us our big break - it's like winning a trillion dollars, and the rest of our lives, getting to spend it - getting our big break and spending the rest of our lives serving Him, living in the fullness of life and richness - surpassing all the fake promises and lures of this world and experiencing full abundant life.
- Jamal was a bearer of hope
- Risk it all, KNOWING it is WORTH IT ALL (that is what this trip to Belize is about to me) *Jamal's last and final question he took a step of faith by guessing at the answer, trusting in his solid fate and destiny.
- His brother's love of money not only killed him, but ruined him. It ruined his relationship with Jamal, and in the end, letting Latika sneak out of his boss's house- though he did it to show love to his brother, he still used betrayal. It was all he knew. He lost himself and his identity to the false gains of this world.
- At one point, Jamal ran into a blind kid begging. A boy he knew before who was blinded by the man making money off of ruined children - *in our lives, we are many times able to be humbled and sobered in encountering people and seeing where we would be if we had continued to deny and run from the Lord's pursuit of our hearts.
Bottomline, we have to realize that all of life is spiritual, and there is a battle going on of light and darkness. Our unawareness and slumbering spirits are weapons used against us. Why profess to be a believer and not be willing to do ANYTHING, whatever it takes, in order to fulfill our missions/duties/callings on our life? Comfort is a funny word. In the US it is not a word that is much affiliated with contentment and peace. It is a state. A state of being tucked into bed and having your pillow fluffed. Are we going after comfort? Or are we alive and awake enough to recognize our daily states of living half a life. Where we get by through coping. We decompress with retail-therapy, nicotine, alcohol, physical, mental, short-standing, very fleeting feel-goods; but what is the deeper truth? reality? Where are we at? Why throw back Goody Powder to alleviate the never-ending headaches and everyday pain you may have when there is a chronic condition that could be treated permanently? Working in the ICU, this is a great example of my point - we all up here know that Goody Powder can lead to upper GI bleeds, eroding the stomach lining. It is not an uncommon thing. People die from coping. Literally; spiritually. . . . I tell you the truth - To know that one is dreaming is to no longer be perfectly asleep. There is so much more to life.
4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy,because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2) .
