Tobymac #speaklife
Yeah, Tobymac- talk about a throwback.
I had another, really sweet throwback this last week. We were busing back to Granada from the beautiful beaches of Cabo de Gata and the song 'This I know' by David Crowder came on my shuffle. I think I cried.
The first bus ride to Granada from the city we all landed in was BEAUTIFUL. I was overwhelmed by the countryside of Spain and I was listening to music. 'This I know' came one:
Take me up to where I was when I never wanted more than You.
Lift me up to feel Your touch. It wouldn't be that much for You, this I know.
Not only was I surrounded by hills which completed the image of 'take me up' and 'lift me up' and already had me thinking on the Lord's creativity, but I was living in a place of 'I have nothing but You'. The previous day I landed in Andalusia, met my fellow study abroad-ers, didn't really connect with anyone, and- to complete the feeling of complete loneliness- my international phone plan wasn't working so I couldn't really update my parents.
But that line: take me up to where I was when I never wanted more than You. Isn't that really what I wanted out of this? I got it that second day. The words of this song brought me such astounding peace as we passed on to my soon to be host city. I had all sorts of hopes and expectations welling up inside.
So when it came on shuffle last week, in a very similar situation (physically), I was slightly overwhelmed to back over the times I really only had Him, and was satisfied.
It's just really good to look back and see the times you've had to rest in God's faithfulness.
Recently I took a different kind of 'look back'- I saw how far I've come with Spanish. I was sitting around the lunch table the other day and I was like woah, I know what they're saying to each other. I didn't really expect that to happen-I thought I'd only really get it all if someone was speaking to me (slower, clear pronunciation).
But the Lord reminded me that language is tiny, and love is not tiny. Even if I could speak in all the tongues of angels and men-if I don't have love I am nothing (1 Cor. 13). I have been loved here and had to love people I never would've spent time with otherwise.
Just to give you a little example of I started language wise: my host mom thinks I don't like milk at all. Early on I told her (tried to tell her) I don't drink milk, but she got out of whatever I said that I don't like milk and therefore always gives me cereal with yogurt. Which is great- I love yogurt. But sometimes I just want a bowl of cereal with milk. You know, at the time it just didn't seem worth the energy required to explain that I do like milk I just don't like to drink it. And now I just don't feel like confusing her by putting milk on my cereal..
One of the first things I'll be doing when I get home is eating cereal with milk.The other day, two of her brothers came to visit and they all invited me to go for the post-siesta coffee/snack with them. I thought, why not. That was pretty special, sitting around with a group of older people. I've missed that.
Also, her one brother looked and behaved so similarly to my pa-paw it was kind of weird- but nice. Refreshing in a way, since I miss him.
Sometimes it's just really nice to look back.
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