aware

     Well it has been a HOT minute since I’ve written a blog post. And when I say hot I really do mean it. Here in Chanthaburi, Thailand everyday it is in the high 80’s or 90’s. In December. Near Christmas. Instead of wearing sweaters we are sweating. Instead of wearing long sleeve shirts and long warm pants, we wear tank tops and shorts. It’s also humid. Like July back home in Georgia. But this hasn’t stopped my team from trying to have Christmas in our new home. The other day we bought an advent calendar and put up a tree and decorated while listening to Christmas music and drinking coffee and eating cookies. So we are trying. But, to be honest, it is hard that it’s Christmas time and I’m not home. I just have to remind myself where I am and why.

     These past few weeks have been busy. We’ve taught English at two schools, had English camp, attended the opening of a new church, visited a leprosy colony, and more. Yesterday we went to the juvenile prison again and played games and took them cookies. Last time we were there we noticed that most of the boys had tattoos here and there. Nothing crazy or huge, but we noticed. So one of the girls on my team told me last time that I should share about my tattoos if we ever came back. And we did go back. Back to the same room with 45 teenagers looking intently at us as we walked in. Back to the same room with the huge Buddhist statue. Back to the same room where we shared the gospel to these kids. We played a few games, and sitting there watching those kids run around and laugh with each other and smile and just play with so much joy was so distracting because for a few moments I forgot where I was. Then I shared about my tattoos. I was nervous that no one would care or listen. But I noticed most of the boys seemed interested. They seemed interested that tattoos don’t have to be thought of as wrong or bad. That tattoos can actually mean things to you. And this was the third time I was able to share about Jesus using my tattoos as examples.

     I’ve learned these past several days that God doesn’t put things in your life for no reason. No matter what I or anyone has thought, I don’t have these tattoos because I’m a rebel or a stupid girl. I have these tattoos so that I can share about Jesus in the streets of a Roma village in Bulgaria, and to a soccer team in a pueblo in Honduras, and to a group of kids in a juvenile prison in Thailand. And who knows where else and who else. God also puts desires in your heart and thoughts in your mind. He sets every occasion up for a reason even if you don’t notice or don’t see it. But I have been taught to notice these things. Because God wants us all to know that He has plans for our lives and he wants us to notice His work. I’ve noticed this a ton through all of the Honduras stuff and I’ve been able to put that away because I know God will make it happen. Just like he has set up divine appointments daily for each of us. He has a plan. We just have to notice it and be aware.