It Is What It Is...

In the Johannesburg airport with my friends. We're leaving Africa in less than an hour. We will leave part of our hearts, minds, souls, spirits here... "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. God's bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness. But God rises on you, His sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness. Look up! Look around! Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you..." (Is. 60:1-7/The Message)... We're returning home. We're returning with stories, with smiles, with joy, with some sadness (we don't want to really leave). But more importantly, I'm convinced we're returning to tell our village: ""Come see a Man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?" ..."Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to Him because of the woman's witness: 'He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out! ... They said to the woman: 'We're no longer taking this on your say-so. We've heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He's the Savior of the world!'" (John 4:28-42/The Message) ... The Samaritan woman came to the well for water, but left with so much more -- Living Water, water which can only come from Jesus, from His Spirit... I'm leaving Africa with Jesus and stories of how He led, how He provided, how He sustained, how He smiled, how He revealed, how He summoned, how He convicted, how He proved, how He touched, how He healed, how He purged, how He works, how He doesn't work... Oh, there's so much more... so much more. Pathetically, there's more to tell but there's only so much I am able to write at this moment. I don't think there's anything I can type right now. I'll need some time to think, pray, and most of all listen...

The airport is busy, noisy, distracting. They're calling my flight in just a few minutes. I'll be on a plane for the next 18 hours. I'll be with my friends, and I'll be carried by the strength which can only come from Jesus and His Spirit and a God who interrupts and takes me to Africa. I've been gone six weeks. I'm ready to come home and discover more of Him. I'm not ready to leave my Africa friends, but I must return to my village and tell them all about Jesus... The Jesus who is really real. The Jesus who empowers. The Jesus who conquers. The Jesus who listens. The Jesus who speaks. The Jesus who knows me.

God interrupts with great purpose. His Spirit is more than powerful. Jesus is not just my Savior, He's my Lord Master and Savior.

He alone... He alone... He alone...

Lovin' you -- me