We got to go on a road trip which meant we got to visit some beautiful nomads! We were invited into their tents out of the freezing cold air, and got to love on them and share what we have freely received. These people travel their whole lives, moving from one bit of land to another in some of the harshest conditions.
The Scarf
In the country before Nepal, while in our apartment there I felt to give my purple pashmina scarf to the girl who we were staying with. I kind of wondered if I was just in one of my over-giving moods and thought about whether it was the Lord or not. I felt to give it again and so told her I wanted her to have my scarf. However she wouldn't take it unless she was allowed to give me one back, as I'd "need it in Nepal!" She came back out of her room with this gorgeous, soft, warm, beautifully coloured scarf which was far far nicer than mine! I immediately felt overwhelmed with how God just wanted to lavish his love on me! I felt like the scarf I gave away was so plain compared to this one, yet felt it was so right too! So I packed it away and used it all throughout trek in Nepal.
Fast forward a month or so and I'm in the middle of nowhere (literally one of our 4wding tyres completely collapsed and we had already used up the spare, had to borrow the spare off our other friend's 4wd!), in a tent asking for Father's presence to come on this lady and her family. As we were loving on her, you could see tears appearing on her cheeks and our interpreter told us she could feel his presence (oh his presence and love was so thick!). She was in her seventies and had lived long enough to know what was real and what was not, what worked and what didn't. She could feel his love and wanted more.
As we sat there in the tent, talking and just being with this amazing family, I suddenly felt it again. "Give her the scarf." My first reaction this time was that I couldn't. I had only just started to notice a big improvement the cough which I had had ever since leaving for Thailand, and I knew that the scarf made a big difference as to whether I continued healthy or not. But I felt Father's love all over me again, almost weighing me to the ground and I felt, "Give her the scarf". I fingered the soft material, then made the decision and took it off, spreading it out so all the colours were visible and then folding it up to be able to give it to her easier. I offered to her by holding it out, smiling and gesturing. She said in her language that no, she didn't need it and I did. Immediately I felt I had an out and almost decided to keep it after all. But again, felt the "Give it to her". Our interpreter said that if I really wanted to give it to her I could drape it around her shoulders. I decided to give it to her on our way out, and as I sat there holding it on my lap, tears started to fall. I was horrified at myself. How could this scarf have meant so much to me? I hadn't had such a hard time letting go of a material object before. My face was wet with tears and I tried to hide them and wipe them away so she wouldn't see how much I didn't really want to give it. One of the team brought out the guitar and started to play worship songs in the tent. As I sat there trying not to cry, I prayed that the scarf would remind her of our visit, every time she saw it. I prayed that it would bring the presence of Father everywhere that it went and that it would release the kingdom of heaven everywhere that it went. I prayed it would be anointed for healing.
We stood up to leave and as we passed out the doorway, I held it in both hands, presented it to her again and draped it gently around her aging shoulders. Although only in her seventies, her weathered face showed the passing of the years, the endurance of the nomadic lifestyle and the things she had seen throughout her long life. She would have lived through many history making events, and later I found out that she would probably not have ever been to a big city before, and not had the chance to own or maybe even see something like that scarf ever. We went to sit in the cars and I could see her, still sitting on her stool at the entrance with her daughter beside her and her granddaughter in front of her. She picked up the scarf and started to finger it, looking at it properly for the first time...
The scarf was given to me in love, and to me for some reason represented love itself. I felt like I was giving away my friend from back in the other country, rather than just some piece of material used to keep me warm. Yet as I gave it away I feel like I learnt so much and received so much from the experience. When it is God who leads me to do something like that, he can look after the consequences (possibly getting sick again for another 2 months WHICH is not happening by the way). He gave his only Son away, anointing him to represent the Father, anointing him to release Heaven wherever he went. Anointing him to heal the sick...
I hope you get something out of this. It's not about how I gave something away. It's more about how God gave me, how he gave you the most important thing in existence to him... and all so that he could have us back. So that he could hold us in his arms again and love us and be loved by us... It's all about Him.
The Scarf
In the country before Nepal, while in our apartment there I felt to give my purple pashmina scarf to the girl who we were staying with. I kind of wondered if I was just in one of my over-giving moods and thought about whether it was the Lord or not. I felt to give it again and so told her I wanted her to have my scarf. However she wouldn't take it unless she was allowed to give me one back, as I'd "need it in Nepal!" She came back out of her room with this gorgeous, soft, warm, beautifully coloured scarf which was far far nicer than mine! I immediately felt overwhelmed with how God just wanted to lavish his love on me! I felt like the scarf I gave away was so plain compared to this one, yet felt it was so right too! So I packed it away and used it all throughout trek in Nepal.
Fast forward a month or so and I'm in the middle of nowhere (literally one of our 4wding tyres completely collapsed and we had already used up the spare, had to borrow the spare off our other friend's 4wd!), in a tent asking for Father's presence to come on this lady and her family. As we were loving on her, you could see tears appearing on her cheeks and our interpreter told us she could feel his presence (oh his presence and love was so thick!). She was in her seventies and had lived long enough to know what was real and what was not, what worked and what didn't. She could feel his love and wanted more.
As we sat there in the tent, talking and just being with this amazing family, I suddenly felt it again. "Give her the scarf." My first reaction this time was that I couldn't. I had only just started to notice a big improvement the cough which I had had ever since leaving for Thailand, and I knew that the scarf made a big difference as to whether I continued healthy or not. But I felt Father's love all over me again, almost weighing me to the ground and I felt, "Give her the scarf". I fingered the soft material, then made the decision and took it off, spreading it out so all the colours were visible and then folding it up to be able to give it to her easier. I offered to her by holding it out, smiling and gesturing. She said in her language that no, she didn't need it and I did. Immediately I felt I had an out and almost decided to keep it after all. But again, felt the "Give it to her". Our interpreter said that if I really wanted to give it to her I could drape it around her shoulders. I decided to give it to her on our way out, and as I sat there holding it on my lap, tears started to fall. I was horrified at myself. How could this scarf have meant so much to me? I hadn't had such a hard time letting go of a material object before. My face was wet with tears and I tried to hide them and wipe them away so she wouldn't see how much I didn't really want to give it. One of the team brought out the guitar and started to play worship songs in the tent. As I sat there trying not to cry, I prayed that the scarf would remind her of our visit, every time she saw it. I prayed that it would bring the presence of Father everywhere that it went and that it would release the kingdom of heaven everywhere that it went. I prayed it would be anointed for healing.
We stood up to leave and as we passed out the doorway, I held it in both hands, presented it to her again and draped it gently around her aging shoulders. Although only in her seventies, her weathered face showed the passing of the years, the endurance of the nomadic lifestyle and the things she had seen throughout her long life. She would have lived through many history making events, and later I found out that she would probably not have ever been to a big city before, and not had the chance to own or maybe even see something like that scarf ever. We went to sit in the cars and I could see her, still sitting on her stool at the entrance with her daughter beside her and her granddaughter in front of her. She picked up the scarf and started to finger it, looking at it properly for the first time...
The scarf was given to me in love, and to me for some reason represented love itself. I felt like I was giving away my friend from back in the other country, rather than just some piece of material used to keep me warm. Yet as I gave it away I feel like I learnt so much and received so much from the experience. When it is God who leads me to do something like that, he can look after the consequences (possibly getting sick again for another 2 months WHICH is not happening by the way). He gave his only Son away, anointing him to represent the Father, anointing him to release Heaven wherever he went. Anointing him to heal the sick...
I hope you get something out of this. It's not about how I gave something away. It's more about how God gave me, how he gave you the most important thing in existence to him... and all so that he could have us back. So that he could hold us in his arms again and love us and be loved by us... It's all about Him.
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| Sunrise on the road |
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| Mother and daughter |
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| Grandma with her scarf :) |
purple scarf?? did I give you that one??
ReplyDeletenope, I bought it :)
ReplyDelete