Signs

As our trip to the US draws very near, I wanted to tell you a few observations I have made about life here in Vietnam and what applications I am making to my own life...

First, it's often the little things that trip us up. If I say "bugs", you may think "big." And, we do have them, big roaches, big spiders, etc. But to me, the most pesky, frustrating and difficult to deal with of all of them is...the teeny-tiniest of ants. They are everywhere, numbering in the tens of billions (I am sure). They are difficult to see because the travel in cracks and crevices: where the door frame connects to the wall; in the lines where floor tiles meet; at the bottom of baseboards. By the time they are seen, they are covering a cup, a plate, a table. Moving the cup means that they run to your hand. It is an odd sensation; it feels like a thin, moving glove. In my life, I sometimes miss the little things that are, well, amiss. Little frustrations allowed to grow; slight discontent coddled; "insignificant", private criticisms enjoyed as personal entertainment... things small, unseen to most people, pests that run rampant and become visible when left alone. I'm asking the Lord to shine His light and reveal these pests wherever they lurk. Every thought captive. Every motive pure. Every high and lofty thing that would exalt itself against my Lord vanquished and subjugated.

Second, I've been thinking about heaven. With our trip to the US just days away, I've been looking to what lies ahead. I imagine the sights and, perhaps more, the smells. I want to stand in a beauty salon, close my eyes and breathe deep...and the Yankee candle store...and the cosmetic counters at Dillards or Lazarus. There are many spectacular sights in Vietnam...the ocean view, mountains that look as if clouds are resting on their peaks, night-time river views with lights reflecting across the water. So what makes the images of my mind so wondrously beautiful? They are home. Is that how I will feel about heaven: will it be like stepping into vivid technicolor? Will every smell, sound and sight feel like home? I think so. And thinking about it has helped me catch hold a little more of Paul's words about heaven being far more desireable.

Third, the signs. In the US, when special days are coming, the stores signal, announce and trumpet it with decorations, cards, and seasonal home decor. My first clue to the arrival of some of the holidays here is the smell of incense. To honor, remember, include the ancestors, incense is burned on little home altars, and offerings of fruit or other favorite food is placed there (one had a small bag of Skittles candy on it!). No matter how big or small the holiday, incense is always one of my clues to its arrival.

And, lastly, I have been pondering the "God-shaped hole" in every heart that makes us long for eternity. Recently I learned that when someone becomes elderly here, they become known as "the mother of John" or "the father of Jane"...the name used is that of the oldest child. So, for example, years from now, I will be known as "Me Jillian" (pronounced "may Jillian) for "mother of Jilllian. I think it is a cultural way of wanting to express that "life goes on" and the parent will live through succeeding generations. Linh told me that she did not know her grandfather's given name until he died when she was 14 years old, because the only name she had ever heard him called was "father of Quyen" (her father's name). Eternity beats within the heart of every person. We long for it. This life is short, at best. We may know the elation of many joys and privileges, but we may experience gut-wrenching heartache, excruciating pain, fear, sorrow and despair. There is more! Somewhere deep within, we know it. We hope for it.

So, these random thoughts have been occupying the space between my ears and churning in my heart. I know this message is a bit long, but I wanted to share with you while it is fresh on my mind. I don't know if I will have the opportunity to post many messages before we leave for the US.

This week, I hope you, too, will have some time to ponder the things around you. God is speaking! He reveals Himself daily and brings His Word to greater understanding as we let Him apply it to our daily lives.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance!