Dear Friends,
Today is another cloudy and cold day here in Washington. I woke up cold with lots of sniffles and a foggy head. Ah, I felt like this would set my day for a “meh” day. Nevertheless, I commanded my feet to walk over to the kitchen to make coffee. In my head, I was only going to make it for me since he was still asleep but routine automatically made two cups for my husband and me. Funny how that works. Interestingly enough, when I went back into the bedroom he was already awake. Awesome!
I love how after drinking coffee, it gave me a pick me up that all my morning blues disappeared. I always drink my coffee as I read my Bible plan for the day. I’ve been doing some discipleship plans and it’s been such an eye opening and a Spirit jolter just like coffee is my body jolter. Afterwards, My husband and I chatted about him going to IKEA while I remained home for the kids zoom classes. He found some cheapo computers for the kids from OfferUp and we needed some cheapo tables for it. The obvious store is IKEA!
Our little Mimi went with him even though she also has zoom class but hers is so short and easy that it can be done anywhere. Pretty cool how she was able to resume the zoom class in the car, haha. She borrowed her older sister’s lap table to write on her school journal in the car. I find it amazing how that can literally work!
When they left, I was pacing back and forth to decide what I should do. First, I decided to do my makeup since I knew I had to take my oldest two for their dentist appointments later. I have been loving how I’ve been doing my makeup lately. It’s so easy, fast, effortless, and gives me full joy. There’s numerous reasons for the joy but there are top two reasons. One is that I love how God created me. Aging skin, flaws and all, He created all of me. I no longer feel the need to apply layers of makeup as I don’t want to hide my skin and it’s imperfections. I smile with acceptance that God loves me through all the flaws, and with that said, so should I.
Number two goes along with the first, is that exterior things are not what life should be centered on. What matters more and what is more beautiful is the beauty of the heart. Kindness, humility, patience, and so on. The uniqueness of each of our hearts and minds. It is not effortless, no, but it’s something that we need to spend time on. If we set our hearts and minds facing to God… it will bring joy, peace, togetherness, and love. Those are things that we bring to heaven and the imprints we leave behind.
When my husband and youngest daughter came home, she told me that they went to McDonalds haha and the smile on her face as she opened the toy from the kids meal was so huge. I didn’t stay long enough to see what was the actual toy as I totally forgot I was boiling chicken for our chicken soup. Yikes! Good thing I had it on literal “low” because somewhere along the line, I knew I would somehow forget? Interesting.
Chicken soup is so good and so easy to make. Although, every time I make it, it’s not the basic chicken soup that we all has come to know. That clear broth chicken soup…. nope, not mine! Mine is full of yellow broth, seasoning, garlic, onions, herbs, and… more seasoning. I just love a flavorful soup and ooh, does it hit the spot! Sometimes I like cutting up some beef hot dogs and sautéing it on the pan with a little chopped onion and “sambal oelek”. It’s so GOOD: spicy, garlicky, and oniony. Such a good side to dump on top of your chicken soup and rice.
As I was making the soup, I was listening to a song. I can’t remember if it was “I am Available” or “The Story I’ll Tell”, but one of those gave me such a random but heartfelt thought. In the chicken soup, there are so many ingredients and some were not in the family of their own. Together, they create a meal that nourishes and comforts. The ingredients are totally different but yet somehow each plays a part in the meal and without it, it surely is missed! What’s a chicken soup without chicken? Or garlic or onion? Or the vegetables? Sure we can eat it just fine, but aren’t they surely missed? Surely they are! Surely sure for sure!
Likewise as in the body of Christ… We come from different families, situations, environments, and backgrounds. When we all come together, what a difference can we make? Sometimes we think we are alone and have to work alone, but it’s not the way God has intended for us. Even Jesus needed twelve disciples to do His work. We come together to help one another to bring another to salvation so that they too can become saved and be part of the body. That way, when someone new comes along, there is always somebody there to help them that can understand them fully of where they are coming from. Nurturing and guiding them until they can stand and then do their own work for God.
There is no need for comparison and no need to be better than another because God has placed unique gifts in each of us that will aid in his everlasting plan. We are each that special ingredient that will make a banquet that brings forth life that lasts forever. Take me for example, why did God pluck me out of Islam and brought me to come to know Jesus like this? I am confident it is to help others like me come to know Him also. To accept the gift that He gave me. Why did He take a sensitive woman like me to do His work? I used to think of it as a curse as it was too painful to feel great emotions for myself and others. Oh, but God is a God that turns things around. Now, the extreme empathy that I have can be used to understand people that NEED someone who can feel what they feel and understand what they’re going through. I am now a faithful friend nurtured by a faithful God. Something that I used to think that was a curse, I have realized it is an actual gift that I needed to learn how to use.
God let me go through the hard journey coming from a Muslim upbringing to the freedom I am living in. He was giving and teaching me the strength that I needed to become what I needed to become today. It was rough, ugly, many times I wished I wasn’t alive, and many times I didn’t see the point of it all. Looking back now, God was strengthening me. Will I give up and think of only what I was feeling? Or will I trust that He knows more than what I know and focus on His truths instead? Choosing the latter always yields more rewards and yields an unbelievable peace that I cannot receive anywhere else.
What a random thought coming from cooking a chicken soup, right? After I was done cooking, the song “Love Is A Miracle” came on and ooh that song is my jam! Ahh, it reminds me of how good God is and like the song lyrics, “I remember that morning You called my name, Lord!” Literally when the world said no, He said yes. It reminded me of my journey from then until now. From broken to life, from darkness to light, and He has always said yes even when everything around me said no.
Anyways, now I’m at the dentist appointments for both my kids and my butt hurts from sitting for almost two hours. Ughhhh, but what a perfect time and place to write this, isn’t it? Although I can’t say the same for my son who looks super bored and sliding on the walls to burn off his kid energy. It’s only 3:46 PM in the good ol’ Pacific Northwest, but I’m sure for a moment of the the rest of our day, we would be spent playing Heroes of The Storm! Ezekiel is super good playing the butcher! Wooh! Alright friends, this is it for today. I hope you all find a purpose for each day and may you fulfill it even just for today. Today is a start and a day becomes a week which becomes a month and turns to years of fulfillment and joy. Leave with peace in your hearts and give thanks to the Lord with everything that you do!
