Exulting in monotony
These past few weeks have been a blur. Albeit a happy haze, yet a blur is still a blur.
Drive an hour when I’m lucky, an hour and twenty on jammed days. Work, work, work. Conquer all the eateries within walking distance at lunch. Work, work, work, work, work. Drive for another hour to two hours. Eat dinner alone since I get home from work too late. Rest or go for a run at the neighboring Cerritos Regional. Sleep. Repeat.
Living in this monotonous schedule, I know exactly where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing at any time. And, reflecting back on earlier sentiments that I shared, I wonder: is this all, or is there more?
Caught up in my financial emancipation, traffic (aka. the bane of my existence), and even the luxury of having a set schedule, I thought I was becoming too complacent with it all. And so, I asked for the Lord to rekindle the grand visions and convictions that I had heading into this summer. And boy, does He answer righteous prayers.
A little backtrack: at my first day of work, I found out that one of my coworkers lives ONE BLOCK away from me. We literally live one street away from each other. How in the world is that even possible?!!! Only by the grace of God were my summer housing problems solved in a split second — I tossed out the notion of subletting at USC and instead, take turns carpooling with my neighbor-colleague. Since we’re on the road together for 2-3 hours each day, we’ve listened to probably every CD in our car collection and worn out the same songs each radio station plays all day, everyday.
Since religion is so taboo in our culture, I’ve been keeping it on the DL ever since I started. But, while driving alone in the car yesterday, I was so blessed by the praise songs mix I had made that I couldn’t wait to listen to it with my neighbor-colleague the entire drive to work today. I mean, what better way to segway into the Good News than share with her our joy and worship? I was thoroughly convicted that tomorrow was going to be THE day.
So there I am this morning, listening to Chris Tomlin’s “Our God” in the 30-second drive to my neighbor’s house. I pick her up and we’re on our way to work when, all of a sudden, I hear a thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
God, God, nooo. Did I get a flat?
I pull over to the side streets and inspect my tire: nothing. So I get back in my car and sloooowly put my foot on the accelerator: thump-thump.
There’s DEFINITELY something.
“Hey, do you mind getting out and seeing if anything is there?”
My neighbor-colleague gets out and I slowly move forward again, only for her to tell me to halt, saying that I have a razor blade lodged in my back left tire.
What kind of sane person would leave a razor blade out in the middle of the street?! Impeccable timing.
Thank God this didn’t happen on the freeway — I think that at the sound of the tire popping, my limbs would turn to Jello and my mind would go numb. Because we weren’t that far from home, I turned back and we took my neighbor-colleague’s car instead.
But, reflecting back now on the morning’s events, I can’t help but think that it was a counterattack from the enemy. He cringes at what the Lord delights in: sharing the Good News, the Truth that will set us free. David’s cry in my QT today is so poignant: “RESCUE ME BECAUSE YOU ARE SO FAITHFUL AND GOOD. FOR I AM POOR AND NEEDY, AND MY HEART IS FULL OF PAIN” (Ps 109:21-22). Only by God’s grace can we see how wretched we are and, reading David’s earnest plea, I can’t help but consider it as our souls crying out to join our Abba Father, whether or not we know Him yet.
Thus, my heart grieves that I was unable to minister to this desperate soul today. But, my heart rejoices that our God is so faithful and good and will provide another opportunity for me to share how good, loving, and perfect He is.
So, please keep me accountable that I share the Good News with my neighbor-colleague. This is really a testament that missions is not just overseas but right here, in our home community. Also, please join me in partnering with our short-term missionaries in praying for and serving in the nations.
Look closely, the people are desperately seeking the Light and need someone to direct them towards Him. Listen carefully, the people are desperately crying out for a savior and need someone to direct them towards Him. Pray continuously, because He is hearing our prayers at this very moment.
사랑하는 나의 아버지 이름 높여 드립니다
주의 나라 찬양속에 임하시니 능력의 주께 찬송하네
전능하신 하나님 찬양 언제나 동일하신 주
전능하신 하나님 찬양 영원히 다스리네 <3
