Sycamore trees and other tall places . . .

I know it's been a while since my last post, and per the request of Amy and Bob I decided to update. To be honest, since returning from Africa I have thought that life had taken a dramatic dip back to status quo--which isn't really blogable material:) It's like a part of me still wants to be in Africa continuing the work that we began while there, but I've had to be reminded that my time here doing the every day things in just as important and necessary.

You're probably wondering what in the world sycamore trees have to do with any of this! Well, the picture above is of a sycamore tree that was pointed out to me while in Africa. Just a side bar--After taking a picture of the tree (since I don't recall ever seeing one before) I then proceeded to sing "Rebecca was a wee little girl and a wee little girl was she, she climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord she wanted to SEE . . ." My Nigerian friends didn't seem to get it, but at least Karen humored me with a good laugh that seemed to say "we have been in Africa for over a week and Rebecca has finally lost it!" Now hold that thought about sycamore trees . . .

When I was thinking about moving back I was praying about what I wanted to do for a church when returning to Omaha. God seemed to have everything under control, as I was excited to hear that BCC was starting a new church in the Old Market area that fit with what I was praying! It has been great being a part of the church from the start, and I am excited to see what God wants to do downtown. Check out www.themarketchurch.com for more details. Anyone is welcome to visit--we would love to have you. We meet at 5:15 on Saturdays.

Ok, now back to the sycamore tree:) Last Saturday at church Pastor spoke about Zacchaeus' famous climb up into the sycamore tree, among other things, but there was one point that really stuck out to me. What are we willing to do to meet Jesus? We say we want to know him and be a part of what he's doing, but are we willing to climb to uncomfortable places--or branch out (pun intended!) to meet him? It doesn't matter really where we are in life, but what does matter is are we willing to do what it takes to see him. Every day we should be asking ourselves "what do I need to do today to see God" --whether we are in Africa or Omaha:) So, life really can't be status quo with an attitude like that! Why shouldn't we expect to find God in our everyday experiences. The faith of the Nigerian Christians blew me away while I was there. Why as American Christians do we not pray and seek to catch sight of God in all of our experiences? Are our prayers just simple sticky notes to God or are we writing love letters with the anticipation of a truly intimate response from a God who wants to be noticed and involved in our lives?!?

Ironically, the picture of the sycamore tree was taken outside of the house of an incredible family that we payed a visit to one of our last days in Nigeria. The youngest daughter had been born with severe physical disabilities. Imagine the struggles that a person living with disabilities has in the US and then magnify that by 50 to picture the obstacles that this young woman has "climbed" as she had just graduated early from university with a pre-law degree--pretty big when just one of your obstacles is that you have to be carried up 3 flights of stairs in your wheelchair in order to attend class every day. As she applies to law school, she prays that some day God will use her to make an impact on accessibility and awareness for people living with disabilities in Nigeria. We sat and chatted for a while in her parents living room that afternoon. At one point Chica expressed to me that there are days that she wakes up and dreads even just the process of what it will take to get ready for the day and for a brief moment wonders what life would be like if she hadn't been born with disabilities. She then looked straight at me and said that at those moments she is reminded that God chose her (who is also created in his image) to be used for his greater purpose. I think for every branch that Chica has climbed and sat on she gets it, because she has done what it takes to see God!