Grace Spilled Over

Pictures a blurred to protect these women

She almost fit under my arm, when standing side by side for a photograph. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but this tiny petite woman is a giant. She laughs and cries, struggles with insecurity and rejection, and worries about the safety of her family. But this simple ordinary woman has dared to say YES to God. She has said yes to living in a hostile environment, constantly on guard, so she can carry God’s light to Muslim women.
She and her husband have sacrificed everything to follow the call. She lives in a poverty-stricken area, with little to no comfort. Dressing like those around her means she must cover her head and wear long sleeves in a very hot and humid climate.

But her smallness didn’t keep me from looking up at her.

And it wasn’t just one giant but many that I spent time with on this trip to Southeast Asia.
It was an opportunity for these beautiful women to get away from the pressure cooker of life. To enjoy a little piece of heaven on earth. To set aside the cares and concerns of life, to uncover in more ways than one for a few short days. To experience a breath of fresh air.

We laughed, we cried, we opened our hearts to one another and shared our struggles. They invited me into their circle, a stranger who just wanted to love on them, hold their hand and listen, pray with them and remind them of God’s passionate love for them.

I walked among giants. Giants of the faith. Are they perfect – no! Do they struggle with sin? Yes! Does busyness tend to distract them? Always! But they are giants just the same. These spiritual giants have sacrificed ALL to walk in obedience with God. They carry the light into extreme darkness. Often, they are isolated and alone, in a community that rejects them and what they represent. They walk with care, never knowing if someone will report them. They worry for the safety of their children. And yet they continue on . . .

They are real life Indiana Jones’ not looking for treasure but bringing THE TREASURE to broken and lost people.

I felt humbled to be among them.

Watching them so carefree; laughing, bantering with one another, dancing, worshipping God with their whole hearts – it was hard to imagine the oppression they live under day after day.

My heart aches for them. And I can’t help but ask, “God, what am I willing to give for the cause of the gospel?”

Radically following Jesus looks different for each of us. It doesn’t always mean we must sell everything, uproot our families and move to the other side of the world. But it does mean saying YES to God, whatever that might be.

I learned this week you don’t have to be physically tall to be a giant! Because I walked among five-foot giants and it brought me to my knees.

I want to love God like they love God. I want to worship Him like they worship Him. I want to be a giant.

Spilling His Grace,

-kristi