February 13, 2015

Chiang Mai, Thailand

BE AVAILABLE!

Much has transpired since my last entry. I have a new spring in my step and what seems to be a new purpose… or is it the same purpose all along only with a new title?

“Be Available”, seems to resonate inside of my spirit. That was the happiest season of my life thus far, maybe 10-15 years ago… stay-at-home mom, I was. I had time to be available to each family member or friend and also time to be with my aging mother. Every day was new and different from the one before.

But, presently… “Be Available”, here in Chiang Mai? Yes, of course! This is my calling! I am truly a relational type person. Many, many confirmations for me have popped up in just this past week. Call it, “Mentorship”, “Friendship”, “Spiritual Apprenticeship”, “Encourager” … it was all pointing at me to step out and BE AVAILABLE!

I have praised The Lord for this revelation and even made kind of a “deal” with Him. I will stay obedient to Him in my daily, “Reading/Praying/Journaling, Eating Healthy & Exercising” routine, while I trust in Him to provide the people that He chooses to enter into my day. I will be watching and available. Trusting in Him to use me as He wishes and to put the words of encouragement into my mouth to share with others. Also, I have pondered long enough about “providing income” and I will ponder no more! The Lord will provide for us – abundantly. Period. I will just show up and, “Be Available”!

Yesterday began as our Friday’s usually do here… 9:00 AM: take a 45 minute drive to the Men’s Prison along with the other Prison Ministry Team members. We have one hour to talk with and encourage as many foreign prisoners as we can while talking through a telephone and looking through a glass panel. Usually for me, it’s only two young men; one from Pakistan and the other from Malaysia. In their early twenties, they are like my sons. I care deeply for them and pray for them and try to boost them up as some weeks they are very sad and lonely.

Later in the day, Wiley and I were walking past our favorite French Bakery and decided to stop in for coffee and a pastry. The French baker’s wife is a beautiful Thai woman in her thirties. She has told us at a previous visit that her hours consist of opening the bakery at 7:00 AM and closing the doors at 10:00 PM – only still to complete the day’s book-keeping… SEVEN DAYS A WEEK! To me, this is a different type of prison. She looks exhausted and must work for her husband who appears to be a Frenchman twenty years her senior with a temper. I want to be available to her. She is too busy to even meet me for coffee… but, I can sit at her Bistro and be available. Praying, smiling and just be present. (I figure this is a great place to type my daily journal entries!)

Kate, is a young mother in my Women’s Bible Study who sent me an e-mail, inviting me to have coffee with her. She had mentioned an interest in “mentorship”. Okay… I’m available!

We’ll be meeting next week – I’m excited!