Well I sit here with a Dr. Pepper looking and reflecting back over these last few weeks and I think of a friend back in Chicago who would ask me… “Hey Josh, on life’s roller coaster where are you?”
Well these weeks can be described as a roller-coaster up and down back and forth. I’ve gone upside down, straight up, and also straight down. Many times I’ve wanted to hit the emergency stop button and say ok God let me off this ride.
As Christmas time approaches it’s really weird in the fact that I find myself with no snow, no cold weather, and not being with the people I love. In some ways I don’t believe Christmas is even going to happen. The only indication that Christmas is here is a dancing Santa that I found amongst the stores in Hualien and at best the English on this thing is well something to laugh at.
Seriously though, God has been bringing me through some times of just depending on Him even moment by moment for strength to carry on each day. I’ve been blessed in so many ways over these last weeks but with blessings come disappointments as well.
The week after arriving back here from our Teacher Reunion I had the chance to go to a wedding with Isaac. It was an amazing experience but the part that got us both was the faith of the believer here in Taiwan. Although they may be few they have a great and strong desire for God and sharing that love with others. We stayed with a couple in their home that evening. This allowed me to see really how people live in Taiwan. The room in which we stayed was no bigger then 6 x 10. The floor had a mat that covered it with a blanket and a pillow. Now I was expecting that anyways but what I wasn’t expecting was to find that it was the master bedroom for the husband and wife. Here is a family that gave their all for a bunch of strangers that they had never met. Now I have to be honest they had nothing. The things that they did have were all old. The shower that they had was nothing more then a big bucket to stand in… at the end they would have to pour the water down the drain.
They also went all out in feeding us that morning even went as far as insisting on driving me in there broken down car to my home that’s more then 40 minutes away from them. Isaac and I came to the conclusion that the church is more alive here then any of the churches we’ve seen in America in the longest time. They have nothing and yet are so eager to share their faith and the little they have with everyone they meet.
The biggest lesson this week that God shared with me was just the other evening. I was feeling really down and honestly I went up to our roof to yell at the Lord. I was tired of my situation and more then anything being told to wait. After all I don’t want to wait… patience is one of the last character qualities I want to develop in my life right now. I started telling God how unfair it is for me to be away from the people I love for Christmas and the long wait I have still ahead of me. About that time I said “Lord you don’t know what I’m feeling what I’m going through” he calmly assured me that he did.
It was as if God was saying you know you’re just starting to get a small glimpse of how I feel. I created all you see in the people in it, and how I long to be with them, how I long to fellowship with them and yet they ignore me, they are far from me. I just wait longing for them to come and be with me.
God has been showing me much through these last few weeks and although the times have been rough the comfort comes in knowing that God knows what I’m feeling, He knows what I’m going through and He’s promised to never leave me.
So when life’s roller coasters take you for a ride know that God is right there with you if you’ll let Him.
I pray that the Lord would richly bless you all. Thank you for your continual prayers and the encouraging Christmas cards.
Joshua Smith
Hualien
