Taking time to sip the coffee.. the sacrament of the present moment

It’s been eight years since I lived my two years in Kathmandu Nepal.  In many ways it feels like just yesterday when I found myself following God here.  When I packed up everything my twenty something year old self held dear and came across the world to a place God held close to His heart.  A place where He would teach me about my heart.  About His Heart.  And about letting people who speak a different language into my heart. 

I came with so many ideas of what it meant to “serve Him” , be used by Him, be the perfect worker for Him.  And in those two years He taught me.  He taught me He didn’t need me but He wanted me.  

I am currently back in Nepal visiting.  I had forgotten something about the pace of life here.  Being back has reminded me how the sacred can be found in the sacrament of the present moment. 

Part of the sacredness of those moments are in being WITH people in the moment.  Where conversations can become holy ground.  

You see Nepal is a place where relationship trumps the to-do list.  Where people enjoy their moments together without rushing to the next thing.  Where you walk down the street and people call you to their store to drink tea or coffee.  Even if you are a stranger.  

Today I sat with a gal over coffee and enjoyed the sacred moment.  She taught me much about faith  as she talked about her husband losing his relationship with His entire family because of His faith.  How her and her husband are not going to turn back from serving Jesus no matter what persecution or trials come. 

We laughed.  We prayed.  And I didn’t rush from that moment.  

True confession.  God is reminding me/revealing to me/gifting me with the whisper that to often I rush from the moments. 

That I get busy with to-do that I miss moments.

Today as I sipped coffee and listened it was beautiful.  I felt Jesus meet us there.

And here in the laughter And in the kitchen while making tortillas for Mexican night in Nepal yesterday , I was also reminded how God taught me much in the messy of my kitchen in Nepal.  In moments like making 600 sugar cookies for the neighbors for our Christmas program– in a toaster oven.

In making a turkey that was imported for Thanskgiving– that our friend got the price wrong and ended up paying over a hundred dollars for it and wanted us, who had never cooked one– to make it.  And might I add we had to move from town to town to find ovens that had electricity.

In the kitchen  in Nepal I learned about having an open home (people showed up constantly) and an open heart, watching the imperfect be made a perfect offering by God.

See how the light is shining in the messy kitchen.

I pray it reminds you that the messy can be glorious as God writes His glory story in Us.