Things that made me smile recently...

• I had dinner with my old roommate at her place recently and the neighbours saw me coming into the building gate, reported to my friend that I was on my way up, then came out to greet me and in proper Turkish style hugged me, kissed me, then while continuing to hold my hand wanted to know why I hadn't been coming around anymore, praised me for my wonderfully improved Turkish, invited me in for tea, expressed lament that I was leaving for Ankara next week...Turkish 'teyze's (aunties) make me smile.

• Moving again had me reflecting on the various people I've lived with over the years, I smiled as I realized the variety of nationalities that I've been privileged to share a space with thus far--American, Canadian, Turk, Swedish, Romanian, Korean, English, South African, Finnish and Austrian.

• On Tuesday night we celebrated the birthday of a Turkish friend, the highlight of the evening would have to be my friend trying to teach a bunch of foreigners how to belly dance, absolutely hilarious, our hips just don't move that way...I have pictures, though not digital unfortunately...or maybe fortunately...
  

• On my way to help at the Correspondence Course this morning, I saw an older man leaving his building with a big bag of cat food. He was immediately surrounded by tons of very excited, very happy street cats. He was grinning, they were purring, and I smiled.

• Once at the Correspondence Course office our Turkish friend Z told about her most recent street sharing escapade. She and some other Turks and foreigners are out every week and almost every week she has a funny story to tell about how after the iman yelled at them, the nearby shop keepers got to hear the gospel because they wanted to know what all the fuss was about; or about how once they were taken to the police station they didn't actually know what to do with them (it's not illegal) and then some police quietly asked if they could actually have some of the literature they had with them; or about how one little child was teasing them about their literature and then she gave him one and then when they came past again this kid was sharing the tract with his friends! She's wise way beyond her 20 yrs and so funny, she makes me smile.
  

• I had coffee with some friends at a Kahve Dünyası this afternoon, a Turkish coffee place that has a small bowl of chocolate covered coffee beans at every table and gives you a chocolate covered spoon with your drink, and they are cheaper than Starbucks...yep that makes me smile.
  

Conviction...

I was at the once-a-month all night prayer meeting at my church the other week and I enjoyed it immensely, the times of worship, the intercessory prayer, the fellowship with people...it was also a wonderfully convicting time as well. God reminded me of some essentials that I'd forgotten, or rather just let slide a little these past months with travels with friends and family and lack of any set routine.
First up, I was talking with a Kenyan friend from church, great guy, had backslidden from his faith for many years but fell in love with God all over again while working here in Turkey. He was also with us as a translator with that short term team here this summer doing street dramas. He shared that since that time he's gotten this new boldness and excitement. He said he feels he can't hold it in, he just has to go and talk with whoever gets laid on his heart. He offers to pray for people on the bus and talks to people on the street whenever he senses the Spirit saying to him, "that one" or "this one". He was even rejoicing at the fact that his job had recently cut back on his hours since even though it meant less pay, it meant that he could have more time to be available to talk with people should the Spirit direct! He said he was amazed because the person he was even 1 1/2 years ago would never have done this.
He then asked me--without any sort of judgment or comparison, just genuine joy and expectation--"How about you? Have been talking with anyone?" I had to answer honestly that no, I hadn't. The fact that I wasn't talking with people on the street isn't what was convicting though (that's not where my heart is, I like the long term relationships) it was the fact that he was fully embracing and using the gift and calling that God has given him and just delighting in that, the same was not so much true for me as of late.
My conversation with him combined with a short clip of a sermon that we listened to were powerfully convicting. The speaker stated with passion and some sadness that we've been entrusted with the Gospel. This is not something to be dismissed or taken lightly. We need to devour it up and then use it; wield it, share it, and actively! Since seminary I've stopped devouring the Word the way I did when I was searching it to write a paper or prepare a sermon; now I mostly just read it, I don't necessarily meditate on it, rarely do I cross reference, or do word studies or topic studies or context studies.
The speaker also spoke of how God has been beseeched for labourers for the harvest--a labourer works hard and long; he fasts and prays, he labours greatly in the secret, he doesn't wile away his time. It dawned on me how much of my time has become consumed by non-essentials, that slowly I'd been letting those things slide in my life. I want my once-a-week fast back; I want to be in prayer more regularly, well, constantly; I want to once again be deep in the Word--studying, meditating, memorizing, basking in it, sharing it; when I'm with people, I want our talk to not always be empty. Like my Kenyan friend, I want to fully embrace and delight in the gifts and calling God given me, namely prayer and discipleship.