They say that the average female speaks about 20,000 words a day. I think Abby says at least double that! And of that 40,000 words I am pretty sure that 3/4 of them are questions. (The other 1/4 being movie quotes.)
Some of her questions are just ridiculous... the kind of questions that are impossible to answer. My favorite so far is: "What are all the people doing?" This was said while sitting at the dinner table looking out our door... there were no people in sight...
Then there are those questions that everybody thinks about but never actually vocalizes because we realize they can not be answered. Usually she asks these while driving in the tuktuk. "Where are they going?" "What is he doing?" "Who's house is that?" "Why did they get married?"...The list could go on still.
Most of the time I think she is just wanting to talk because her questions are really just statements in question form. "Why is that baby there?" (Look at that baby) "Why did Lily get a spanking?" (Haha! Lily got in trouble!)
Every once in a while though she has a really good question. On the way home from church on Sunday she asked "Why are there too many people who don't go to church?" "Well," I said, "because they probably don't know who Jesus is." "Why don't they know who Jesus is?" "Because we live in Cambodia and nobody has told them yet, I guess." "Why did nobody tell them?"
Unfortunately our conversation ended shortly because we got home and everyone got distracted. But it made me think. Why did nobody tell them? There are NGO's out the wazoo here! I have been a missionary here for a year and a half! Now, Cambodia's Christian population is growing and more and more Cambodians are coming to Christ. Praise the Lord! But still, I have people that I see everyday that still maybe have never heard about Jesus. WHAT AM I DOING HERE? She really has inspired me to pursue these relationships that God has placed in my life to further His kingdom.
Although I really hope Abby's 1000 questions a day stage ends soon, I hope she never looses her curiosity. I hope she keeps questioning why the people don't know Jesus. But more than that, I hope it spurs her to do something about it.
What about you? Do you have relationships in your life that you could influence towards Christ?
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Rip Your Heart Out
Today the girls went to visit their birth mother, Srey Ron (Mat Ron as they call her). I was happy when Srey Rua (the girls' aunt that works at BYKOTA house) asked if they could go, Abby has been asking for a while to see Mat Ron. It has never bothered me before. I am glad the girls know who their birth mom is and when Abby and Lily became "ours" we promised her that we would keep them in contact with their family.
When they got back today I was happy they had had fun. Then I had a "rip your heart out" moment on the ride home with Abby. She said "I'm sad, I don't want to go anywhere. I like that mommy, I like that Mat Ron. I want to go back to see Mat Ron." Now, if you have ever heard Abby talk you know that she always has a happy tone of voice and she repeats her self a lot. So by the time she was done talking she said at least five times that she liked Mat Ron and she wanted to go back. I don't think she meant she didn't want to live with us anymore...and she is 4... you can't really take anything she says to heart but it still hurt. I want my girls to know their mom. I want them to love her. But I want them to love me more...I am Mommy, not her! I hated hearing Abby call Srey Ron "Mommy." I am the one that protects them and feeds them and teaches them how to be human. ME!
That's when I realized that I was wrong.
God entrusted them to Srey Ron first. Then she, a Christian lady, entrusted them to us because she loved them and wanted them safe. I don't need to worry about who they like more. Nor do I need to worry about who they want to be with. The fact is that God has given them to us and I don't need to be jealous of their real mom or worry that she is going to steal their affection. Worry and Jealousy... two sins combined into one! Instead I choose to trust God in what He has promised me and to be happy that my girls have two moms who both want what is best for them.
Is there worry or jealousy in your life? How can you switch it around to a Godly attitude?
When they got back today I was happy they had had fun. Then I had a "rip your heart out" moment on the ride home with Abby. She said "I'm sad, I don't want to go anywhere. I like that mommy, I like that Mat Ron. I want to go back to see Mat Ron." Now, if you have ever heard Abby talk you know that she always has a happy tone of voice and she repeats her self a lot. So by the time she was done talking she said at least five times that she liked Mat Ron and she wanted to go back. I don't think she meant she didn't want to live with us anymore...and she is 4... you can't really take anything she says to heart but it still hurt. I want my girls to know their mom. I want them to love her. But I want them to love me more...I am Mommy, not her! I hated hearing Abby call Srey Ron "Mommy." I am the one that protects them and feeds them and teaches them how to be human. ME!
That's when I realized that I was wrong.
God entrusted them to Srey Ron first. Then she, a Christian lady, entrusted them to us because she loved them and wanted them safe. I don't need to worry about who they like more. Nor do I need to worry about who they want to be with. The fact is that God has given them to us and I don't need to be jealous of their real mom or worry that she is going to steal their affection. Worry and Jealousy... two sins combined into one! Instead I choose to trust God in what He has promised me and to be happy that my girls have two moms who both want what is best for them.
Is there worry or jealousy in your life? How can you switch it around to a Godly attitude?
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