Meine Klein Welt

Faithfulness

by


Christ Church Vienna

This morning’s collect began with the statement,

“Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray”

I think sometimes I regard prayer as a chore. Something that should be done…Something that God wants me to do. Like most chores, it becomes something that I can put off too easily. I rationalize the need to a preference. Sure my room could be cleaner, but I can make due with the clutter…and I don’t have the energy anyway.

What I miss out on by treating prayer in this manner is the bounty of blessing God desires to bestow on me. His blessings are greater than anything I can fathom, yet too often I toil away in prayerlessness attempting to do God’s work without God’s blessing. The absurdity of a life such lived is striking as I write it, yet remains too easily maintained.

God’s faithfulness is not dependent on mine. He is always more ready to hear…

A Good Report

by

Today I ran into one of my very sweet Korean families from last year. The mother came over to say hello and then told me that she and her husband were very grateful for last year and really appreciated the comments I made on their daughters report card. They were so happy, she said, that they drank three bottles of wine to celebrate! Then she giggled and said, “We almost got drunk.” I’ve heard of people being driven to drink by their children’s school troubles, but this is the first time I’ve heard of someone being driven to drink by their child’s success. 🙂

Back in Vienna

by

After spending a little more than 2 weeks in the US, I’m back in Vienna and back in the thick of things at VCS. I had a great time seeing family and friends even though the weather was equally hot and muggy in Tampa and Philly.

Here are some other highlights from my brief stay in the US:

  • Visited my old pal, the ENIAC, for inspiration
  • Attended a block party in Philly
  • Played with an iPhone – pretty snazzy, but I think I’ll make due with my latest hand-me-down cell phone
  • Fired a .44 Magnum – wow. No way Dirty Harry is firing this thing one-handed. I don’t care how cool Clint Eastwood is.
  • Stood in an airport security line with the 2007 NCAA Strutting Champion – and she had the trophy to prove it. I’m not really sure what a strutting competition looks like, but I think the picture I have in my head is a lot more amusing than the real thing.
  • Watched 2 movies and a couple of sitcoms on the way from Tampa to Washington DC. – fyi that’s usually a 2 hour flight.
  • Crashed at my dad’s apartment in DC after missing my flight to Vienna.

As you can see my time in the US was very exciting.

I’ve just finished my first week of orientation at VCS, and am looking forward to the school year…though I think I wouldn’t mind if I had an extra couple of days…or a week even…to get ready. Though I probably think that every year. School starts this Thursday!

God’s Faithfulness

by

I was supposed to fly back to Austria last Friday. However, neither my family nor I were quite ready for me to leave, so we changed my ticket to allow us five extra days together. Little did I know that God had big plans for these extra days. Part of my time at home has been about visiting friends and family, but part of it has been work, because I have to raise $2,000 in monthly support. Yesterday I was about halfway to that goal. However, this morning at church, Pastor Olson wanted me to share a specific story that I had told him about one of my students. Considering that I wasn’t even supposed to be in the country, it was amazing that not only was I there, but I had a story to share that fit in perfectly with the sermon he was preaching. After I shared, Pastor Olson called on the congregation to think about supporting me. I had to send my dad home to get pledge cards because so many people decided to join my support team. God is amazing! I thought I was just spending a few extra days with my family, but He had much bigger plans. Plans to keep his promise that if I’m obedient to His calling, He will provide and provide abundantly.

Making People Feel Like They Matter

by


Yesterday I went to a memorial service for Danny Davis. As people shared memories of Danny, there was one phrase that I heard over and over, “Danny made me feel like I mattered.” What a great legacy to leave! It made me reflect on my own interactions with people. So often I rush through conversations, or listen half-heartedly, or interrupt with my own drama – even when I know that someone is struggling. How many times have I missed opportunities to love someone well because I was being selfish? How many times have I missed opportunities to make someone feel like they matter because I was in a hurry? This is my new goal. Knowing how selfish I am, this is going to be a tall order, but I think it’s a goal worth setting.