It happened again the other morning while I was out prayerwaking. I took the first few steps down the street and I heard the sound of a dog barking in the distance. Instantly, I was taken back to a certain morning in Bucharest, Romania. I was standing on a small balcony in the cool of the day… trying my best to just “soak it in,” realizing that I was half way around the world, experiencing new things around every corner. It was an overwhelming feeling. However, across the way – on top of the roof – was a large German Shepherd… barking. It seemed as if his deep voice reached me quicker there in the brisk Romanian morning than it would have otherwise. For some reason, that lonesome bark imprinted itself on my mind and heart. That certain brisk Romanian morning occurred in November, 2001.
I really do not understand all the psychological reasons this happens to me. For some reason, God decided to use that distant lonesome sound to remind me of my first trip to Romania… where He broke my heart for the nations… and not just foreign nations, but the one that I call home too… the good ‘ole USA.
Lately, I have been dealing with life events that force me to be introspective. I have asked myself hard questions like… “What ministry is really the best fit for me?” and “Now that you are finished with college, where will you go?” and “Where will you live?” and “How long will it take to acquire ministry employment?” Trust me, these are just a few of the questions… some get substantially deeper.
Echos from the past often bounce around in the present, reminding us of important life events or commitments we have made to God. I suppose that is the point. In our human frailty, we need to be helped along with strong memories (echos) and even prodded a bit – at times – to keep us on track. The emotions that can accompany these echos are typically deep, strong, moving, and at times… uncomfortable. God uses them to help mold the clay that we are… smoothing out the dents and imperfections… applying the heat… preparing us for use in His Kingdom. I hope this rambling message makes sense to you. You likely have experienced similar things in your life, but maybe you would describe them differently. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care… and may he do the same for me… amen.
NOTE: the photo above was taken from one of my short-term mission trips to Romania, actually this one comes from 2003. It is a lovely memory. The lady shown was in a small Romanian village and on this trip, as part of our outreach effort, we had a medical clinic. did street evangelism, and gave away Bibles. Initially, this lady was not comfortable with reading the Bible with us because she feared what people might think if she appeared to be cooperating too much with the Baptist Missionaries. Later, we just left her alone and saw her finally pick up a Bible and start reading. Of course, we gave her a Bible to take home and she did. It was a good day for us all.
