beautiful things

‘Through him ALL things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was LIFE, and that life was the LIGHT of men. The light SHINES in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.’ John 1:3-5

Annie sent me the new Gungor album on itunes for my birthday. There is a really great song that I listened to over and over this morning on my run, and reflected on this place I am in- both physically in Cambodia as I adjust to a new culture, as well as the broader world that we all share. I thought about the One who put it all together; placed us in these spaces for this time. Although I seek to know Him and to know His ways, I still end up confused and lost and wonder what it all means. I still have questions about what my life here is really about.

But I still know and believe that He is LIFE. His life is LIGHT, which SHINES in this dark world even when I don’t understand how it all works. The reminder of this song- that not only does He make beautiful things in this dark world, but He makes US beautiful, too- is beautiful in itself and really beyond what I can grasp. I was able to witness hundreds of Khmer teenagers and young adults these past few days clap and cheer and praise Jesus in worship and in prayer. To know that this goes on, and to witness it is different- it was SO beautiful! I already knew that youth in Cambodia are coming to know Jesus in real and life changing ways. But to be able to be in the midst of a group of them was beyond beautiful. It didn’t take an understanding of the language to know that this LIGHT has given LIFE to many here. Things do still seem a bit strange and foreign and even ‘dark’. But the maker of ‘beautiful things’ SHINES in this darkness.

'all this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all

all this earth
could all that is lost ever be found
could a garden come up from this ground at all

you make beautiful things
you make beautiful things out of the dust
you make beautiful things
you make beautiful things out of us

all around
hope is springing up from this soft ground
out of chaos life is being found in you

you make me new
you are making me new
you make me new
you are making me new'

beautiful things, gungor