Whirlwind

Just dropped hubs off at the airport.  Cannot wait to see him Thursday.  Cannot wait to head to Mexico with him the next day.  Can wait to pack again.  And do more laundry.  And sit on a plane and eat airport food.

But first things first, India was great.  Physically draining, but encouraging in every other way.  Seeing friends, giving them gifts, encouraging them was so so sweet.  Actually knowing my way around north Delhi was weird, but great.  It was like my mind went into auto-pilot.  All those Hindi phrases I'd learned came back and the experiences of rickshaws, the metro, saris, lentils, smell of authentic Indian food, easily spotting all the white people super easily, looking and feeling like an outsider, Indian showers (aka buckets), the necessity of carrying toilet paper with you, and my idea of a "roomy" car re-shifting again.  A and I went to help acclimate 2 staff leading a team of students this summer.  We connected with school officials, met with students we had relationships with, toured the school, reconnected with church leaders, exchanged money, showed them all the transportation how tos, Hindi phrases, cultural dos and donts, and showed them how to get to major tourist sites: India Gate, Chandni chowk, Red Fort, Bangla Sahib (hu-mongo Sihk temple), arranging a trip to the Taj Mahal and palaces in beautiful Rajasthan.  Can I tell you how much a frilly coffee drink can make me feel at home?  We splurged a couple of times and went to Barista- a Euro version of Starbucks that are all over Delhi.  So good.  Yum.  I praise God that coffee is a universal treat.  And I think Hubs was grateful that he knows a secret to temporarily soothe me/wake me up/quiet me down/generally make me happy no matter where we go :)

Me and Remya in her dorm in India.  Yes, that ghost on the right is me...it's been a while since my skin has seen the sun (a little side effect of being a Minnesotan)!

So after getting used to the 11.5 hour time change in India, it was time to come back.  And I've been fighting to stay awake past 9 pm and sleep in later than 6 am.  Ha.  That sounds crazy.  Lame for a 25 year old without kids!

But I'm also feeling better.  Or at least starting too.  The fever is long gone, but a cough has stayed and continues to fade away.  Sadly though I think I forgot what it feels like to be in 20 degree weather and it hit me when I was filling up for gas one day.  I'd forgot what it feels like to have frozen ears and dry hands and wet sludgy shoes.  Here's when you know you're back in Minnesota or at the Minneapolis airport:

Yes, that's snow in the walkway from the gate to the plane.  It's everywhere!!!

And here is the view of my city from the plane. Yes, that's all dead trees and snow.  Ha.  

As soon as we got back from India, I left with al the staff women I work with for a little weekend retreat.  It was so great!  I love these friends.  One gave a little devo Saturday morning and it was so sweet for my heart.  She talked about how the gospel is not just Jesus' death, but His perfect life, perfect death, perfect resurrection and perfect glorification in heaven now.  Man I couldn't journal enough.  Thinking on Jesus' absolutely perfect life made me realize how crappy I am at living even a semi-good life here.  I felt convicted about all the jealousy, impatience, superiority, false humility, manipulation, pride, rudeness, selfishness in wanting my way, control, and gluttony that day.  It was only 10 am.  Shoot.

She also talked about what it will be like to stand in front of God in judgement and having satan read off all the accusations against us.  I picture myself feeling so little, so overwhelmed.  It would all be true.  Everything I've done, satan knows too and he's ready to throw it at me.  He's the great accuser.  That's his job.  But, though I'll stand there forever and satan will be yelling and insulting me and revealing all my sin, I will be able to lift up my head and point to Jesus.  Satan is right, I've done all that.  And I deserve to be with him and never with God- forever.  But I'll say Jesus is true.  He's my only hope for knowing and being with God.  And I'll say that Jesus said He was the way and the truth and the life.  And that the only possible way to get into heaven is to be clothed with His righteousness.  And He's promised it to me.  It will be overwhelming to see black and white all I've done to accrue destruction, but that Christ will hold out His hand. Wow.  What an insane gesture to me.  How worshipful it will be!

It makes me sad that I have to fight to remember this sweet news.  And that a lot of times it isn't sweet.  But how amazing will it be to constantly worship in heaven.  The reality of my unworthiness and God's perfect holiness, mercy, love and grace will be undeniable and ever present.  That's heaven: constant worship. I can't forget or screw it up.

I can't wait.  That's Christ-centered joy and hope: longing for heaven and having confidence in it.

This verse has been sweet since that morning: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us"
2 Corinthians 4:6-7