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Tuesday, July 10, 2018

God's Humor (Bromas de Dios)

The last few weeks have been a cresting wave of ministry and invested time; I was often up until 2AM and back up at 6AM.  It was spiritually and emotionally energizing--the types of deep, sincere spiritual discussions I was having late at night and the types of aid we were giving to those in need were the type of things that amp a person up and give me energy.  On the other hand, it was very physically exhausting to my body, and I critically needed sleep when it was all said and done (and during it, too).

During a tiny lull between two very heavy stretches of time, a little series of events occurred that I want to share.  To me, it was a tiny glimpse of what I perceive to be God's humor (it could also be coincidence, but I find it pretty funny either way and it seems to ring of God's humor). 

Last Thursday, I received a text from some ministry supporters who live a distance away.  They wanted to bring in some items for the free store and would be in Hays.  I told them when I would be up at The dojo/The Gamers Guild/The Free Store, and I planned to show them where they could unload.

It turned out that they arrived right during the first kid's class at the dojo, but Tella was willing to start the class so I could help direct them where to unload.  This particular kids class was the day after our 6-day Aikido camp, so only one student was present (the others were pretty exhausted from all the training the week prior or were out of town this particular day).  As we were unloading, I found out that the couple had received quite a few items from an auction--many of them were the types of items that local families need, including blankets and bedding materials.  They also had brought some nutrition bars and vitamins--I originally thought they were also from the auction as a gift to the food pantry, but later found out they were intended as a gift to me and Tella, which was very generous of the couple (and we've already been putting them to good use).  Anyway, I hurried a bit so I could get back to class as Tella's expression was telling me to hurry up and get on the mats to teach.  I thanked the couple, and then I taught two kids classes back to back like usual.

During one of the adult classes that evening, my students started joking about me teaching in Spanish--some wanted such a class to practice the language and some wanted it to have to pay extreme attention to what was happening as they wouldn't understand the words.  One student said they shouldn't joke about it or I might do it (since I've done it before).  They were right.

Thirty minutes into the class (during which I spoke only Spanish and Japanese), I was having fun using a bunch of Spanish vocabulary about body movement that I don't normally use.  About that exact time, three Hispanic families all came into the free store together.  One of the families occasionally comes in (about once a month or once every two or three months).  They had brought along two other families.  The adults only spoke Spanish for the most part, though the kids mostly only spoke English.  They asked me some questions in Spanish, and because I'd been using the language for the last 30 minutes my replies were natural and fluid.  Also, some of the items that had just been brought in that afternoon were exactly what these (and other patrons that evening) needed.

After I had helped them a few different times with questions (between teaching on the mat), they left got everything they needed and left, and my students laughed about the strange coincidence that we'd done a Spanish class and then had three Spanish families come in as we were talking in Spanish on the mats.  They didn't know the further coincidence that some of the needed items had just arrived that day, nor did they know how infrequently these families came into the Free Store to really appreciate how unlikely it was that it would be on a day we did Spanish class (which almost never happens).  It made me smile and laugh a bit on the inside as it felt a bit like the humor that God often seems to show as He helps things fall together in the right place and the right time.  It was also a great pick-me-up as I finished the big wave of ministry that coincided with the Aikido Camp I'd been teaching and prepared to hit the follow-up wave of the Prerelease weekend at The Gamers Guild (along with some further ministry opportunities and the wedding of one of my Aikido students that same weekend).

Thanks for your continued prayers and support--please feel free to come on out and work with us or talk to me over a coffee if you want to know what else is going on (though my upcoming newsletter will detail some of it).  Vaya con Dios!  (Old Spanish blessing--Go with God)