56 Steps

56 Steps

On April 20th, we returned to Portugal from a two-week trip to the US.   We walked up the familiar 56 steps to our front door.  

56 steps…….to our new home.  

56 steps to our new life, a new culture, new experiences, new adventures…...a new norm.  

It’s 56 steps to a world filled with things being done differently….not wrong…..just different.  

We’re learning a new language, a new culture, a different way of living…...a way of living with less, but gaining so much more!  We don’t have all the material possessions we had in the US.  We don’t own a home or a car (but we are very thankful for access to a car).  We are “homeless pilgrims for the Lord”.  But we’re really not homeless…..our home is wherever we are together.  We have more time with each other…..to discover new things together….to learn a new language together...to encourage each other and to depend on each other.

As I take the 56 steps down to the front door of our building, we look forward to taking this new adventure with the Lord guiding us….making our paths clear…..bringing new wonderful people into our lives…..and showing us things we were blind to before.   It’s a different place with different people…...all with their special God-given gifts.  How blessed we are to be here…..in this place…..right now…..together…….56 steps away.

Sometimes, these steps take us to a place that is very unfamiliar….sometimes scary….because we can’t navigate as easily as we could before.  Sometimes, I’m afraid to speak or ask questions, because I might not say it correctly…...and at times, I have said some EXTREMELY embarrassing things.  But, I step out any way…….and do my best to communicate.  

In this time of uncertainty, I realize how important it is to speak to someone in their own language.  How important it is to take the time to learn their language in order to be able to speak truth to them…...to speak to their heart, which may be hurting…..just as everyone’s does at times…….to speak God’s truth of love, salvation, grace, and mercy…..to speak of His free gift of salvation for us and His unconditional love for us.

A few weeks ago, I was walking up those familiar 56 steps, I saw my neighbor that lives below me.  I spoke and asked how she was doing.  I couldn’t understand everything she said, but I understood that her husband was in the hospital.  Apparently, he’s an alcoholic and he’s had a stroke.  I’ve seen him numerous times and have spoken to him.  But, I can’t have a meaningful conversation with either one of them because of the language barrier.  I can, and do, pray for them everyday.  I pray for the Holy Spirit to capture their hearts and for them to fall crazy in love with the Lord.  I pray for their pain to be healed and for them to know the immense love that only God can provide.
It’s times like this that. I see just how broken and weak I am….incapable of doing any of this on my own.  It’s only through His strength and His wisdom that I’m able to move forward…..to make a difference for Him.  

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So, every time I walk up or down those 56 steps, I celebrate my weakness so that He can shine….so He can get the glory and honor for everything…..so that all can see it’s His perfect timing….and that alone, I can do nothing…..but with Him, all things are possible.

As you take the next 56 steps of your life…..where will it lead you?  Across the room…...across the street…...across the state…..to another country?  Are you willing to let Him be in control?  Are you willing to let Him guide your next 56 steps?