Sri Lanka #7 (The end is coming)
Potential Last Three Part Sri Lanka Post
“Exceedingly abundant” is a direct quote from a dear friend I received in an email. She might have stolen it from Ephesians 3:20m, but that can’t be proven. Right now, I am spending alone time with my ThaTha (grandpa). He’s asleep. Quality, quantity, it’s all the same to me. Okay, back to “exceedingly abundant.” For awhile, the tensions between my mother and I has been quite stressful, sinful even. I know what you’re thinking, however, Pradeepan wasn’t completely right in his attitude or interaction with his mother. I’m a man of God, yet I’ve given the devil a foothold in this area. My good friend Raja counseled me concerning this area the other day. “Raja, how do you honor someone you’ve lost respect for?” I asked him.
Raja’s father disowned him when he was 9- because he converted to Christianity. During the heat of the civil war, he was turned into the police. His father told the police that Raja was part of the LTTE (The rebel force in Sri Lanka). Mind you, this happened during the time –when my family left Sri Lanka- that supposed members of the LTTE often “disappeared.” He knew that the police would kill his son. The police didn’t believe him, thankfully, because of the boy’s youth. Praise God for ageism, or grace. Whatever. It doesn’t end there, Raja’s father didn’t speak to him for seven years. Raja still found ways and chose to live him anyways. Letters, service, anything. Though Raja was sent to live across the country, in horrible poverty, he still chose to love. Raja was a great person to be counseled b y. Even after all that testimony goodness, I kept telling myself that “I was border line hating my mother.” I prayed in the Spirit, proclaimed scriptures but the intense tension in my head remained. When I am frustrated, I am literally forced to chew on a mouthful of razorblades. Maybe that’s not true. Time and time I’ve tried to be the best Christian I can, but time and time again I’ve failed. Humility doesn’t often come naturally for me. Man, I hate apologizing to my mother. On this trip I’ve done it several times. Each time I lose a little more credibility and because of that, it gets harder every time.
Finally, I brought my thoughts to the father. You know, the whole bring it to the throne instead of the phone type of thing. “Father, I am border line hating my mother. If this keeps up, I think I’ll hate her.” The LORD told me that was a lie. “You do hate her.” Is what the LORD communicated after that.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.
Thanks DC Talk for telling me that love is a verb. Truly, I am thankful. For some reason, I had never realized that hate was also a verb. Literally, I practiced the opposite of everything that love verse concerned. However, it happened only when with my mother. I profaned the love between a mother and a son- I didn’t value it, I made it common. I chose to hate. Now, I choose life. Praise God.
Sorry, sanguine personality, so back to the whole “exceedingly abundant” thing. Raja counseled me in a van on our way to some NGO medical conference. The conference is still going on in Vivuniya, Sri Lanka. Another heavily war torn area. On the way there, I repented and got in touch with my mother. Harder than ever to do, I apologized to her. So, we get to the conference and I am introduced to the head leader. The history of the conference is explained to me. In 2003, the foursquare church brought 60 born again doctors from America to provide free medicine and on one treatment. In 8 days, 22,000 people showed up. Lines stretched miles down the streets. Pastors “secretly” prayed fro the people in line and over 500 people fell out in the Spirit. The Hindus blamed it on the hot sun they’ve grown up with. Praise God. The way this ministry worked was crafty. The people wait in an auditorium before getting the medicine. The Gospel happens to be preached in that area. Messages. Music. Drama. Goodness. 22,000 people went in 2003! The crowds were so big that the ministers lost control, and the police stepped in. Praise God!
This year, the same team, the same ministry came to Vivuniya. So did I.
The leader and I continued to talk until one of my friends mentioned that I play guitar. Soon, he asked me to play bass with the Sri Lankan music group. Holy Jesus!
But, this is where the exceedingly abundant thing comes in…
He asks me to sing and play guitar by myself. Lead worship.
I went from repenting to this. Only God. More than I could imagine.
I love you guys. This will be my last post while in Sri Lanka. I look forward to tackling you all with kisses or awkward small talk about our summers.
Love, Pradeepan
Pictures.
