Where Were You?

I was just sitting down enjoying a moment in the sun rays coming through my window. I was reading from 1 Corinthians in our Indonesian/English Bible. The verses spoke to me and moved me to write. Where were you ... when you were called? My closest Indonesian friend is on a spiritual journey. Maybe one day I'll be talented enough to write a novel of her life, but for now, I'll make it short. She grew up here on the island of Java in a Moslem home where her mother was one of the many wives of an abusive man. Later in life, my friend married a man who also is abusive. They have been married for 25 years and no one (except a couple of close friends) have ever known this secret. My friend's sense of humour and energetic character hides these terrible secrets. But, a long time ago, when my friend was a little girl, God called her. She would dress up on Sunday mornings and follow the Christians in her community to church. She would sit in the back, curiously listening. Through all her years, God has made opportunities for her to know His truth. She told me the other day that God doesn't care about the covering of a woman's head. What he cares about is that we cover our mouths from gossip, our eyes from what is evil, and our ears from falsehood. I hung a scenery painting on my wall last weekend and when she saw it, she said that when she is in a place like that, she can't help but realize how awesome God is. "Man has made the airplane," she said, "But man himself cannot fly." One of my favourite artists (musical) is Steven Curtis Chapman. Three days before we left for Indonesia, Chris and I were able to go to his live concert in Tacoma, WA. That was the greatest gift. How many times have I listened to his CD here in Indonesia and been transported to that place -- a place of encouragement in the presence of God. One of S.C.C.'s songs (of old) says: "Remember your chains" and another one says: "I'm free, yeah ... and the freedom I've been given is something that not even death can take away from me." Where were you when you were called? My friend was in a slum in Indonesia, being abused by an unfaithful father. "Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important." What has He done? Oh, I stood in ashes ... and He turned those ashes into beauty. I stood in shame ... and He turned that shame into joy. I stood in despair ... and He turned that despair into praise. Now, precious Jesus, take the tears I sow ... and turn them into other's gladness. "By Him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free."