Monday, April 23, 2007

Guest Blog by my mom, Kathy Beebe


Reflecting this Easter weekend in the comfort of my mid-American home it is hard to believe that less than a week ago I was in Bangalore, India with Ben, Susie, and Sy. While I attempt to write down some of my experiences and thoughts I realize how easy it would be to let the tasks before me push aside what I experienced in India. But I know I really can’t nor do I ever want to forget what I experienced.

I primarily went to India as a mom and grandma. I couldn’t wait to see my family, hold my grandson. My prayer also was that I wouldn’t be frozen by the culture shock, but that God would give me the grace to experience Ben and Susie’s ministry, and to be willing to be changed by God, for His glory.

As a mom, I wanted to see how Susie was really doing. She always seemed to be doing great on the phone or over Skype, but I knew she couldn’t hide as we went through day to day experiences. At first I thought she had to be pretending that this chaotic traffic and endless noise wasn’t bothering her. She wants me to know she is okay and I don’t need to take her home with me. Then the ants, roaches, and lizards came. This will surely put her over the edge! But no, she just calmly looked for solutions. I think she did call on her Dad to help capture the lizard!

I watched in amazement as she maneuvered Sy in his stroller through the crowded streets of cars, motorcycles, busses, rickshaws, and cows (not to mention an overprotective grandma forever saying watch out!)

I watched in wonder as she led a Bible Study for neighborhood women with communication barriers, as we went to a home for orphaned HIV positive children and she loved them and played with them, while I was being an overprotective grandma with Simon. I will never forget her convicting words, “You can’t really love people without getting dirty, look how dirty Jesus got for us.”

As our two weeks came to a close I realized my daughter is really handling this, but she and I both know it is only because of God and what He has done in her life. Then one of our last mornings something finally put her over the edge. Her cinnamon rolls didn’t turn out as she would like. I thought, she is handling everything so well and this is what puts her over the edge! But then I realize this is the power of the gospel. God is always changing us and molding us to be more like Him in big things and small. From the time our children are born we pray that they would take on our faith and make it their own. How blessed I am to be praying that God would now give me faith like my daughter’s.

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