He Is Doing Something Beautiful

Psalm 24:1 declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it.”

The fact that all the world, all the nations and peoples, belong to our God, whether they are aware of this life-giving reality or not, has taken on a different significance for me recently. As I visited the United States for Christmas and now as I readjust to life in General Cepeda, various cultural and environmental differences that I took for granted while living in one given country stood out to me more acutely than before.

Returning to the States, it surprised me to hear people I did not know speaking English or to realize that even gyms were climate-controlled. It took my brain a few seconds to process what I was seeing when meeting someone with blue eyes, as my expectation had changed to assume that people I do not know have dark eyes (This felt ironic as I have blue eyes!). The quality and, at times fanciness of most infrastructure in the United States, from architecturally attractive stores to smooth streets, struck me, and sometimes frustrated me, as I was aware that large amounts of money were poured into these things while there are people who do not have a roof over their heads or food to eat (I am not opposed to beautiful buildings or good roads necessarily, but it did not feel natural to go back to them, especially knowing the living conditions of some of those in poverty).

There were also many beautiful things that I appreciated with fresh eyes returning to the United States, such as hearing more Western (American/European) style choral music, tasting flavors of American food, understanding the language around me with ease, knowing there would be soap and toilet seats in public restrooms, and driving with familiar traffic patterns and road rules. I realized these were aspects of my home culture that I had taken for granted.

By far the greatest blessing of being in the United States, though, which outweighs by far the challenges and other joys, was spending time with family and reconnecting with friends. It is always beautiful to reconnect with those who hold special places in my heart and to get to catch up with them.

Returning to General Cepeda has had its challenges, especially leaving family and figuring out a new schedule, which I am still in the midst of, but it has also given me a new appreciation for the culture. The slower pace of life here helps me to slow down and focus more on the people around me. Doing more walking than driving facilitates more spontaneous encounters. The squeaking gears of the machine at the tortilla shop in the now brisk mornings, mixed with the smell of cooking cornflour dough, have become endearing and make me remember the small-business structure of the town. The life of working for and running little businesses and making local goods is not always as poetic as it might sound, but there is something refreshingly simple and personal about it. Running into various people whom I have gotten to know over the past months here has reminded me of how God is working.

As I readjust to life in General Cepeda, there have been many moments where I wonder what exactly God is doing, but He has recently given me concrete reminders that He is indeed doing something beautiful, as He has already arranged for multiple deep encounters around town. 

One of these occurred yesterday evening. I had decided to run a last-minute errand, and planned to pick up something for my roommate on the way back. At my first stop, I noticed the shop was not as joyful as normal, and wondered what was going on. I soon headed to my next stop, a store a few doors down that is owned by a lady from the church. I had a brief conversation with the shop owner before another woman, obviously very concerned, entered behind me.

The owner, clearly aware of the other woman’s situation, unhesitatingly paused her business to find something to meet this neighbor’s urgent need. After she returned, I bought what I needed, and she explained that a neighbor was seriously struggling. I asked if they needed anything, and she sent her daughter with me to go ask. The neighbor invited me in, which felt a bit awkward at first, but there was a supernatural peace that I was aware that the Lord aligned this as only He could.

After chatting with the neighbor for a minute, I found that they did not need anything physically at that time, but I was able to pray with her. After we prayed, another family member from out of town soon engaged me in a conversation that was both informative and uplifting. As I left, though the situation was heavy, I was filled with awe and joy at the Lord’s orchestration and loving, guiding hand that was at work in that little row of houses, as it is throughout the town, country, and throughout the whole earth, which, as the Psalm proclaims, belongs to Him.