"What is God trying to teach me through this?" Or "What should I be learning through this?"

Community living. An adventure that I have often said out loud, would be incredible! The positive people surrounding you all the time...a neighbor to always chat with...kids for Ava to play with whenever her little heart desires...the shared laundry room.

I am a person of habit, system, order. When I was told by our building manager last quarter that you must sign up, ahead of time, in order to wash clothes...that's what I did! Luckily that's what the other twenty families in my building did as well....last quarter. This quarter, we have new families in our building who must not have heard about the "Order of the Laundry". Recently it seems that every time I go to the laundry room, during my assigned time slot....which I have signed up for a couple days ago...there is someone using my time slot! Unbelievable! I know you are thinking, how can this happen!? My name and my room number are clearly marked on the sign up sheet. I've had my clothes removed....others put theirs in...(during my time slot, mind you)...and even my detergent taken!! (probably on accident....but that's not the point.) How can my neighbors NOT know the "Order of the Landry"?!?!

My amazing friend Becca said to me one night, as I was fuming over this seemingly insignificant problem, "Well, what is God trying to teach you through this?"
Ha! Why would God be trying to teach me anything through this trivial thing? ...and of course there is nothing that I can learn through this...it is my neighbors who need to learn something here!!!

(Wow, I have been deliberating over what to write about in this blog for a couple weeks now, and as I am writing this, I know that this is exactly what I need to be writing today.)

God wants us to be humble enough in every circumstance to be able to hear His voice. When we humble ourselves, and ignore the pride which rises up in all of us, He is able to move in closer to us, and we are blessed with an intimate encounter with Him. (The pastor at my church here in Kona spoke about humility this past month, and gave me some good ideas to ponder over.)

Of course Papa God was trying to gently remind me why I am here on this campus....to love others. Pride causes me to think that my dirty clothes are much more important than my neighbors. Pride causes me to think that my neighbors should know how to laundry the "right way". When I am prideful I can't "love my neighbor as myself". Literally. It is only when I am humble, and think about others' needs, that I am able to truly love.

I encourage you to humble yourself today and be on the look out for the tiny trivial matters that God wants to speak through. He wants to speak to you so badly, that He will use any circumstance to get your attention. He loves you, and wants to know you, and wants you to hear His voice.

I love you all too! I will be sending out my Spring newsletter very soon...so be looking for it in your email or snail mail. Let me know if you don't get it!