Friday, June 20, 2014

What language does God speak?

          Learning another language is a unique experience. It's super hard, it can be very frustrating, but at the same time, amazing. To see things through another voice and culture stimulates you to examine your way of thinking, speaking, doing. I have traveled quite a bit to different parts of the world, but as a traveler, you just get a taste of the language and cultural differences. Living in it for an extended period of time gives you a unique perspective. I am really just starting to understand the French, how they speak, how they think, and I've been at this for 6 months. When I meditate on the fact that God knows each of us on this earth, with the immense variety of language and cultures, I'm amazed. He understands each different word, with it's different pronunciation and it's different tones and points of accentuation. How does He do it? Oh, I guess because He is Almighty God and understands everything. Again, I'm amazed. I wonder what language we will speak in heaven? Does God and all the heavenly host speak their own special language? Will we understand it instantly upon arrival, or will we have to go to language school? (just kidding, that would not be heaven!). Will we all speak the same language, or will we just understand what the other is saying in their language? Sorry, I'm rambling! :)
          I have been reading the Bible in French for a while, along with my other devotions. It not only helps me learn French, but it slows me down, so that I really think and meditate on the words. The other day, my French teacher recommended I learn a certain verse, because it had a certain verb, conjugated a certain way (I had missed it several times on our evaluations). I had been feeling rather stressed, because the content this trimester is very hard and there's a lot of it. To be truthful, I am having a hard time keeping up. I thought to myself, great, just what I need, one more thing to have to memorize! But God knew I needed this verse for more reasons than to learn how to conjugate the "vous" form of the verb "Faire". That night I woke up at 1am and couldn't go back to sleep (stressing about French!). I decided to read and try to memorize the verse she recommended. God used it in an amazing way in my heart and mind. I know the verse well in English, but for some reason, the French translation touched me in a way I can't describe. Here it is in French,
"Ne vous inquiétez de rien, mais en toute chose faites connaître vos besoins à Dieu par des prières et des supplications, dans une attitude de reconnaissance. Et la paix de Dieu, qui dépasse tout ce que l’on peut comprendre, gardera votre coeur et vos pensées en Jésus Christ.”  In case you don't recognize some of the words, it's Philippians 4: 6,7  The first 5 words hit me like a ton of bricks- Be anxious for nothing, but in French "de rien" (aka "nothing") is a very strong statement. It means absolutely nothing, zero, nothing, nothing, not even a speck of something!  Through the French language I suddenly had an "aha" moment of what it meant to be anxious for NOTHING! DE RIEN! No excuses, nothing that we can tell ourselves that it is OK to be anxious about. God says DE RIEN! Wow, strong language that cut me to the quick. So, I laid ALL my anxieties at the foot of the cross, in an attitude of thanksgiving, and went back to sleep! Thank you God, that you created such variety in language, so that we can enjoy all the fullness that you have for us! I can't wait to get to Africa and learn some of the tribal languages. I bet they will be Très intéressant!
          Oh, and by the way, my knee is healing and in a couple of weeks I should be able to get off crutches. Praise God and thank you for your prayers, messages and cards! Plus tard, Sandie






2 comments:

  1. That is an awesome statement about how we keep frustrating ourselves with worry over Nothing, with an added emphasis from the book of Philippians!

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  2. Sandie, It is great encouragement to me to see how the Lord takes you through this journey. The ups and the downs, frustrations and the Joys. I appreciate your blogs, and even more so, appreciate your witness as a sister in Christ, going radical for Christ.

    Thank you,
    Chuck Cassise

    PS, Anthony and Heidi just had their baby today (6/24), a boy, Nathaniel Edmond, 4 lb- 14 oz. He was 6-weeks early. Last week Heidi started leaking her fluid and was hospitalized. Mom and baby are doing well. It's hard to believe that Joann and I are now grandparents. Wow! I like the way that sounds!

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