She gripped my hands in hers, and the firmness of her grasp caused me to look straight into her eyes.
"Wow, Kim, you really were the part of a great rescue. I mean...we all are...but really Kim ...you were truly a Great Rescue."
She gave me a quick hug and smiled at me one last time, the twinkle in her eyes sending a warmth into my core. I longed to chat longer, to hear more of her wisdom, but the moment was over and before I knew it I was rushing out the door and into the cab that would take me back to my home in Kibera.
I couldn't get it out of my mind. Even now, as I have been training alongside a team of beautiful strong women of God who are each a part of the Kingdom Journeys team, I am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that we are all a part of this incredible rescue.
In each one of our darknesses, Jesus reached down and lifted us to the light, carrying un in the palm of His hand.
The waves of sin and broken were about to consume and drown us, but safe in the palm of His hand we are being drawn closer to His Heart.
And yet, sometimes in our misunderstanding of the depths of His devotion to us, we try to scramble out of His hand....hurling ourselves towards the raging oceans of sin and darkness because we think we know better than the one that knows all.
And what does He do ?
He reaches down again. And again. And again.
Because the Great Rescue is not finished, and won't be until we have come home.
I am in the lifeboat now...but not yet at shore. He has given me some time to cough and sputter, catching my breathe and laying down on the bottom of the boat recovering. Slowly I have climbed to my knees, draping my arms in front of me, and resting my chin on the side of the rubber boat, and now I gaze out upon the waters.
Thankful.
As the feeling warmth of safety grows in God's presence, I smile.
Joy.
Suddenly out of no where....in front of me, I see a head emerge from the water...arms reach high as if trying to clutch onto the rungs of a ladder, thrashing about and gasping for air....and as her eyes connect with mine I see the panic in her eyes.
I reach out my hands but on my own, I cannot.
I need Him, and He wants to use me.
And so with His hands holding mine, I reach out and grab her hand.
I was the object of a great rescue...and so is she.
And so is she, and so is she, and so is she.
We are all a part of a great rescue and now we are invited... we are invited to be a part of a great rescue.
That is what He is reminding me of in this season. We serve a God who RESCUED us.
He rescued us and now He wants to use us. He wants each of us to be a part of His mission...wherever we are and wherever we've been.
Sometimes I can't believe that it's true...
But it is, and I'm saying yes.