Holidays

I am back from holidays. They were great. It was really nice to see the mountains, ocean and of course my family. We did a lot of things with our family in the two weeks that I was there: flying, hanging out, going to the beach, hiking, making a waterside, rafting down a river, playing games, building a house ...
One of the neat things that happened on this holiday was meeting family that I did not really know or had never really meet (I do not consider having meet someone if I was only three the last time I saw them).
My uncle who lives out east was also out visiting at the same time. Now I had meet my uncle a couple of times but do not really know him. We got into a couple of very good conversations. He explained that he was beginning to follow Jesus. He told me that he did not want to be pious. In other words he did not want to act more holy than he is. He believes that God accepts him as he is so he has given everything to God and God has to lead him to change. It seems that he does not want to get bogged down with rules but has a willingness to be totally surrendered to God. This is totally awesome.
I also meet my great aunt (actually I meet a couple of them). My aunt had lived in Africa for 48 years as a missionary. She had stories to tell about how God had worked in her life. Two stories that she told me really stuck. One was just before she headed out onto the mission field. She was praying wondering if God would help when through an open window flew a sparrow. The sparrow dropped dead at he feet. She was reminded that Jesus said that God knows every sparrow who dies and we are more important than them so do not worry. She then went to Africa. The second story that she told was when she went to the mission field the last time - when she was 72 (or perhaps older). The field asked her what she wanted to do. She said she wanted to live in a grass hut and tell a certain people group about Jesus. That is amazing commitment and dedication.
It was neat to see one on the beginning of the journey and another who has been so faithful in the journey.