Since she was a little girl, Lisa Bryant has had huge heart for the nations. Recently this love has led her family to move overseas to work at an international school in Hong Kong. Read about some of the things she is learning through the lens of a new perspective.
My family and I moved to Hong Kong in the summer of 2013. The first year we were here, we each had our own transitions to work through. I was praying to God every day but my prayers were repetitive.
“Oh, God, please help me!”
I felt like I was swimming in the midst of stormy waves and I was trying to keep my head above water. On every level, I was STRESSED OUT! However, God promises to always be with us even in the midst of the storm. He heard my cry and helped me survive each wave that I encountered. I would say that I was in a survival mode our first year that we lived abroad.
This year has been different. We are much more settled and are enjoying our jobs, school, friends and the beautiful place that we live in. I am working part-time and there are mornings where I am the only one at our home. I love sitting by the window, looking out at the water and spending quiet time with God.
As I have been spending time with Him, He has been speaking to my heart through Psalm 46:10, where He says “Be still and Know that I am God.” It is when we are quiet and listen, that we can hear the Holy Spirit. I have really enjoyed being still before Him with no distractions. But what does that verse look like when we are in the midst of a busy supermarket, a crowded subway, the times when we are going to be late for an appointment and we are stuck in traffic?
It is in those moments, that God desires us to be still and know that He is God. In Hong Kong, there are millions of people. Many times when I am on the subway or in the supermarket, I am in a sea of people. People are talking on their phones, pushing other people so that they can all fit on the subway, and moving at a rapid pace. It can be quite exhausting. Many times, I have gotten angry, irritated, and impatient. I am focused on getting from point a to point b and getting there on time. My heart, mind, and thoughts are focused on me and my needs. But God is always at work and wants to speak, show, and teach us things in the those moments.
As I was standing in line at the supermarket and I was in the line that took longer than the other lines around me, the Holy Spirit convicted my heart. I needed to slow down and realize that God was with me in that moment and listen to His voice. “What do you what to teach me?” “How do you want me to respond in this situation?” There may be times where He will open our eyes to someone that needs our help nearby or maybe He wants to us pray for the cashier who is helping us with our groceries. It is not by accident that we are in that particular place at that particular time.
Some days, I am exhausted by the time it is time to put my girls to bed. Sometimes, I can get in the routine of saying a quick prayer and quickly saying goodnight. I just want to go to bed and not spend any more energy relationally. However, one night, the Holy Spirit, spoke to my heart about slowing down and asking Him how He wanted to use me in that moment with my daughter. I asked her some questions and we had a conversation that we both needed to have. God was there and He wanted me to be still before Him in that moment and listen to His voice.
In Colossians 3:17, it says,
“And in whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Whatever, our day may look like, God is with us throughout it. He has given us that day for a reason. He has a purpose. Whether I am grocery shopping, going to the bank or putting my daughter to bed, I need to be asking Him how I can serve Him in those moments. When we are focused on His presence and character our focus turns from ourselves to Him. He can then speak to our hearts in that moment, and we are able to see the situation and others from His perspective.
It is easier when we find a quiet place and are able to spend time alone to be still before God. But it is during those moments when the temptation is to be hurried, angry, irritated, or impatient that God desires that we “Be still” and know that He is God.
-Lisa
