We have been living in our new town for a few months now. This season has already had a lot of ups and downs for us as we adjust to life, language learning, and culture. When we moved in, I felt the Father urging me to worship. I don’t listen to music very often; I usually have my earbuds in listening to language recordings, podcasts, or audiobooks as I clean, cook, or wash laundry by hand. Still, there was something about this season that I felt just needed to be more focused on worship. I love how He sets things in our hearts like that! I purchased and downloaded some new music and let it fill my kitchen as I cooked and echo off the walls of our mostly empty house as I swept and mopped. Being intentional about playing music started to fill places in my spirit that I didn’t know needed filling! Before I knew it, I writing down lyrics, hanging them on the kitchen walls, and making lock screens on my devices, pointing my heart back to worship anytime I see it.
One day as I was washing clothes, the lyrics of one song stood
out to me. Later I was spending some
time in the prayer room before our Father, and the words I had sung flooded
back. I felt the Father say that this is
our anthem for this season. The words
are not the main verse, or chorus, almost just a refrain that isn’t the central
part of the song but spoke so loudly to me! The song is “Canyons” by Ellie Holcomb. It is a good song! I’ve heard her talk on podcasts about how much
this album means to her and how many songs came from experiencing God while
camping at the Grand Canyon. About
halfway through the song, there is a refrain that goes like this:
I walked
into the desert, and I found You
You set a
table for me in the presence of my enemies
To share
with my enemies
No
longer my enemies
No
longer my enemies
Every time I hear this song, this part strikes me! Let’s face it! Somalis have a pretty well-known reputation, and not for their kind, gentle, and generous personalities!
E V E R Y W H E R E we go and share about
where we live and what we are doing; people always comment on how tough
Somalis are or share some harrowing story of their experience with a Somali. If you google anything about Somalis, the
first few articles that pop up are stories of being kidnapped by Somali
pirates! The most known Somali proverb
goes like this: “Somalia against the world. My clan against Somalia. My family against my clan. I and my brother against my family. I against my brother.” They are their own enemies!
We hear stories about T3rrorest cells
and “Al Sh@b@b” overtaking towns and cities, and we know they have a presence
here in our city. Considering all the
above statements, it would be easy to think of Somalis as our enemy.
We’ve been sent here for a purpose. We are walking on faith and obedience. We know that our Father has a plan for Somalis,
and we want to be available to do whatever He asks of us so we can glorify Him!
I love thinking of sharing the table set
before us with our enemies; even more so, I love thinking of our enemies no
longer being called enemies but Brothers and Sisters!
Where has the Father set your table? Who are the enemies in your life that your can
share it with?
