Here I sit in Korea once more.
This country has found it's way into my blood, and it won't seem to let go.
Actually, that's not totally true.
The truth of the matter is that when I first came to Korea in 2005, God Himself began to take me on a journey that forever ended childish things in my life. It happened to be Korea, but it could have just as well been Alabama, Canada or Somalia.
Oh sure, when I left for basic training and joined the Air Force, the process started...but it wasn't until I went to a far away place with no one to rely except for Christ Jesus that I began to see a totally new (to me anyway) side of God.
Now, if the title of this blog is to be accurate, then I need to be clear.
My first time around in Korea had some major pitfalls for me. I crawled back towards bondage that I've been set free from. (Please read this link for clarity of what I mean: http://www.brittmooney.com/2009/03/adopting-conquered-gods )
But even in my Judas-esque choices, God spoke to me calmly and evenly about how gritty, visceral, and downright powerful His love really is.
It's not some hippie thing. It's not some weak idea that's for those who need a "crutch."
It's the kind of love that rips mountains out of the ground and throws them into the sea as if it's nothing.
It's the kind of love that overcomes abuse, lust, anger, selfishness, violence, pride, murder, war, sadism, and all other kinds of evil.
I can't emphasize enough how poorly our word for "love" conveys the truth of the reality of the concept.
So with that as the backdrop, let me begin day one.
Much has changed since the last time I set foot on this land.
I'm married to a wonderful woman, I have a beautiful child, we have a wonderful group of believers that we are fellowshipping with, and aside from the Air Force Reserve I am in desperate need of a full time job.
I've made it a practice to be brutally openly honest with my wife about my struggles. This has led to some very encouraging victory, and EXTREMELY satisfying openness, trust and intimacy with my wife.
Add to this a consistent theme of "truth in the inward parts" in the journey that Christ is leading me on, and I have a very different launch pad from which I'm entering Korea than the first time around.
What does this mean in plain terms? I have the opportunity to reclaim lost territory in my soul. I have the opportunity to submit my weak areas completely and totally to God. I have the opportunity to take captive EVERY thought and impulse and give them to my creator to be transformed. I have the opportunity to look at Korean culture from a place of satisfaction instead of need. I have the opportunity to invest in Love, Truth, Faithfulness and Self Control in my relationship with my beautiful wife.
There is a scene in the Matrix that is a very apt analogy for this.
It's the final scene of the first movie, and Neo has realized who he is. As the men in suits are shooting at him, Neo raises his hand and resolutely says simply "No." The bullets stop and fall to the ground. He then engages them in hand to hand combat, and a serenity can be seen on his face as he realizes that their attacks are utterly useless. He is faster than they are and he easily beats them.
We serve a King who is not of this world. He doesn't make reality...He IS reality.
His question to us is this: "Don't you know who you are?"
Finally, for every entry that I put in this blog while I'm gone, I want to let my wife know how much I appreciate and love her.
This morning as I was leaving for the plane, she wrote a beautiful letter to me. I pulled it out halfway through our 14 hour flight, and the Holy Spirit ministered to me through it. I have what many do not have. I have a wife that loves me in the way that the church should be loving Christ. It puts new weight and meaning into my calling to love her as Christ loves the church.
It also puts weight into how important our response to His love is in our relationship.
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