Being Present is Enough

One of the ways (out of the numberless ways) that this ministry in the red-light is challenging me is by teaching me to let my presence be enough for the Lord to use. I am a do-er. If I'm not physically doing something I feel like I'm doing nothing, and it is hard to feel used by the Lord in that case. If I am teaching a student, I feel like I'm doing something, and thus being used. What happens when a student calls you to let you know she is hung over after a night with a customer and won't be coming to her English lesson? Suddenly I have an hour and a half of free time, to be used in blessing other girls in the bars.

Today was such an instance, and I spent the time with my friend Faa, whom the Lord is giving me a heart of love for. Faa doesn't speak English, and I don't speak much Thai, so there isn't a whole lot of actual verbal communication that takes place among us, but I am learning that the Lord doesn't need words in order to touch people's hearts. Today as I sat with Faa, me wishing I could at least speak Thai so that we could converse, the Lord reminded me that He doesn't need me to DO anything except be there. We painted our nails together. We laughed at the silliness of our friend Bow. We pointed to our favorite flowers in a book I had. Some day I can buy Faa flowers--I know which ones she likes best now. :)

At the end of an hour and a half I didn't feel like I accomplished much, but perhaps I did. Perhaps the Holy Spirit through me was able to speak love to Faa's heart. Afterall, it was an hour and a half that Faa would have sat alone in the bar. Why not let my presence be the Spirit's presence in her life?