Ukraine.

I have this friend in the peace core. He is finishing his PC term this May and heading back to the states. He currently lives in a small village in Ukraine. His village is so tiny. He was telling me the journey he has to take to see the doctor. He has to walk 15 minutes to a road, hitch hike 20km to a bus station, take a 2 hour bus ride to a train station, where he has to wait 3 hours until he can get on a 10 hour train ride to the city where his doctors appointment is. The train is not like the typical euro rail. He is in an open train cart with cots and blankets and all sorts of men and women, young and old.

He also was telling me that in this village he has no washer and dryer which means he has to hand wash every article of clothing. Can you imagine washing jeans? I asked him if he has a washing board. He laughs and says he wish he has one! No washing board? He uses two large buckets of hot water, his hands, and soap. One particular conversation he was getting ready for bed and saying that he was really excited to sleep because he washed his sheets! SHEEESSH! Can you imagine washing sheets by hand?

This past week I was having a hard day. I went to the gym and ran a mile and left. I just felt my soul entangled and I had this sense that I needed to go and have a prayer time. I went to grab a coffee and write and read my bible. I have been feeling frustrated because I love the Lord, but I really have felt that I haven't seen His work in my life. I mean, I know he is at work, but I have distinct desires that I just feel go unnoticed. And, as I wrote, I don't see where your at work in my life, I thought of sean. I thought about him washing his sheets and how much work washing sheets by hand are. I had a sense that the Lord was the washboard and washer and I was the sheets. He was working the sheets. Rubbing the sheets against the washboard, getting all the dirt, all the stains out, and ringing out all the excess water.

I felt in that exact moment Christ telling me he was at work. And he is still at work and that he was making me clean so that my truest desires may happen. This also showed me that he is present. It was such a beautiful vision of his hands at work. literally.

It makes me thankful for reconnecting with sean and hearing his stories because Christ was able to work through him to show me love and wisdom.