There is a song that I love called Rooftop by John Mark Pantana. It goes like this:

“I was living like an orphan, never knew your love, tried to find a lover, lost with everyone. No one holds a candle to the light inside your home.

You sat on the rooftop, and you looked over heaven’s gates. You came and you sold it all, just to have me.

Cover me in wonder, beautify my mind. Warm me like the summer, patient all the time. Glorious in splendor, wrapped me up in light, and you crown me as an heir.

You say on the rooftop, and you looked over heaven’s gates. You came and you sold it all, just to have me. We sat on the rooftop, and I cried like the summer rain, cause you came and you sold it all, just to have me.

And I was oh, I was overcome. By your love. By your love. By your love!”

I love the imagery of Jesus sitting on the rooftop and overseeing everything, then coming down and sitting on the rooftop with us. This is something God has reminded me of again and again in Kenya: He can see so much more than we can! Yet He is so patient to come and sit with us at our level and show us His view bit by bit. As I have seen His view more and more, I truly am overcome by His love.

This week my team got to simply sit with a lot of people. On Sunday, we danced with the little children at the park and sat with the kids as they sat in our laps, laid by us, and braided our hair. We simply got to exist and be part of their culture. On Monday, we sat with the kids as they colored chalk all over. We also prayed over our squad leader as she followed the Spirit into the next season. Again, we got to see Jesus’ heart in simply sitting with people. On Tuesday, we spent most of the day shopping for upcoming events. We got to learn more about the culture here and also connect a little deeper as a team. On Wednesday, we went to a football game and got to cheer on someone who we have been doing ministry with. As someone I used to work with says, “following Jesus is fun!” On Thursday, we joined God in what He was doing and we washed feet at the park. We also shared a meal with the people. At our debrief after we left the park, we highlighted the many ways God had gone before us, behind us, beside us, and within us: there was not a single fight over who got food and who did not. We were able to get the materials and have the freedom to join God in what He was doing at the park. There was enough food for all the people we were trying to reach. Our Father was so gracious to let us be His vessels to the people!

On Friday, we had our sabbath. What a day to seek the Lord, bring all the thoughts to Him, and see Him in His creation! Yesterday, we conducted a sort of VBS with some kids in a village. God gave us the energy we did not have, gave the words we did not have, and showed Himself to the kids. Today, as I write this, me and two others on my team are sick. We had some plans to go to church and then go camping on the beach, but instead we have got to rest. In the midst of being sick, I am so grateful! I am grateful for the vomit and diarrhea and that my body is able to get rid of the foreign objects. I am grateful for rest. I am grateful that God is so faithful to heal and to be with us in this sickness.

Throughout this week, I was reminded of a couple things: One, like I mentioned above, Jesus sees the big picture. In the heaviness, joy, and questions, Jesus is present. His yoke is easy and His burden is light!

Two, in the activities we did this week, I was reminded again and again of Jesus’ love and how He was willing to sit with people. He was never intimidated or scared by anything, but He was always willing to “sit in the dirt with people.” He sat with the woman at the well. He got down in the dirt with the woman who committed adultery. He sat in the homes of Zacchaeus and Simon the Leper. He took time to see the woman who has been bleeding for 12 years. This week, Jesus sat with the kids at the park. He shared a meal with the people at the park. He sat on the rooftop with us as we cried. He has been ever so close in our sickness. He has been exactly what we needed. Thank you Jesus!