God Speaks German, Too!

I was in eighth grade when I first took a German class.  All of the eighth graders took each of the foreign languages for just a few months to get a "taste" of each one.  Then we had to pick.  Why did I decide to take German in high school?  I reasoned that I liked the German teachers the best and enjoyed the language -- even though it didn't seem as "practical" as Spanish.  Little did I know...

Of course, we can say that God has a master plan for our lives that is beyond our understanding, but I wonder how much we really look for evidence of His work in our lives.  More than ever before, these first few months in Germany have repeatedly pointed me back to the realization that God has, is, and will continue to orchestrate even the seemingly small details of my life.  Like German.

German church.  For the past two Sundays, I have attended G5, a German church about 20 minutes away.  What a blessing it is to worship with German believers, sing contemporary Christian songs in German and English, and hear a sermon auf Deutsch!  I am so thankful for this body of believers who are clearly passionate about Jesus.

New German friendships.  G5 meets in a restaurant/cafe/hotel, so every Sunday there is a €3 lunch following the church service.  This is a great way to fellowship with other church attenders and enjoy the Sabbath together.  Last week I had the opportunity to eat with Petra, the first grade teacher of the BFA bilingual school ("Christliche Schule Kandern" or CSK).  Petra and I are in very similar situations, as she is also new to BFA.  It really helps to eat lunch with Petra and her friends because they speak to me in German and help me learn new vocabulary.

Cheering in German.  When I student taught last year, I loved attending a few of my students' football games.  "Fussball" here is soccer, so I went to the soccer field on Friday night to see four of my students play.  It was great to talk to their parents on the sidelines, and I think seeing me may have made them run a little faster...  I almost shouted "shoot!" when one of the guys got near the goal, but then I heard their coach yell, "Shiess!"  Oh yea, this is Germany.  Oops!

German dinner guests.  After the soccer game, my roommates and I had a German family over for dinner.  One of my roommates, Jennifer, works in the Janz Team Germany office with Ralf, so this was an opportunity for us to meet him and his family.  I enjoyed entertaining their 2- and 5-year-olds while the "adults" talked at the table.  Realization: I know enough German to speak with a 5-year-old!  :)

I didn't really plan on moving to Germany after college.  I didn't necessarily anticipate speaking German after high school classes were over.  But God's ways are so beyond ours!  I pray that we will be attentive to how He works in our lives -- acknowledging His presence, thanking Him for His faithfulness, and living passionately to testify to His goodness.

Vielen Dank, Gott, für Deinen Plan für mein Leben!  Mit Freude werde ich tun, was Du für mich willst.