I’m neither Bezalel nor Oholiab. I’m Suzanne.
Mind you, I’d like to have been Oholiab. Beza and
Holi (as Aussie peers would have called them had they lived today) were the topic
of my reading today in Exodus 35:30 – 36:1. God gave them skills and abilities to
carry out the creative work of building the temple and also training others to do
so … Oholiab in particular had a real gift of teaching (Exodus 35:34). I'm a little jealous of the rich and meaningful lives they led.
Three millenia later and my life has taken a few unexpected turns. The fact is that I’m
neither Beza nor Holi, nor do I live in their time. I’m Suzanne (sometimes called Suz or Zana for
short, depending on who is speaking). Yet the same wise God continues to call, equip and use His people in ways unique to who He has created them to be.
Because I had cancer (and will continue with
regular checks for some time), I have become a regular visitor to Moorabbin
(the Monash Cancer Centre). Because I go to Moorabbin and it is so close to
Brighton, I go for a paddle at the beach there as often as I can. I recently learnt that there is a Tibetan Buddhist Study
Centre in nearby East Brighton, and so went to visit. Because I like coffee and they have a sweet
little café attached to the centre, I have become a frequent sipper there - there is no cafe at the beach. Because I like
roses, a conversation ensued with Julie* (one of the staff who brought in roses)
who, as it turns out, comes from a town in Asia not far from where I used to
visit. Yesterday, I learned that Kane* (a barista there) dreams of one day opening his own coffee shop near his family home of … (drum roll) … the mountain town where my absolute favourite coffee shop in the world
is located. It has been years since he left that town, long before there were any coffee shops in the area.
There are people in Australia from all over
Tibet and neighbouring lands. Yet the first two with whom I’ve had any
significant conversations come from the same small part of Asia I know a bit,
love a lot and hope to continue visiting. What are the chances of that?!
I may not be Holi or Beza, but I am Zana, and we serve a common master.
Just as God created them as unique and used them powerfully to create something with a lasting legacy, it is my hope and expectation that God will also use me. I am just a middle-aged Aussie woman who enjoys beautiful places, pretty roses and fragrant coffee.
Time alone will tell where that will lead.
Time alone will tell where that will lead.
(*Julie and Kane are pseudonyms, because I didn't want to identify them on a public blog. Things are a bit unstable in their homeland, which is why they're here.)
