Everyone has one. We all are "drawn" to a certain group of people. We may not even realize it. But think about it for a moment.
When I was growing up....my Mom was (and still is I might add) always into "the Native Americans." She drives us all batty with this American Indian thing. She's had this love for the American Indians.....and for Scottish people too, but that's a whole other story we will chat about later. Maybe.
As a child our family took vacations that often revolved around going to various Indian locations....sometimes even reservations. We went to many places out west, Colorado, New Mexico....Arizona, and we also did the South Dakota stuff. Mount Rushmore..and to the Black Hills.....yes even to the "Crazy Horse" sculpture which wasn't more than some big ol' rock at that time.
Funny thing is....now my Mom thinks she is American Indian......though none of my family can really trace any of her thoughts in our lineage. She swears my Great Grandfather was "Cherokee" and that my Great Grandmother's "people" as she calls them....were "Lakota Souix." This has now become the family joke but my Mom is serious. She's into it and we kids are like....."she's a nutburger."
My Mom has always been a supporter of American Indian "Land Rights" and she's supported "Orphanages" on Indian Reservations. She was really into the whole "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" thing back when I was a teenager.
A few years ago...we went back to Iowa for Christmas. It's my Mom's birthday right about then too so I took her out to eat and shopping one day. Fortunate for my Mom but not for me...there was a special "Native American/Southwestern" type store that was open in the local mall there just for the holidays.
Well my Mom was TOTALLY in her element. She was talking to the owners and trying on turquoise jewelry and buying all kinds of "stuff." Ugh.....I was bored out of my gourd because I am SO not into any of the Southwest stuff at all.
During my Mom's conversation with the owners she pointed to a print hanging on the wall of an Indian on a horse. She proceeded to tell them that it looked like her "Grandfather." Yikes!
I was about to pass out at that point because I was 10 years old when my Great Grandfather died and I still remember what he looked like and I sure don't remember him in a headdress and Indian garb on a horse. But to my Mom.....well.....that's what she sees in her memory I guess.
Let me tell you....I couldn't wait to get out of that store and get home to my sister's so I could tell her this crazy ordeal I had just gone through with our Mother.
Honestly, I've tried to figure this thing out...because it gets a bit freaky at times ....but all I can attribute it to is this...my Mom does not have dementia.
My Mom has a "People Group" are the "American Indians." She loves them. She has a burden for them. She wants to be one of them.
Now can I understand that?? Nope.
However....who am I to judge her in that because.....I have my own issues. I have my own "People Group."
First of all......I LOVE THE NATIONS. I like various cultures and I like learning hearing and seeing what people do all over the earth.
Yet, I must admit I have a "first love" among the peoples of the earth.
I love the Brits....I don't know why it is but it is what it is. I can't change it.
I study the people, I watch their movies, their TV shows, I love their history, their humor...the scenery, just all of it.
I am intrigued with all the British Isles and their people. I pray for them. I cry out to God for them and their leadership and other important things that pertain to their countries.
I have to do this, I am compelled to do it....these people... are my "People Group." They are the people God put on my heart and they have been since I was 5 years old and didn't even really know what it was all about. That's when I can earmark that this came into my life.
Don't ask me why because I haven't got a clue...all I know is that it just happened.
I've thought about this....I didn't ask for this love, I didn't ask for that nation or those people. It just turned out that way.
I tend to love all Europeans....probably some of it is genealogy since my family is European.( Oh and INDIAN HA!)
When I was in High School I was convinced that I HAD to take "German" because I was going to "need that some day." I took two years of it and well...it did help me a bit when I was in Belgium once. It helped me read directions on the signs to figure out where we were and where we needed to go...but that's about the extent of my skills in the German language so far.
Oh sure....I can still figure some of it out but it's not been the way I thought it was going to turn out for me when I was 16 of course. Back then I had "big plans" to move to Europe. Well....God's plans for me were different. I didn't even know Him back then, didn't even understand that HE had a "plan" for my life. That He in fact had a "hope and future" in store for me.
Now I get it and I know that HE is the one that sets the Nations in our hearts.
If I'm out somewhere and I hear someone speaking with a European accent...I'm just going to be drawn that way. I don't know why. I just do. I always have. It's weird I know but GOD sets these things ups. Divine appointments so that we can nurture our love for the people He's put in our hearts.
It's funny because now it's MY family that I drive nuts. My husband has to watch all these BBC show and movies with me. He has to hear all this stuff about England and my younger kids roll their eyes at me but I tell you what....I know what I'm talking about.
I make it my business to be up on what's going on in these various places I care about so I can hold a conversation with someone from there and know some of what they are all about.
I make it my mission to be knowledgeable and somewhat aware of "current events" and such. I do this so that I can relate to my "people group" so that I can understand them. That only makes sense to me.
The point is we need to be aware of this love for the "Nations" and for "People Groups"....the small or large sections of people from all over the world. The Nations. When we love them, we want to be like them.We want to learn about them we want to be around them.
Why? I can't explain it.....but God establishes this love and I DO know that.
Think about "Who" your people group is...it the Russians? Latin People?
Is it the Poles? How about the Nepalese people??? Fijians?? Someone is in your heart. There is a race or sect of people that you have a love for, even if you haven't fully realized it.
Ask yourself.....then ask for wisdom for what to do for that group of people.
How to reach them.
That's the kind of love the Father has for us.
We were "strangers" and He loved us, He adopted us and we are able to do the same with people.
Even if it seems weird to you it's not weird to God.
Interesting note here.....two of my children date European kids. One is from the Ukraine, and one is from...if you can believe this..... England of course.
Hummm...I may get that British daughter in law after all.
I wonder where my kids got that love from??? I PROMISE you.....I did not provoke these events. It's just set in their hearts. I believe that.
I would not be one to mess with "Destiny" so I wouldn't manipulate these type of relationships in my own children who I want God's very best for.
I just know how it works though. It worked that way for my Mom....it's worked that way for me.
It works that way for you too if you search deep inside.
Check your heart and see what People Group God has put there for you to love.
Footnote:
I'm listening to the LIVE "Prayer Room" at the International House of Prayer while I'm typing this post..the lady that just got up to pray....just asked that "God would establish an "IHOP" at every 'Indian Reservation' in the United States."
So now they are all praying..... that God minister to the people's on the Reservations.
Is this UNREAL????
I just started laughing...when I heard this because it sort of SHOCKED me but yet I'm not.... because you see.....this CONFIRMS it to me once again.....that GOD is faithful and HE puts these various "People Groups" in every persons heart. Even my Mom's.
If we are faithful to nurture that love in a healthy way...we can see great things done in our "People Groups" lives.
So now......I'm praying for the American Indians with them.Funny how that works huh? I've not really ever prayed for the American Indians that I can recall.
Isn't that sad.
I'm amazed at how GREAT the Father's love is for ALL of mankind.
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