"Fahrshule" literally means "travel school" but is understood here (in Germany) to mean driver's education. My sons love the fact that since "Fahrt" means here to travel by vehicle, they can yell out this word in public without the usual reactions they'd get in America. I named this post "travel school," though, because that's where I've been.
When I first arrived in Germany, I had big hopes of getting a little car that I could use for work. Instead, I ended up using the public transportation here for several reasons. The Lord said to :), saves a lot of money, gets me just about anywhere, better for the environment, etc. Germany has an elaborate system of buses, trolleys, and trains. At varying times and in intervals of usually about 20 minutes apart (like labor contractions - not that I've been in labor), there's some form of transportation that will make a stop at nearly just about anywhere. What's so cool is that for one, flat rate, you can use them all and mix or match your way to a destination.
At first, I kept trying to "manipulate" or "play" the system with different combinations of travel modes and locations in order to try and get home faster. But no matter which way I chose to go, I'd either arrive at the same time anyway or end up being late because of unfamiliarity with new surroundings, etc. It reminded me of how I used to switch lanes while driving in a traffic jam (stawberry ones are my favorite, Grape ones I cannot stand), only to find that the lane I moved to ended up being the slower lane later on. Grrr! (Yes, I just said "Grr.")
I was thinking about how that all ties into walking with God (not the labor contractions and strawberry jam part). He also has a plan for our lives that plays out each day through an elaborate and well-orchastrated series of circumstances. It's so tempting, and I think we all try (at least sometimes) to find a way to get what we want (stawberry jam, for example) our way (by going into labor, perhaps) or to speed things up (hurry with that bagel, this next contraction could be "the one!") or change the outcome, but in the end, we just make things worse when we do that. (Honey, I can't believe you just ralphed stawberry bagels all over the delivery room people!) We have to trust what God is doing, how He works, and how He has things unfold and realize it's okay. We'll get to where He wants us to go and no need to try and control the situation and bend it to our advantage. That's what I learned at Fahrschule today, mama.
The Greatest Force on Earth/Die größte Kraft auf der Erde
I've been listening to an audio book co-authored by world famous singer, Stephen Curtis Chapman and by Scotty Smith, Stephen's pastor. It's called "Restoring Broken Things" It's theme is that the expansion of God's Kingdom is summarized in the title of the book. Each time any of us makes a move to restore something from brokenness and back to wholeness, we are expanding His Kingdom. I couldn't help comparing this with current military events and to the justice system. To illustrate it in a personal way, I would rather have restoration than justice if someone hurts me. Rather than punished, I just want that person to choose differently, to apologize and make amends, and to restore the relationship. That's what God wants from us, right? Otherwise, He wouldn't have sent His son. He chose restoration over what we deserved. But would it work in the justice system? It's a hard call but it's why the death penalty makes me uneasy. Why? One person is worth however much it costs to give them the chance to eventually be reached, to come to terms with what they have done, to be restored unto Jesus, and to perhaps made an impact in the world before they die of natural causes. How? By perhaps writing a book or answering newspaper interviews, or who knows. I know 
this, love, God's love is the MOST powerful force in heaven and on Earth. No revenge, no wrath, no evil, no darkness can ever defeat God's love and those who choose it over retaliation. Certainly, if it's called for, it's not our place. "Vengence is mine, says the Lord, I will repay." Choosing it,expressing God's love, I mean, means a greater personal sacrifice, it means needing more patience, and it might mean watching what looks like things going the wrong direction and losing for awhile. But in the end, absolutely NO force can overcome and be victorious over God's love.
-James D of Germany
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Ich höre auf eine Audio-Buch mit dem Co-Autor von weltweit berühmten Sängerin, Stephen Curtis Chapman und Scotty Smith, Stephen's Pfarrer. Es heißt "Wiederherstellung der Gebrochenheit" Das Thema ist, dass die Expansion des Reiches Gottes zusammengefasst im Titel des Buches ist. Jedes Mal, wenn einer von uns macht einen Schritt, um etwas aus Gebrochenheit wiederherzustellen und wieder zurück nach Ganzheit, erweitern wir sein Reich. Ich konnte nicht umhin, einen Vergleich dieser mit den derzeitigen militärischen Ereignisse und der Justiz. Um es auf eine persönliche Art zu illustrieren, möchte ich lieber als die Wiederherstellung des Rechts, wenn mir jemand weh tut. Anstatt bestraft, ich will nur diese Person anders zu wählen, um sich zu entschuldigen und sich bessern, und die Beziehung wieder herzustellen. Das ist, was Gott von uns will, nicht wahr? Andernfalls würde er seinen Sohn nicht gesendet haben. Er entschied sich für die Wiederherstellung über das, was wir verdient haben. Aber wäre es Arbeit in der Justiz? It's a hard nennen, aber es ist, warum die Todesstrafe mich unruhig macht. Warum? Eine Person wert ist jedoch viel es kostet, um ihnen die Chance, letztlich erreicht werden, um die Bedingungen mit dem, was sie getan haben, kommen, wieder hergestellt werden zu Jesus, und vielleicht hat diese Auswirkungen in der Welt, bevor sie eines natürlichen Todes sterben. Wie? Mit vielleicht ein Buch zu schreiben oder beantworten Zeitung Interviews, oder wer weiß. Ich weiß das, Liebe, die Liebe Gottes ist die stärkste Macht im Himmel und auf Erden. Keine Rache, kein Zorn, kein Böse, keine Finsternis kann je Niederlage Gottes Liebe und diejenigen, die es vorziehen Vergeltung. Sicherlich, wenn es gefordert, es ist nicht unser Platz. "Die Rache ist mein, spricht der HERR, ich will vergelten." Die Auswahl ist, Ausdruck der Liebe Gottes, ich meine, bedeutet eine größere persönliche Opfer, bedeutet dies, brauchen mehr Geduld, und es könnte bedeuten, beobachten, was aussieht wie die Dinge die falsche Richtung zu verlieren und für eine Weile. Aber am Ende, absolut keine Kraft überwinden kann und über die Liebe Gottes siegreich. -Jakobus D. Deutschland
