learning new things

Last night I had my Women's Bible Study and there I shared my first expirience in America. My faithful friend Carole took me shopping for the first time. I just arrived to the states few days ago and on my first hour oo the U.S land I paid $90 for a cab ride. So, obvoiusly, I had no clue about prices here. So, here were are- Carole and I at the store. I look around and I'm loving everything. Then Carole looked at me and said, "Let me teach you something, dorogaya (which means "dear" in russian). Rule #1 in shopping is "clearance"- it's your best friend, you look for it". I never even knew the word "clearance" before that! Boy, did I discover treasures with my now TWO best friends- Carole and Clearance :)
I thought about it not too long ago and I realized that clearance is not the only treasure that Carole introduced me to.....
I grew up in the Communist Russia, I was about 10 when the whole Communism System fell apart. So I am a child of a new begining, but raised by the "old mentality" society. I became a Christian when I was 11 or 12. That was something so radical and new for all who knew about it. I became a Salvation Army Soldier and was so in love with Jesus!My pastors (S.A. officers) were awesome! But they, just like me, grew up around Communism mentality as well, it's not their fault at all. They showed me God the best they knew. They taught me that God was Just and that He was Fair and that He is also God of wrath- all of it is true and it was enough for me to fall head over heals in love with Christ. When I was 18 God called me into the mission field and I said "yes" right away. That's where I met Carole.Our hearts mending right away, we loved to sit at night and talk about the deep things of God, we prayed together, we laughed together. Carole showed me the best example of what mother is like, she inspired me with her sermons, her passion for God made me more thirsty for Him. But she had something that I couldn't understand. She knew something about God that I didn't know. My spiritual taste buds were reacting to that something I didn't know. One day I found out what it was! I tasted some of it and loved it. Carole showed me the God of mercy! God's mercy is not something I was familiar with. His mercy that is new every morning!
It felt like I've been having the same meal from God every day and it was the same all the time. Just some bread, occasionally some jam, some tea or coffee on certain days- it was good, but I didn't realize there was so much more. Carole was using the whole menue! She was trying something new from God every day! That is what I learned from that woman! It's like she gently took my hand and showed me that there are many more pages of the choicest foods of God beyond my toast and tea. My heart was overwhelmed with the riches of God's love. All these years I've been eating the same not knowing how much more I'm missing. Mercy is my regular now that I take every morning, but I recieve a variety of spiritual food every day and I would never go back to the toast and jam again!
Thank you, Carole, for introducing God of mercy to me- we have become good friends :) and thank you for showing more of God to me.

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (Ps.34:8)