Let me sing, Ajumma!

This morning I woke up ready to experience Saturday morning bible study at the church I've been attending. Due to unpredictable public transportation, I was running late and as I got off the bus I literally ran to the church (I HATE being late!!). I made it there at 10:36, 6 minutes past the scheduled start time and the doors were locked. I slid my way through the iced over walkway and went around the building to the back side to find those doors were locked as well. The church is on the 2nd floor and although I cannot see in the windows it didn't appear as if anyone inside. Having no cell phone, my only form of communication right now is the internet. So, I walked until I found a coffee shop connected to wifi and found the bible study had been cancelled. 

It's not Rodeo Drive but Rodeo
Street is close enough right?

I could have gotten on the bus to go back home but instead, I chose to explore! I walked up and down Rodeo street and took pictures of the interesting things I saw. Witnessed a man beating his fist at a video game outside of an arcade that was closed, found new places I definitely want to try and almost got lost in the process. P.S. I totally tried to get a video of the crazy man for you but I wasn't fast enough. 

I don't know what this place is but I
definitely want to check it out yo!

On the bus ride to the church I saw something that appeared to be a river or stream covered in snow, it was beautiful. After grabbing coffee and roaming, I decided to walk until I found the snow covered stream. I spotted it but unable to cross the street and with no intersection in sight, I walked and walked until I found steep stairs leading underneath a bridge and into a busy intersection. The stairs were covered in snow, that was on top of ice and I was really scared to go down them. There was no rail and I still have some PTSD from my hiking accident, so instead of walking down the stairs I sat down and scooted my bum down each stair until I reached the bottom. As I went down the ice and snow covered stairs and back up the other side I was taken aback by all of the glorious beauty surrounding me.

In awe of what I was seeing the following words popped into my head "I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, Oh my soul rejoice. Take joy my King, in what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear." I smiled as the words came to mind and as I walked, I just began to sing and I continued to sing the same words over and over again. 

I felt the eyes of men and women staring me down as I walked and I'm not sure if it was the usual stare I get as an foreigner roaming the streets of Korea, the singing, or the fact that I am completely tone deaf and always sing off key but I didn't care. As I continued to walk and sing the Lord reminded me of something I read in the intro to Jesus Calling. The author talks about sitting in the presence of the Lord and says "As I waited in His presence, God began to reveal Himself to me. An hour or two alone with Him seemed too brief." I was convicted by those words as I read them and asked the Lord to stir in me a desire for intimacy so great that I never want to leave His presence. Having nothing else on the agenda for the day I decided to do exactly that, sit in the presence of the Lord. 

The Gazebo where I sat to sing.

The art on the inside of the Gazebo.

I found what resembled a gazebo and sat inside singing and praying to the Lord. As I sat, the Lord revealed to me things to pray for and songs that created beautiful intimacy with Him. I didn't want to get up and go home but as time flew by and it got colder I decided to end before a group of ajumma's came up and started yelling at me. I may have missed bible study, but my day turned out to be far better than I could have ever hoped for.