Tag: Lessons and Musings Page 16 of 21

Give thanks in all circumstances.

What does that mean, anyway?

Yesterday, I did not want to give thanks.  The power went out at 7 am.  I had huge loads of laundry to do that obviously would not happen.  It was hot.  Our house is dark.   My house worker was sick.  How would I get everything done?  At 6:45 pm, when we realized it still wasn’t coming on, we sent out dozens of text messages to our students, changing the location of Youth Group.  The power came back on at 10 pm last night.  Lots of chatter in the Dar community about this and we all are coming to the sad realization that electricity rationing has started again, even though the power company has yet to publicly announce it.  That means that the 15 hours without power yesterday will probably be a regular occurrence. 

Yet I am told to give thanks in all circumstances. 

This morning my eyes popped open at 6 am, early for a Saturday.  Immediately I thought, “I’ve got to get the laundry in the machine while the power is on.” 

The laundry went in, the flour came out.  I spent the morning doing what I love:  creating with dough.  The washing machine hummed and my electric beaters whipped up the cream beautifully.  There’s my thankful heart. 

My gardener called me outside.  “There’s a problem,” he said, “A small one.”  He told me he was fixing a drain outside our house by pulling up some concrete slabs that cover our drain pipes.  He pulled up the slab for me.  “Wadudu,” he said.  Bugs.   

I looked inside the hole and shrieked.  There were about 100 cockroaches of varying sizes.  “SO THAT’S WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN COMING FROM!” Those nasty, nasty creatures who are not fit to live have been creeping into my kitchen cupboards.  Two inches long, those beasties are.

I raced into the house, grabbed the insecticide, and proceeded to empty the entire aerosol container into the hole.  “DIE!” I screeched.  My gardener must have thought I had completely lost it.

Does God want me to be thankful for cockroaches?

Be thankful in all circumstances. 

The afternoon was easy.  At our friend Kathy’s house for our “Thanksgiving Saturday,” turkey with all the trimmings, a group of friends ranging from ages 2 to 65.  Laughter, chattering, exclamations over every dish served and “Can I get this recipe?”  Kids hyped up on sugar barreling through the house.  Just like a Thanksgiving should be, except without the blood relations.  It was a wonderful day.  Easy to be thankful.

But…Be thankful in all circumstances.  All.  Not griping, not complaining…but trusting His goodness and His Sovereignty in every situation. 

I still have a long way to go.

November 2009

I love Facebook and reading blogs because it helps me keep in touch with people so well. I love that I can see pictures of my friends’ kids as they are growing up….that I can hear about major events in their lives so that when I see them again, we can pick up where we left off.

But then there’s the hard part.

I was thinking about this recently when everyone started posting pictures of taking their kids to the pumpkin patch. And talking about fall colors and cold air and pumpkin pie scented candles. But over here on my side of the world, I laid awake till 1 am last night, staring into the darkness, with soaking wet hair, trying to breathe, waiting for the power to come back on so that we could turn on the air conditioner. As my friends in America are layering on sweaters, we are layering on the deodorant. I put out a fall-themed table runner last week, and this really confused Grace. Is it autumn, Mommy? Well, no, Sweetie, not in Tanzania, just in America. There is much discussion among our American mission friends (as every year) on how we will track down a turkey (a major undertaking) so that we can celebrate Thanksgiving (on a Saturday, since it’s not a holiday here).

It’s often not been so bad as long as I can forget what “my other life” would be like if I were in it. But having just gone through fall/winter last year in the States, and with all these reminders on the internet, it is, well, hard. So I struggle with wanting to keep in touch with people but not allowing my heart to dwell on what I don’t have. I struggle with wanting to remain “American” but yet allowing my children to delight in being Tanzanian.

And you’re probably thinking anyway, “But look at your amazing pictures of Zanzibar!” True. I know that. And though we don’t have bright orange pumpkins appearing in October, we have enormous pineapples being trucked in. So how do I live between these worlds? How do I retain my American-ness while embracing my Tanzanian-ness?

I realized recently that I have spent almost 14 of my 33 years in Africa. Just about half my life, isn’t it? It’s a strange feeling. I’m not quite sure which one is more me.

I worry, sometimes, about what’s to come in this life.  You know?  I may be in Africa, but I’m connected to the internet.  I read the headlines.  I know how it is.  I know you do too. 

But I don’t want that worry to make me forget that God has just really, really been blessing us these days. 

We had an awesome July.  Amazing, unforgettable conversations with students–especially those ones that returned from their freshman year of college.  Sweet times of fellowship with new friends…friends that have pre-schoolers, just like us!  Something we’ve hardly had before.  Inspired times of planning with Gil for this new school year.  Time to get done those projects that never seem to get done.  Time to get things done for the school year that usually happen at the last minute and stress me out.  A month that was full but not stressful, productive but not overwhelming. 

HOPAC has awesome new administrators.  Of course, the previous ones were great too, and it was hard to say good-bye to them, but how exciting that the new ones are so full of commitment and vision and passion!  A great staff this year.  Anticipation crackles in the air when we all get together.  Renovation projects going on around the school, making it more beautiful, more community oriented. 

Gil and I are taking over Student Council this year.  It’s been there before, but not had the opportunity to be fully developed.  I’m dropping my sixth grade Bible class to pour into Student Council.  I’m so excited!  Working with an elite group of older students, helping them develop into strong leaders.  So much possibility and opportunity. 

I get to do what I love.  My husband gets to do what he loves.  I don’t want to ever forget what an enormous blessing it is, the huge privilege for us to be here. 

School starts on Monday.  Lots to do!  And my house has been full the last two weeks with people who needed a place to stay:  new teachers just arriving and needing orientation; my friend Emily and her kids just getting back from their home assignment.  Which is why you haven’t seen many posts here lately! 

I praise God for this mountaintop time, knowing that times like this don’t come often and the valley can appear out of nowhere, in an instant.  Life is uncertain, especially in times such as these.  And of course, even in times like this, there is the pain that comes from knowing others that we love are suffering.  Perfection will not come on this side of heaven.  God is in control and God is good, when life is rough, when life is really rough, but also when life is good.  All praise goes to you, my Lord and Savior, from whom all blessings flow. 

The events which transpired on this day almost 2000 years ago are the reason why I am willing to get on a plane on Wednesday and fly across the world to live in Africa.

I believe that Jesus Christ was a real, historical person whose real, historical events are recorded in the New Testament. He was not simply a spiritual leader, or a good man, or a wise sage. He claimed to be the Son of God, and I believe He was.

I believe that Jesus was killed by the Jews and the Romans, was buried, and came to life again three days later, on what we celebrate now as Easter Sunday.

Yep. I believe it is all historical fact. Many will think that puts me into the looney bin category. I understand that. And please don’t think that I haven’t wrestled and thought and researched and read just about everything I could get my hands on for this subject. This was not a blind decision or something I just “felt” was right. It came as a result of much mental turmoil. But I am truly convinced.

And that’s important. Because if Christ was not resurrected from the dead, I am wasting my life. If it was all just a fairy tale made up by delusional men, or only a “spiritual metaphor,” then there is absolutely no point to us tearing our children away from their grandparents, to leaving the comforts of home, to looking away from lucrative job opportunities, and giving our lives to people in Africa.

If Christ was not resurrected from the dead, I am an absolute fool. Please, don’t patronize me by thinking that I am just a “good person” who is going to do “good things.” If Jesus Christ never existed, or if He wasn’t who He said He was, or if He never died and rose again, I give you complete permission to call me a fool.

The apostle Paul himself wrote, If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Indeed.

But if it is true, then that changes everything. Right?

I stake my life on it.

He is risen; He is risen indeed!

And that is why I am getting on that plane.