Perspective

Lately I have been consumed with all of the reasons that moving to Africa is difficult. Things like the difficulty of living away from family and how hard it is to sift through everything you own and narrow it down to 4 boxes have overwhelmed my mind and my actions.

However, God knows what we need to help us keep perspective- even it if seems to come in unexpected ways. The other day, I was battling with these thoughts of how difficult it will be to move back to Africa and interrupting my thoughts, I heard loud as day the line, “WHY SO SERIOUS?!” in the Joker’s (from Batman) voice.

I almost laughed out loud. This was God’s subtle (or not so subtle) was of helping me come back to reality. You see, I allowed my fears to trump my calling and the promises God has given me about Africa. I allowed my thoughts to be consumed by the things that will be difficult about leaving America and moving to a developing country rather than holding onto the calling God has given Will and I and the realization that God is good and in control of all things.

So today I am thinking about the Joker. I am intentionally interrupting my negative thought patterns with the realization that I do no have to be so serious. There are many, many things to be excited about and joyful in about life in Mundri and back in the mission field.

“And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew 28:20

God is with me now, just as He will be with me in South Sudan. Yes, it will be painfully difficult to leave family and not watch out nieces and nephews grow up before our eyes. Yes, packing stinks. I am exhausted by it. However, God is with me in the midst of all of it. He will be with me on the days that it is painful to see pictures of family because I so badly want to be at the party with them. He will be with me tomorrow as we continue to pack up our house and narrow down everything we own. There is good in these painful things because they are part of what God is calling us to. They are part of being missionaries and following God’s calling for us. We can call them good because God will be in these moments and will help us through. No, that will not make them easy, but it gives them purpose. I want to walk fully in what God is calling us to, and that means facing the hard parts head-on- realizing that He is with me every step of the way.

Thank you, Lord, for reminded me of your truth by using silly movie lines. Thank you for helping me keep perspective and be reminded of your promises for me. Help me to run to you with my fears and be consumed with joy by from goodness. 

Treating Soil

I (Will) just got back from a week long training in Florida at ECHO (www.echonet.org).  ECHO’s exists as a resource for development workers in the field of agriculture as a resource for training and information. I learned all the basics about tropical agriculture development.

One of the main topics we focused on was soil health. As a person who hasn’t ever worked in agriculture I was a bit surprised at how much of our time was spent on that topic. However, as they explained the importance of the soil it became evident it is where most of our attention should be.

The soil contains most of the items needed for the life and health of the plant. The health of the soil directly impacts the health of the fruit produced. If you see issues in the fruit you know something has gone wrong in the soil and to fix the fruit, you must address the soil.

As I learned all this and more, I couldn’t help but see the correlation between this and what God does in us.

God’s main concern is with my heart, not the fruit of my life. That isn’t to say He doesn’t care about what I do but His focus isn’t on actions, it’s on my heart. Just like if there is healthy soil the fruit will be healthy (generally) God knows if my heart is set on Him and believing truth, the fruit of my life will be healthy as well.

So, as I pay more attention to what is going on in my heart (the soil) the result will be more God honoring actions (the fruit).

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”   1 Samuel 16:7