We just finished school break and school has started back up. In Swaziland there are 3 terms to the year with a 3 week break after the first 2 and then a 6 week break at the end of the school year which also will be the end of the calendar year. Things are all out of routine during break. Some CarePoints have more children and some have less as children travel back to homesteads because they have to stay with relatives in order to go to school. It's not like in the states where you automatically go to the public school in your neighborhood. You have to find a spot in a school in your grade and sometimes kids have to go quite far to school. We still feed at the CarePoints but the make up of kids is just different during breaks. "The same, just different" (My favorite phase since I arrived in Swaziland)
Weather has been out of sorts too. I was excited that we seemed to be coming out of winter and into spring. Then we had a few days where everyone was saying how hot it was and did we go straight from winter to summer? We were pulling out sandals and summer clothes and now I've had to pull out my heater again. It has been COLD and rainy the last few days. It has been just crazy.
We just finished 40 Days of Prayer through Children's Cup and I have been amazed, proud and humbled by our staff at Children's Cup. At a meeting of the office staff I oversee directly, it was unanimous that all wanted to continue the morning prayer. So much so, they are willing to take over the responsibility of rotating leading it. They said it really has settled their spirit each morning and helped them refocus after the hectic pace of just getting to work. We don't just pray, we sing and worship. One of the blessings of Africa is the joy that flows when they sing out praise songs. (Americans are just too self conscious.)
Spiritually has not flowed in the normal sense, having stirrings from a variety of directions. (the office worship, sermons from home, services at HPC Swaziland, my devotions, my roommate) Let me share you a story that I had heard previously but as an Indian tale using wolves but I found it in my current devotional using the illustration as a Chinese man and with dogs; but the truth is the same.
"A missionary in China led a Chinese man to the Lord and there was great excitement in the missionary's heart as he carried on with his travels. A few months later he returned and enquired how the new convert was doing. 'How is your new life coming along?' he asked him. 'Well,' replied the believer. 'It seems as though there are two dogs fighting within me -- a black on and a white one' (representing good and evil). 'Which one is winning?' asked the missionary. The new convert replied, 'That depends on which one I'm feeding the most.'"
Sometimes missionary life is so much easier because the nature of our job and how it intertwines with life often keeps our focus on God, but we also must be alert to who we are feeding. God has been coming at me from several different angles and scriptures with the call to "meditate" on His Word." (Feed the good dog.) Meditate meaning chew over; reflect deeply on a subject. My good dog is not going to thrive because it is in a healthy environment, but only when I truly feed it, chew on God's Word, not just glance over it or assume I know it. So easy to be put on the pedestal of "missionary" and start playing the part. I'm just as fallible and able to stumble or chase after the wrong thing if I'm not centered on God's Word! Where is my focus? On me? (oh how nice the praise feels and how quickly we can become prideful and self centered) My ailments, my accomplishments, my needs, my desires??? Lord may I focus on You because I find my true joy and blessings in being obedient and moldable to Your plan for me. I can only become aware and sensitive to that plan and serve and love and make wise choices when I am fellowshipping with you deeply and intimately. You help me not be self centered and stingy with my time and my resources. Thank you!
My prayer is "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, My rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
Forgive my rambling thoughts today but thank you for letting me process my life with you. :)
2 comments:
Might be your ramblings, but it really, really spoke to me today. I think I've been feeding the wrong dog. ;)
Well said. Scary part is I followed your rambling quite well!!! Great minds think alike..
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