Through the Seasons

Okay, I have a big confession to make.  (This isn’t a trick.  I’m not going to confess that I love chocolate or my poodle… or that I’m afraid of African food… although all those things are true.)  Here it goes:

 

 

When I first became a Christian and began going to church I knew right away that I didn’t fit in.  The Christianese vocabulary, and my Bible, were totally foreign and I was completely out of place.  It seemed as if people flipped to the assigned book of the Bible before I could even look at my Table of Contents.  I had no previous exposure to spiritual warfare and knew nothing of the end of the world.  Without the Holy Spirit, I would have simply run away.

But as time went on early in my walk, I picked up on the words, I sat up straighter, I spoke more softly, I smiled more sweetly… basically, I began walking the walk and talking the talk.  I memorized the books of the Bible so I could keep up.  I soaked up all the teaching offered.

If I would have been humble enough, (and smart enough) I would have asked for help.  I would have admitted that I was weak, uninformed, uneducated, and needy.  But for an outsider, church people seem so perfect.  It was really intimidating.  So I strove instead to blend in and appear to be on the same page (figuratively and literally) as everyone else.

Now that I look back on my entrance into church life, I realize that I was becoming a Pharisee.  I was washing the outside of the cup, leaving the inside dirty.  I was focused more on what I appeared to be than what I really was.  I’m still breaking out of that, striving to be authentic and transparent.

Trying to be someone you’re not is absolutely exhausting.  I’m not a sweet, apple-pie, everything’s swell kind of girl.  I’m not even sure why I thought that’s what I was supposed to be.  (The Saturday Night Live’s Church Lady influence maybe.)  I’m a little more cynical Eeyore than optimistic Piglet and a little more irritable Rabbit than lively Tigger.  I don’t intend to stay content with that, but I have to start with reality and go from there.  Pretending, apparently, isn’t going to get me anywhere.

What I noticed in trying to appear perfect, instead of openly admitting my weaknesses, is that it hinders growth in relationships.  How many people have I held at arm’s distance because letting them get too close may reveal to them that I’m imperfect, that I struggle with sin, and that each and every day I need a Savior?  I wonder how many other people put on their masks, hide their hurts and struggles, making real unity impossible.

I don’t know much about this subject.  I’m just now lying down the masquerade myself.  What I hope is that God enables me to be real… to be authentic… to be me… to let go of the desire to fit in… to let people in on my walk through this life.  We’re all in this thing together.  That’s how it’s been set up.  I hope to be used by God to edify the church and I hope to be edified myself by others who have learned lessons along the way that I am just now happening upon.

Through my walk with Christ so far, I have been touched deeply by a few people who have also broken the church mold.  I thank each of you (and you know who you are) for your profound influence on me.  I pray that God helps us all to love, instead of fear, one another.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involved torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”  1 John 4:18

		Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average temp over 29 years		62	64	64	64	64	62	59	57	60	64	66	68	66
Average high temp over 29 years		73	73	73	73	73	71	69	69	71	77	80	80	77
Average low temp over 29 years		53	57	57	57	55	51	48	46	48	51	55	55	57
Highest recorded temp over 29 years		87	82	87	80	80	78	78	78	82	87	87	87	86
Lowest recorded temp over 29 years		36	50	50	46	48	42	37	36	39	43	44	48	50
Average # of rainy days over 23 years		55.1	10	10.3	9.1	7.8	1.8	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.4	1.2	4.1	9.8

 

Summary:

The upper 80’s is the highest and the mid 30’s is the lowest it should ever get there and those days appear to be rare.  On average, the hottest we’ll be is 80 degrees and the coldest we’ll be is around 45 degrees.  You can see the rainy half of the year is November through April.

Did you ever think all of Africa is always hot?  I did.  I realize now I was wrong.  It’s funny how we can get those pictures in our minds. 

One time when I was a teenager I took a trip to Niagra Falls and New York City… in August.  I’m from North Carolina – the south – hot.  New York is the north – cold.  (I’m a very all or nothing, black or white thinker.)  So I packed all my turtlenecks, sweaters, coats, and long pants and headed north to the frozen tundra of upstate New York.  I thought I would DIE it was so hot. 

But then there was another August trip I took… to San Francisco.  I packed up my shorts, tank tops, and flip flops and headed West.  I mean, all of California is hot, right?  I FROZE.  You could tell who the tourists were.  We were all wearing the San Francisco fleece sweatshirts being sold in the sidewalk souvenier shops.  So dorky.  To my credit, I traveled to San Francisco via a trip through San Diego and Los Angeles.  I just didn’t realize I’d drive a few hours up the coast and go from 85 degrees to 45 degrees – and windy – and rainy.  Yuck.  Not great weather but a cool city.  I still have that silly sweatshirt.  It did the trick then and still does it now.  I may just have to take it to Tanzania with me…

…how do we hope to spend our lives? 

Someone told me recently that what I’m doing is crazy.  Why not stay tucked away safely here in America? 

Is that what it’s all about?  If everyone did this there would be no missionaries, no soldiers, no journalists, no politicians, no business-owners, no heroes…  Frankly, if we were to live avoiding all risk, there would be no relationships at all.  (Isn’t that where most of our hurts come from anyway?)

Odd but true: this made me think of Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter guy).  What he decided to do with his life got him killed by a stingray.  Do you really think he’d rather have spent all those years watching the Discovery Channel about crocodiles in order to keep himself safe and have a few more years on this earth?  His job was his passion.  He made his passion his life’s work.

My passion is Jesus Christ.  I am making His calling for me my life’s work.  Dangerous or not… uncomfortable or not… crazy or not…  it makes more sense to me than staying on the sidelines. 

I have lived most of my life as a spectator, keeping myself as safe as possible, but now that Christ has gotten hold of me I want to be in the middle of the action.  I’ve discovered there are more important things than merely “getting through” life.  I want to live intentionally, purposefully… the way Jesus lived!  I want to wake up each morning expecting God to use, teach, and speak to me.  What I never calculated into my equation before is the risk involved when avoiding all risks.  There is so much to lose! 

I thank the person who told me I am crazy.  Not until I stopped to examine her statement did I realize that I really do fear regret more than I fear failure.  What does this life offer that I would forfeit what God has for me?  What does the world promise that I would choose over eternal rewards and benefits?  Like Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Or as Jesus put it:  “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.  On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them.  Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.  Remember Lot’s wife!  Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”  (Luke 17:30-33)

Oh that I would put Jesus before everything else in my life!  May I find my ultimate joy and passion in Him alone!  Because whether we acknowledge it or not, the reality remains that it is ALL about HIM.

 

 

There are 10 different people groups in the Mbeya cluster project.  I want to give you a glimpse of each group.  Here is the first one.  (Information taken from www.thetask.net – Uganda-Tanzania branch website.)  Please prayerfully consider adopting a people group for yourself by praying for them and following their progress as we update you from the field.