100 Days

I shouldn't be awake right now, but I can't fall asleep. My body is exhausted, but my mind is awake with possibilities. I know that as soon as I put this down, I will be out like a light (especially since I'm writing in bed) but I'm too excited to stop now. It is my first night in my new house, and I already love it here. 

It's been an Extreme Home Makeover Africa Edition if you ask me. Just over three weeks ago, this place was dust central with lizard poop piling up on the floors. But with a little help from my family who painted the walls, dad who built shelves, and some interns who painted the floor, things have shaped up really nicely. In the past twenty-four hours, I packed up my old room, went to the market to outfit my kitchen, unpacked everything into the new house, cleaned it up, and arranged it all where should go. I even have all my pictures on the wall and magnets on the refrigerator as a finishing touch. All the empty boxes are in a stack by the door, and I did this by myself. In one day. If you can't move everything you own in one day, you have too much stuff. That's my motto. 

I feel like I just had my own wedding shower. Except not really because I'm still single and I was too tired to bake a cake for myself tonight. But when I look around, everything that I see was given to me by someone. Mr. Barry made the curtains, Jennifer gave me the lantern lights, and half my pantry came from Suzanne. Even the things I bought were purchased with the money that my supporters provided and that I have been saving for this very moment. So basically you threw a shower for me today, and now I have a house with the things I need inside. Thank you. 

This marks a new season. A season of greater independence. A season of greater hospitality. With a place of my own, I can embrace the culture in a whole new way by having open doors and being open-handed. I see this new house as a gift from God, one that I want to give right back to him. This house is a tool in the toolbox of ministry, and I pray that many people will come to sit on my couch and leave dirty footprints on my floor and drink tea out of my mugs. Maybe their laughter will ring in my living room; maybe their tears will wet my carpet. Whoever may come and whatever may happen, I pray that people will sense a tangible difference in my home, and may they come to recognize it as the love of God and the presence of His Holy Spirit.  

A new season means new changes and new resolutions, not just in my house but also in my life. It brings new experiences, new challenges, and new growth, which all lead to one important climax: new revelations of God. 

I have exactly 100 days here in this new house before going in the United States for my planned furlough over the holidays. 100 days. Imagine what can be done with 100 days! So with this new house, I'm starting a 100 day campaign. 

How am I going to spend these 100 days? 

I'm going to watch and wait for those new revelations of God during this new season of my life. 

I'm going to seek the Lord with all my heart and listen to him. 

I'm going to choose to dwell in worship, adoration, and thankfulness instead of discouragement and inadequacy. 

I'm going to look for the lovely in every moment. (Thanks, Annie F. Downs for an amazing book, Looking For Lovely) 

I'm going to serve people, love people, and share the message of Jesus as much as possible. (I tend to make my life complicated, but God is helping me de-clutter and get back to the basics) 

And finally, I'm going to write about it. The goal is to have a short story at the end of every one of these 100 days...something about how I saw Jesus...or how God is working...or how he might have used me in some small way. Then I'm going to share that story with someone. It may find its way to this blog every now and then, but don't expect it. These stories will mostly be shared one on one with anyone who will ask or listen. That's half the point - finding the story is one thing, and then sharing it with someone is even better. 

It's a 100 day campaign to make 100 days matter. Not a single day wasted. 

I'm feeling like I can go to sleep now. My body is a good kind of tired, and all the ideas bouncing around in my head have found a place to rest for the night. My heart is content to know that God is unchanging even when change surrounds us and even when we need change within us. 

Day one out of one hundred has been significant, not just because I moved my entire life in less than 24 hours, but because it has been the start of something new.