See Something More

I gently stirred my coffee and blew into the mug to cool it off. "Hello," someone said to me, which caught me by surprise because I don't often hear English at our coffee break.  I looked up to see a broad-smiling, kind-looking lady that I had never seen before. She introduced herself and sat down beside me. Unfortunately, I needed to return to my language class as quickly as possible, but she invited me to visit her in her small office at the beginning of sieste.  After my language study was over for the day, I found my way to her office and timidly knocked on the door. Although she hardly knew me, she warmly welcomed me into her (air conditioned!) office that she was renting for her short visit. She sat down directly across from me and shared with me all about her past years of Bible translation work with her husband in Burkina Faso. Now, they just visit Burkina for a little while every year.  In the middle of our conversation, she began to share with me the vital lesso...

I greeted him today just like I always do. When he opened the gate for me, I waved and gave him a big smile. When he handed me my keys to the office I rent to do my language study, I asked him how his day was going and how his family was doing. Before I walked off, he added something else to our conversation. "You are always so nice and kind." "Who, me?" I replied, a little bit surprised. I hadn't done anything special to deserve such a compliment.  "Yes, you," he  reassured me with confidence and a broad smile.  "It's because I am really, really glad to be in Burkina Faso."  "But it's so hot here!" he added, and I noticed the beads of sweat on his brow. I didn't have beads on my brow; I was just plain wet all over. It is becoming the hottest part of the year when the temperature stays in the 100s until after midnight, when the sun feels like it's about to lick you, and when I sleep with a wet towel over me and the f...

Every once in a while, do you ever come across a Scripture that you never knew was there? Sometimes it catches you by surprise, like how did I miss this my whole life? Other times, it's just like finding a buried treasure in a field.  That's what happened to me this week when I read 1 Samuel 25:29. It's right there in the middle of the story of David, which I might have read a thousand times, but I found something beautiful that I have never seen before.  Abigail is speaking to David, who she calls "my lord", and she gives him a blessing by saying... "The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God."  What if this blessing could be spoken of me? My life will be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord my God. I just get this picture in my mind of God holding a little bundle in the palm of his hands, a bundle of protection and life and peace and grace and love. And there I am, all wrapped up...

"Are you afraid of spiders?" My language instructor asked me. (Imagine this following conversation in French)  "Not really," I replied, "but  I am a little afraid of the snakes here. Are they all poisonous?"  "Not all of them. Only some. Do you know how to keep the snakes out of your yard?" I answered with a doubtful "no..."  "You put a duck in your yard, and it keeps the snakes away."    The confused  expression on my face must have convinced him that I did not understand, so he repeated the word "duck" and asked me if I understood what that was.  "No, I know what a duck is." With a smile I added, "I just think that is very interesting. I have never heard of that before."  "Well, it's not exactly scientifically proven," he added, which made me smile even wider.  "Anyway," I said, "I am happy that I haven't seen a snake or a spider in my house. But I have seen......

I almost didn't write this.  I really do try to keep my blog from becoming like a journal entry. People have diaries  to write about their personal problems, and nobody wants to read that on a blog.  But you also know me well enough to know that I don't mind being vulnerable. Honest. Open. I believe there is value in that, and so that is why I am writing this. I also believe that someone out there might be reading this and feeling the exact same way that I am. I want you to know that you aren't alone, and I kind of need to know that I am not alone either.  It's been a hard day in Africa.  I knew there would be hard days when I got here, but that was just a vague, foggy idea of what "hard" is. Now I know what it actually feels like. It feels like a concrete block in your stomach and a dull ache in your heart for the people that you miss most. It feels like a scratchy throat, unrelenting congestion, and watery eyes because of the dust that I live in. It feels li...

When my alarm clock went off, I had a full day ahead of me. Since I knew what lay ahead, I began my day by bringing each item on my schedule to the Lord. God, first, I am doing language study this morning. Today, help me to be a blessing to my instructor.  When we take our coffee/tea break at 10:00 this morning, please help me to find someone to talk to, and help me to be a blessing to them.  After language school, I am going to my weekly Bible study, and I pray that you will help me to be a blessing to someone there.  After Bible study, I have a skype date with my sister, and I ask that you will help me to be a blessing to her today.  In the evening, I am preparing an American meal for my host family, so please help me to be a blessing to them today .  With that, I rolled out of bed and got ready for the day.  Seventeen hours later when my head hit the pillow again, I finished the day in the same way I started it, only this time...