*warning, this will be nothing but negative if you don't read all the way through
You know, if we're being honest, sometimes we get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and we end up exhausted. And really, it isn't always a physical feeling.
For example, I'm tired of answering the front door. I kid you not, as I typed the previous sentence, someone knocked on the door. You cannot make this stuff up. It's about 8:15 pm and one of our staff members was asking me to make photocopies of a paper for them. They need it in the morning. Now, as I was saying, you might be able to relate to this experience. You hear the knock on the door (or, more likely a door bell in the US), and you have that momentary feeling of, "uggghhh, I don't want to answer it." Now, the good news is that the feeling passes just about as quickly as it comes, but it was still there.
I'm tired of the exhausting heat in the middle of the afternoon. Now, really, when there is electricity and I can run the oscillating fan, it isn't too bad. But when the power was out from last Saturday through Tuesday afternoon, it was stinking hot and we had no reprieve. Thank the Lord that the worst heat only lasts for the peak of the afternoon.
I'm tired of cooking. Really, I don't mind cooking, especially when I'm in the process - I even enjoy it. BUT, when I'm in the middle of doing something and I have to stop everything to go to the kitchen to cook, it's annoying. Or when I've been delayed by this meeting or that fun activity or an emergency or anything else, and then I realize at 6:30 or 7 or even 8 that I still have to cook supper, I'm not excited. It makes you realize why fast food restaurants or food delivery makes so much money. :) But, I'm way too far from the city for that to even be an option.
I'm tired of not being able to walk 50 yards from my house without half a dozen little girls, or more, quarreling over who gets to hold my hand and walk closest to me. Now, they don't stop at just holding hands. There's a girl with each hand, one holding on to the forearm, one trying to reach for the pinky finger, and others just grabbing where they can. And somehow this clump of people is supposed to reach a destination together. Also, remember that heat I mentioned two paragraphs back. Walking around in that heat with children clinging to you makes you aware of just how warm it is and that your forearms do in fact sweat. :)
I'm tired of driving to the clinic in the nearest large village so that a child can get diagnosed for an illness or treated for a sudden injury. The doctors and I are getting to be on a first name basis. They don't even have to ask me what village I came from or where I got this little kid that is clearly not mine. They already know! And my faithful son, Tyler, is usually my companion for these trips, so they all know him as well. He can walk from the hospital on one side of the village to the few pharmacies in the area or to get chapati (flat bread) or water or soda or yogurt or whatever else the patient needs at the moment. He can work through the language barrier to get the right medicine and figure out the right amount of shillings to pay.
Now, you may be thinking I've lost it or I'm depressed or I'm calling it quits, but that couldn't be any further from the truth. At the end of the day, I would not rather be anywhere else. I mean really! What more can we ask for on this earth?
Answering the door takes only a moment and usually involves a greeting from a friend, even if just for a moment. And when it does take longer, what's the big deal?
The heat comes and goes, but at least we don't have to worry about coats and mittens and snow boots in a place where buying flip-flops for the growing feet of children is a financial stretch.
The cooking can actually be fun and the family always appreciates the great variety of things I prepare for them. We are all healthier and well fed. Imagine if there wasn't any food to cook! Who am I to complain about my situation.
Those little girls wanting so badly to hold my hands won't be little for very long. They are boarding students, so their mother/aunt/grandmother isn't here to hold their hands - and really the culture doesn't put much into relationships between parents and children. And consider if they didn't want to hold my hand - perhaps they were afraid of someone different or they didn't trust me or they just didn't like me. I get to reach into their world and encourage them. I get to laugh with them and skip along the path to our destination and drop them off at the doors of their classrooms. I get to create memories for them that will hopefully impact how they treat their own children someday.
And driving to the clinic...my goodness. I do wish we could have no reason to go to the clinic, but if there's a reason, I'm certainly driving. Even if they said, "don't worry, we can call a boda (motorcycle taxi)" or "we can see if it gets better" or anything else, I'd insist on taking them myself. Helping someone when they're sick or wounded is an opportunity to be the hands of Jesus; an opportunity to reach into their lives when they most need help.
I'm so glad that the feeling of being tired doesn't stay too long. The physical feeling of tired is usually something I appreciate because it means I've done a lot that day. The emotional feeling of being tired is different. I don't appreciate it and I do my best to quickly remind myself that joy can be found in almost any moment, and on the rare occasion that joy can't be found, I just remember that it will pass and joy will come again.
In all circumstances, I will praise the Lord and be glad to serve where He has called me. I hope you can do the same!
You know, if we're being honest, sometimes we get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and we end up exhausted. And really, it isn't always a physical feeling.
For example, I'm tired of answering the front door. I kid you not, as I typed the previous sentence, someone knocked on the door. You cannot make this stuff up. It's about 8:15 pm and one of our staff members was asking me to make photocopies of a paper for them. They need it in the morning. Now, as I was saying, you might be able to relate to this experience. You hear the knock on the door (or, more likely a door bell in the US), and you have that momentary feeling of, "uggghhh, I don't want to answer it." Now, the good news is that the feeling passes just about as quickly as it comes, but it was still there.
I'm tired of the exhausting heat in the middle of the afternoon. Now, really, when there is electricity and I can run the oscillating fan, it isn't too bad. But when the power was out from last Saturday through Tuesday afternoon, it was stinking hot and we had no reprieve. Thank the Lord that the worst heat only lasts for the peak of the afternoon.
I'm tired of cooking. Really, I don't mind cooking, especially when I'm in the process - I even enjoy it. BUT, when I'm in the middle of doing something and I have to stop everything to go to the kitchen to cook, it's annoying. Or when I've been delayed by this meeting or that fun activity or an emergency or anything else, and then I realize at 6:30 or 7 or even 8 that I still have to cook supper, I'm not excited. It makes you realize why fast food restaurants or food delivery makes so much money. :) But, I'm way too far from the city for that to even be an option.
I'm tired of not being able to walk 50 yards from my house without half a dozen little girls, or more, quarreling over who gets to hold my hand and walk closest to me. Now, they don't stop at just holding hands. There's a girl with each hand, one holding on to the forearm, one trying to reach for the pinky finger, and others just grabbing where they can. And somehow this clump of people is supposed to reach a destination together. Also, remember that heat I mentioned two paragraphs back. Walking around in that heat with children clinging to you makes you aware of just how warm it is and that your forearms do in fact sweat. :)
I'm tired of driving to the clinic in the nearest large village so that a child can get diagnosed for an illness or treated for a sudden injury. The doctors and I are getting to be on a first name basis. They don't even have to ask me what village I came from or where I got this little kid that is clearly not mine. They already know! And my faithful son, Tyler, is usually my companion for these trips, so they all know him as well. He can walk from the hospital on one side of the village to the few pharmacies in the area or to get chapati (flat bread) or water or soda or yogurt or whatever else the patient needs at the moment. He can work through the language barrier to get the right medicine and figure out the right amount of shillings to pay.
Now, you may be thinking I've lost it or I'm depressed or I'm calling it quits, but that couldn't be any further from the truth. At the end of the day, I would not rather be anywhere else. I mean really! What more can we ask for on this earth?
Answering the door takes only a moment and usually involves a greeting from a friend, even if just for a moment. And when it does take longer, what's the big deal?
The heat comes and goes, but at least we don't have to worry about coats and mittens and snow boots in a place where buying flip-flops for the growing feet of children is a financial stretch.
The cooking can actually be fun and the family always appreciates the great variety of things I prepare for them. We are all healthier and well fed. Imagine if there wasn't any food to cook! Who am I to complain about my situation.
Those little girls wanting so badly to hold my hands won't be little for very long. They are boarding students, so their mother/aunt/grandmother isn't here to hold their hands - and really the culture doesn't put much into relationships between parents and children. And consider if they didn't want to hold my hand - perhaps they were afraid of someone different or they didn't trust me or they just didn't like me. I get to reach into their world and encourage them. I get to laugh with them and skip along the path to our destination and drop them off at the doors of their classrooms. I get to create memories for them that will hopefully impact how they treat their own children someday.
And driving to the clinic...my goodness. I do wish we could have no reason to go to the clinic, but if there's a reason, I'm certainly driving. Even if they said, "don't worry, we can call a boda (motorcycle taxi)" or "we can see if it gets better" or anything else, I'd insist on taking them myself. Helping someone when they're sick or wounded is an opportunity to be the hands of Jesus; an opportunity to reach into their lives when they most need help.
I'm so glad that the feeling of being tired doesn't stay too long. The physical feeling of tired is usually something I appreciate because it means I've done a lot that day. The emotional feeling of being tired is different. I don't appreciate it and I do my best to quickly remind myself that joy can be found in almost any moment, and on the rare occasion that joy can't be found, I just remember that it will pass and joy will come again.
In all circumstances, I will praise the Lord and be glad to serve where He has called me. I hope you can do the same!
 |
| Here's Tyler getting some "take out" on the main street of Kapeeka. He's really just getting chapati (flat bread). :) |
Comments
Post a Comment