Sidetracked

When I am back Stateside, the crunch of time assaults my life, and it seems increasingly difficult to maneuver my mouse over the blogger dashboard. We just lost a precious Parishioner here at our church yesterday, and my comments about the fragility of life mentioned in one of my recent blogs takes on new meaning. I was sharing with Robinson tonight on the phone and he remembered this person well. Death in any culture brings the same reaction, the same isolation, the same grief. A life lost creates a vacuum, a space of emptiness, a void of loneliness. As Rob and I shared, I had to reflect on God's goodness to protect him in the midst of the circumstance of his life. I try not to take things for granted, but I found out this week I still do on some levels. There is a propensity for bitterness to set in when God crashes down those walls. But time has increased my awareness and understanding of His Sovereignty, and in these seasons of challenge and difficulty, we need to seek even more His leadership, His wisdom, and His comfort. My Haitian family is far more adept at this than I. As I listen to them pray for three hours each day at noon prayer, it makes me choke on my own indifference to my reliance on God. We all need Him far more than we think, our materialism blinds us to our needs. I would not be so bold as to ask God to take it all away that I may better concentrate and focus on Him, but I desire to rebuke my fixation on such trivial pursuits and guard myself more forcefully from harboring to much confidence and a false sense of security that comes with depending on what I can see, touch, or feel, as opposed to what I can grasp hold of through faith! So much was accomplished in Haiti this trip, but we cannot take credit for it. We are hands extended, God's hands. He added to the fruits of our labor a wonderful increase, and Robinson confirmed that tonight. I am grateful for life, love, and for hope. May these increase as we fulfill the destiny created for us, as we reach out and touch others may we remember only what's done for Christ will last! Blessings.