[Sung to the tune of Oh Happy Day!] Oh Crappy Day! … You washed our sins away!
It was one of those days. No other word can really capture it but crappy. You know the terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day kind, like Alexander’s. There really wasn’t a good reason for my foul mood, but there it was. Perhaps it was little sleep from a hard floor, or enough mosquito bites to play connect-the-dots, or maybe that Divine (one of our translators who doesn’t speak much English) was on auto repeat – “you have good freee-ut (fruit) that we don’t have” – the entire 3km journey to a nearby church. Still, an inexcusable mood.
The best part of the trail – a grassy overlook by Lake Victoria.
My journey companion/translator – Divine.
One lesson I’m getting a lot of practice in this year is that it all boils down to a choice – we choose crappy attitudes. We can react to circumstances or rise above circumstances. If my foundation is Christ and my eyes are fixed on Him, the waves of life – including droves of mosquitoes, won’t rock the boat.
Nonetheless, I was telling God (like that I was telling him?) that I know this wasn’t the suffering of Job, but auto repeat and a bothersome knee with the heat sure felt like suffering to me.
To add a spur to my side, we sidled up to a row of apartments and launched into – are you a believer, are you not? The Pastor prodded, “ok, they are Muslim, talk to them.”
Oh, ok.
Deep breath.
God, I don’t know what to say, please give me words.
I dove in to talking to Salim, a 17 year-old with an inquisitive mind seeking the truth, and Fatuma, a young woman who seemed disinterested.
Ginger talking, Allan (white shirt in background) praying. (photo by Cassie Schott)
Time flew by full of questions, explanations, and silent prayers while words were translated. But I was struggling. Even though I had learned a lot about Islam during our time in Malaysia, I felt far from being an expert. Allan was more knowledgeable than me – and he was sitting close by. I looked over at him – “anytime you want to step in, please do.” He just grinned.
My theme verse this month is 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is make perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
I was weak. I didn’t know what to say.
I was floundering. I have no idea what to say next, God. But You hem us in behind and before. Please give me words, take these words and make them make sense. I’m trusting You.
Words came.
While Salim asked most of the questions, and I answered almost directly to him, I became aware of Fatuma’s growing interest. Salim got up and walked away. I sat next to Fatuma while Allan called out to Salim and spoke with him one-on-one.
Fatuma wanted to follow Jesus but she was scared because of her family and friends. I remembered what a pastor told us in Malaysia – Muslims have to count the cost of following Christ, because it will cost them. I explained this to her but that Jesus was dependable and she could trust Him with her needs.
“Ok, she’s ready,” Pastor Alex said.
“What?” I asked. “You mean right now?”
I’m not a big fan of the sinner’s prayer and repeating it robotically. But a big peace came over me. I knew that as the words were spoken the Spirit would bring conviction and truth and joy – she just needed to know how to get started.
I looked in her eyes after we prayed, and I saw joy. She had been hungry and didn’t really know it – and now she was full of joy. We talked about prayer and going to church and growing closer to God. Her neighbor is a Christian and I encouraged them to talk to each other and pray together. I wanted to tell them to read the Bible, but they don’t have one. Hardly anyone but the Pastor has God’s Word.
Ginger and Fatuma.
After Fatuma and I finished talking, Pastor joined Allan and Salim – whose name is actually Ronald. Allan had recognized that Salim was a Muslim name and asked him his birth name (he had been raised Protestant). Salim decided to be Ronald again after recognizing God’s forgiveness and true freedom. (check out Allan’s blog for more – coming in a couple days)
Allan, Julias, Ronald, and Pastor Alex.
Later, Allan told me about his discovery of the power of prayer that morning. While I talked, he prayed. At times he wanted to say something (and I would have loved him to!), but instead he prayed that I would say something or a topic would come up – and it did.
I’m humbled that God used me despite my crappy mood. And I learned that the days when I feel least motivated to minister is when His power flows, for His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in my weaknesses. His plans cannot be thwarted, and His love cannot be blocked for His children – nothing can separate us from His love.
Two major themes keep recurring this month:
1) The power of prayer. Almost every day, at least two people stay back to intercede for those going door-to-door. As a group, we exchange prayer requests in the morning and are learning the importance of listening to God and learning to pray His will (not always healing, not always finances and jobs and health and happiness). We’re also training ourselves to be prayerful in the moment.
2) The Power of God’s Word – and the need for it around the world. I’ve taken it for granted that I have a Bible – multiple ones – when this small African community has no way of knowing what God’s Word says because they don’t have a Bible.
Please join us in praying for Bibles for this community. In the last few days we have here, we’d love to be able to empower the people with God’s Word – for only He can bring lasting change, abundant joy and true freedom.
And if you are having a crappy – no-good-very-bad day – take heart. Christ’s power rests on you if you let Him.
Have a GREAT day!
Lake Victoria in the distance.
