Goodbye Scarlet

I conquered Africa.

 

Not with the “I’m glad it’s over” feeling at all, but with the “I did it and I wasn’t sure if I could” feeling.   Africa has been challenging.  I’ve travelled in a bus for more than 55 hours to get to Malawi. We travelled through 4 countries in one day: South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.   Along the way, all my stuff was stolen.  I lost my entire pack along with my guitar, who I had named “Scarlet.”  In the moment I realized my stuff was gone on that dark night in Zimbabwe, oddly enough, I was filled with awe at my Creator.

 

I’ve spent a lot of time this year studying how God asks his people to praise him in order to release themselves from terrible situations.  Take the Battle of Jericho, for example.  God asks Joshua and his men to march around the city walls for six days, and on the seventh day God tells the people to raise a loud shout to heaven with musical instruments.  He wants his people to praise him, and when his people praise him, the walls come tumbling down.  There are many examples in the Bible where God’s people are seen praising God in the midst of turmoil, and God brings them great joy through it.  Take the entire book of Psalms, or Paul who says he is “always rejoicing.”  I am also led to the Catechisms I learned when I was young:

 

Question: What is the chief end of man?       Answer:  To worship Him and glorify Him forever. 

 

And to the verse that reads: “CONSIDER IT JOY, brothers, when you face trials of various kinds…”

 

God wants our worship and if He is in your heart, there is no other response to the hardships that befall all of us.  So, I had my opportunity at that moment to choose to praise God instead of being angry or sad about my missing things. What an honor – to be counted worthy of suffering for the cause of Christ! So, in the midst of that dark night in Zimbabwe, my heart was filled with a song of joy –

 

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Oh God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

 

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy hand has provided

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me.

 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

BLESSINGS ALL MINE WITH TEN THOUSAND BESIDE!

 

 

I sat in the back of the bus singing this hymn for what seemed like an hour, as we continued our travel through Zimbabwe and on to Malawi.  I was able to borrow what I needed from my team mates and buy a few things when we got to Lilongwe, Malawi.  And, since we’ve arrived back in Johannesburg, I’ve been able to go on a mini-shopping spree to get a few clothes to last me these next couple of months before I get home.  So, I leave you with this – God wants your praise.  He wants our songs and our music.  David wrote songs to God when he was joyful and when he was sorrowful, but no matter his situation, he praised the Lord.  Paul continually praised the Lord as well.  So let a loud shout raise to heaven and wake with the dawn praising your savior with the song of your heart.  That’s why we were created to worship and glorify Him together – To say: OUR GOD IS GREAT! THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM IN ALL THE EARTH! HE IS GOOD! HIS MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER!

 

 

P.S.  We leave for Romania tomorrow, Friday at 12:30pm South Africa time, so be praying for safe travels.