If I had to choose one word to summarize my past three
months in Africa it would be joy. On a continent known for its extreme poverty
and disease, the people are overwhelmingly thankful for all the things the Lord
has done. Whether it is in the smiles and laughter of mamas in the bush, or the
animated dancing of church members on Sunday morning, God’s joy in Africa is
unavoidable.
Being in Africa has reminded me that joy is not based on
external circumstances of life, but in the hope that comes from trusting
Christ. Each day I have encountered someone whose circumstances seem hopeless,
yet they are praising their Creator for waking them up each morning. I have
danced around a church with HIV victims, and held babies who may not live to
even begin school, but in each situation I have seen the joy that only comes
from God.
As Believers, we are not called to be overtaken by the
suffering of the world. Peter calls us to rejoice when we share in the
sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:13). While everything around us seems to crash,
we are called to seek the face of the Savior and praise Him for giving us one
more day. We are called as David, to dance in the glory of God.
While most of the world looks upon Africa as a land of
suffering and pain, each person I have encountered has possessed a joy that can
only come from God. I am so thankful and humbled that I have had the
opportunity to see a side of Africa that the media does not show. I have seen
joy in the faces of the afflicted. I
have been encouraged not to focus on the circumstances around me, but on God.
Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace
in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only
so, but we rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope.
Romans 5:1-4
