“You make all things work together for my good…”
…and that’s the first song we heard when we got into our host’s car from the bus station in Arequipa, Peru (and then on repeat the next day on our hour and a half drive to the villages). we had just spent 10 hours traveling from La Paz and it was late. but we couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of hearing that song. our team has had many conversations about what that line means. does everything really work together for our good?
I feel like we can name so many things right now that happen that have no benefit to us at all….leaving all the people that we poured so much into last month. not making any personal decisions or having any independence ever. missing out on things at home. not having showers. painting churches all day. not being able to be with other people on our squad who we know we would work well with. bug bites all over us. sharing EVERYTHING. eating bread constantly. how do these things work together for MY good? His good, maybe…but mine?
this is home…
this month we’re out living in the village of Vitor. we sleep in hammocks and have toilet like things out in the back of our yard. we don’t have a shower and our drinking water is definitely not easy to come by. we spend our days painting churches and trying to meet the people of the churches and the village surrounding…our host was really clear that the painting was just a way to get our feet in churches doors and what she really wanted was relationships to be made. (apparently world racers don’t usually do as much painting as we have the done the past 4 months – i’m totally adding it to my resume). and in the evenings, three days a week, we teach English – again, to build relationships.
collecting wood to cook our dinner over…I could only find bamboo.
…and this is dinner.
it’s month 4…i miss my friends. i miss my family. and i miss my dog. it’s hard leaving a ministry that you loved to move onto one that you don’t know – and to have to open your heart up to them and give ’em all you got. but, that song was exactly what I needed to hear. He works all things together for my good…and while peeing in the middle of the night in the backyard of a church in a desert, trying to avoid cockroaches crawling over my feet – He made me realize that He works things together for my good because my good IS His good. what’s best for me is when He gets glory. what’s best for me is when people see Him in me, through the bug bites and sleepy eyes. and in those things…I truly believe that He works all things together for my good.
so, for this month, i’m praying that I look for His glory in everything. that I give all I’ve got and show people what Jesus looks like, even while painting a church. I’m excited to see who we meet and what relationships happen. He’s proven these past few months to blow expectations, so I’m anxiously awaiting that. I’m so thankful to have an incredible group of girls next to me who walk through this with me…that laugh at the irony of lyrics and that push me to look more like Jesus – for my good.
and here’s a little simple truth for ya – Romans 8:28 – and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. so, no matter what “bad” things or “good” things are happening to you right now…claim to the truth that all things work together for your good.
