…whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3)
That pretty much sums up what I've been learning during my first couple of weeks in Nepal. Going into the month I knew my attitude would be put to the test because our main ministry for the month was said to be giving computer classes. That just might be the last form of ministry I would ever volunteer for. So upon arriving I was super excited to hear that we were going to spend a week in the mountains reaching out in a village where our contact is trying to establish a church. We were going to have to hike several hours to get there & live in our tents…it sounded like the real deal – I was already thinking in my head how my stories would compare to those of missionaries like Amy Carmichael or Mary Slessor.
However, we didn't quite make it to the mountains due to the fact that we got in a bus wreck in the wee hours of the morning on our way. The kind of wreck that involves lots of screaming, quite a bit of blood, and general chaos. It could've been real bad. Good thing for us we definitely had angels watching out for us. In spite of the craziness, I just sensed peace and knew it would all be okay. We all got out through one of the shattered windows & tried to do our best to help all of the others who were hurting before medical help came. God was with us. Thanks to Him, the worst that happened to those in our group was a few stitches…and it could've easily been such a drastically different outcome. So when you get in the car & pray for God's protection as you travel, don't brush it off lightly…there is so much power in those prayers.
That was just a tiny glimpse as to what happened, but there are so many little details about that accident that just point to God's hands at work – it's incredible! It gave me a renewed sense of thanfulness for each breath that I take & was yet one more bit of proof that God is alive & actively involved in my life. I recently read a book about the power of giving thanks & being joyful in all circumstances, and I was thankful to God for allowing me to be at a place where I could see His grace & give thanks during a difficult time. In my heart I was just feeling general excitement.
Yet on the other hand, we didn't get to go to the village in the mountains. Instead, after a couple days of recovering, we returned to Kathmandu. So much for my lofty missionary expectations. I was back in the city, 12-17 of us crammed into like a 40 sq ft area (I really have no clue how to judge the size of spaces…but it's small!), all sharing one squatty potty, with the prospect of giving computer classes looming over me. Plus everyone seemed to be getting sick, one by one, and attitudes just weren't the most positive.
Even though we just experienced God's direct intervention, the joy was already zapped. Soreness was setting in, attitudes of non-gratitude were setting in, and anxiousness to get away from everyone else was a common feeling. It's times like that when it's all the more important, and all the harder, to fight for joy.
That's the thing about joy. It's not just something that's just automatically with you. And you can't just ask God to bestow it upon you. It is, however, always there for the taking. It's a choice. Choose joy or choose anger/selfishness/sadness/complaints/complacency/irritability/etc… James says that joy results in perseverance, and perseverance results in completeness, so that we lack nothing.
In every trial/hard time, joy can be found. Joy comes from thanksgiving. When you give thanks for specifc gifts from God, you begin to realize how much love He has for you as evidenced by His gifts of grace. And that thankfulness turns into joy. And those gifts of grace can be found in each moment if you purposefully seek them out…whether it's a good moment or bad moment. God is always there and working for our good.
Anyways…back to us. We persevered. We fought through whatever feelings, fears, and doubts were going through our minds & gave it all to God. We sought Him & He met us to reveal to us once more that He loves us and can work out this bad situation for ultimate good. We've been privileged to spend several mornings in worship with some pastors from around Nepal who are here for a month long training program (they're also the ones taking the computer class!). We've also had the opportunity to have some sweet times in a couple of nearby villages with a few believers in their homes.
It for sure hasn't been an easy month thus far, and I'm definitely very much in the learning process of what it means to be joyful always, especially in the midst of trials…but I'm so thankful for all of the learning opportunities I've been given! Also, tomorrow my team gets to head to the Tibet border for the week to climb the mountains and minister in the villages along the way…because God is just so good & faithful like that!
