There is something incredibly remarkable about the stark contract between the overwhelmingly beautiful landscape and the simplicity of African life. The other day I hiked down the mountain to catch a taxi (because it had rained and the dirt roads became impassable mud roads….such is life in Africa) and was completely captivated by the extravagance of the Lord’s creation. Scattered across the mountain are huts with laundry strung up along their stick fences. There are goats and cows wandering across the red dirt roads. Children run by playing with sticks, rocks, and jump ropes made from braided grass. All of this in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Movie producers could not imaging a more beautiful scene if they tried. It’s almost as if God reserves part of Himself for the poorest of the poor – the extravagance of His beauty and majesty. He shows off His artistry in these places. To those in need of hope, joy, and life… He shows Himself beautiful. On any given day, I can walk out of my house and see the strokes of His paintbrush down the mountains, through the river, and across the sky. I can see His fingerprints marked in the red dirt. And, it is that very dirt that has forever left its imprint on my own heart.
Luke 6:20. And He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said, ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’.
