Thoughts from a Sunday Afternoon

This past Sunday was a busy one! First, there was church and preaching. My topic was, "We live by faith, not by sight," taken from 2 Corinthians 5:7. It was nice because I felt I really did have the words God wanted me to say. Then, several church members and myself went to visit "Saakum." (Grandfather) He is the husband of one of the church members. (He is the one covered in a white cloth with his head hanging down.) He had been to the Lawra hospital and was referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital. His condition was not good. So, we went to his house to pray for him. I took one look at him and thought, "He is going to die." Oh, he looked to be about 110 years old. He was too weak to hold his head up. He was all skin and bones. Samuel took the lead, speaking with Saakum's wife, to Saakum and leading in prayer. Atone point, Samuel asked for water, because, especially here, water is life. He gave some to Saakum on a spoon. Saakum could barely sip it. He mainly spilled it. AS I was watching events of the visit unfold, I was arguing with myself. "I just preached on living by faith, not by sight. And, I see the reality of this man's condition and think that he is going to die. Where is my faith? Aren't I supposed to believe in what I can't see? But, what is God's will for this man?" And on and on it went. I spoke with his wife before we left the house, encouraging her. As we left the house, I told Samuel, "We will be going to a funeral this week." Then, I told him about my struggles - what I see with my eyes vs. faith. Tough call! 

Tuesday I received word that Saakum had died. Was it lack of faith? Lack of medical care? Or was it the will of God...to give Saakum the ultimate healing? I doubt that Saakum was a believer. He was most likely a Traditionalist. Only God knows for sure. I pray that God would use this to draw Saakum's family to Himself. That God would comfort the mourning and give them peace. And that He would provide for the family.

Please pray for people like Saakum, who do not have access to proper medical care, who may not know the Lord. Pray that God would provide someone locally to minister to the people that He is calling to be His own.

On the Way to My Dream

My last blog talked about a dream I have...a dream that, at times seems impossible. My dream is to have a week when everything works and I don't have to call a repairman. Well, I am on the way to that dream! My trousers were altered by a seamstress. An electrician came and fixed the outlet that was incorrectly installed in my wall. And, he took apart my ceiling fan (again) and fixed that. Joe came and fixed my toilet. Now, it flushes like a normal toilet and you don't have to wait four hours for the tank to fill. Even more exciting than a fixed toilet, is a fixed air conditioner! (I have been thanking God for three days now.) When I woke up Thursday morning, it was a nippy 66 degrees in my bedroom. Even now, it is 76 degrees. Abraham and his crew came at dusk on Wednesday. They held flashlights in their mouths as they cut a pipe and welded it back together, fixing the place where the gas was escaping. A nice sleep, with slipper socks, long sleeved t shirt, long pajama pants and a blanket (along with Slake, my stuffed giraffe) makes so many things go so much better. And, the fact that I have been spending more intentional time with the Lord doesn't hurt either. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It will happen. My dream will come true!

It Could Happen!

I have a dream. No, it is nothing like Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's dream. My dream is quite selfish! I dream of a week when I will not have to call a repairman, when everything in my house works and is not broken or leaking or in need of any kind of repair or maintenance. These past few weeks, I have had my ceiling fan worked on five times. It still makes noises and after an hour has an electrical burn smell. Yesterday, I had an outlet and a plug replaced. The outlet is not usable. I refuse to force a plug into it because I don't want to break a plug off of something I use. It rained last night. I felt a drip drip on my foot. My roof is leaking through the ceiling and onto my bed. I had my motorcycle serviced and when I picked it up, the speedometer wasn't working. I took cloth to the seamstress who took my measurements and told me when to pick up my clothes. They weren't ready on the specified day. When they were ready, they didn't fit. I had to have them altered. My toilet tank takes 4-5 hours to refill drop by drop. (Maybe I should put it under the leak in the bedroom.) And, the air conditioner...don't get me started on that! I have had someone here at least six times to work on it. Yesterday, I had someone new. He found the problem. So, maybe today it will get fixed. I don't know. I do have two electricians and a plumber who are supposed to be coming today. I have a called a carpenter. When people will actually come, I don't know.

These are the things that make me weary. Make me tired. Make me want to get lost in a god book. I know things break. I know things wear out. I know things aren't perfect and need repaired or replaced. I know getting things repaired here is a challenge. There are only a couple of people who are plumbers or electricians. (There are a few more carpenters.) The Dagaare language does not have a word for maintenance. And, sometimes, it is just easier replacing the item instead of getting it fixed. (That is, if the item is available in the community in which you live.) But, for now, I am holding onto that dream...

I have a dream....there will be one week in which I will not have to call a repairman and nothing will break or leak or fall apart. It could happen! Just like the refreshing rains could come...it could happen!