Broken things

Another 4 more months and our lives in West Africa will come to an end. 12 years for me and 13 years for Anthony have been spent in the countries of Ghana, Benin and Togo. What will the future hold? Where will we be going? What ministry will we be doing? At this stage, we do not know but the only sure thing is that we know that God has a plan for us and we are to wait for Him to reveal His plans for us.

Just as Anthony has mentioned in this week’s Tabligbo Times, our team’s newsletter, “One danger that missionaries face as they prepare to leave a field of service is "checking out" too early--being physically present but emotionally uninvolved in the work. Our household appliances seem to have gotten word that we are planning to leave, and have decided to "check out" before we do. So far, we've lost two refrigerators, two DVD players, a television, a microwave oven (which we have been able to get fixed, sort of) and this week our gas oven decided to check out--a hard-to-replace thermostat mechanism went out, meaning that the oven will not even light up.”  And this happened over the past few months.

It is frustrating. I have been asking myself what God is trying to teach me in all this. Yesterday, as I was driving to a village with Christine, my teammate, and as I was voicing my frustrations to her, I heard myself saying that “Boy, am I glad that in heaven, there will be no broken down things. Every thing will be perfect” and that’s when I realized that I have my answer from God. Everything on earth is just temporary and I am not to be attached to things on this earth. I am reminded about my time here on earth, people will get sick or old and die, things will get broken eventually, but what is important is not things that are tangible but eternal and that’s one thing that no one can take away from us. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your heart is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. I pray that God will help me not to be discouraged or be too frustrated with my broken down appliances but learn to be thankful for what I have.

I praise and thank God for His Son Jesus, whom He freely gave, that we may have eternal life through Him. I am thankful for His providence of everything we need. A teammate has loaned us a small fridge to use and other teammates have offered their ovens for me to use. And I know that He will continue to provide as the needs arises! OUR GOD IS GOOD!