I spend most of my time during the week with this cute boy. It has been such a joy to be his teacher this year, and I appreciate his great sense of humor.
We have been doing art this month, learning about primary and secondary colors as well as warm and cool colors. "Dade the Artist," as he calls himself, has created some wonderful masterpieces!
 |
| tints and shades |
 |
| hot dogs and cool cats |
I have been enjoying shopping for fabric here in Uganda and when we took our trip to Rwanda. The colors are vivid, and the patterns are eye-catching. This month, I had two skirts made from Ugandan fabrics by a local tailor. He does a great job, and I'm looking forward to wearing these!
One of my roommates, Martha, is quite the seamstress, and she brought her sewing machine to Africa. With her guidance and experience, I have been enjoying completing some small sewing projects of my own using local fabrics. This is an apron I made using Rwandan fabrics for a dear friend back home!
Typically my days are fairly relaxed, and I can use the afternoons however I see fit. Often I visit other missionary families in the area, snuggle some abandoned foster babies others are doing emergency care for, do some errands in town, visit my Ugandan friends at their homes or workplaces, or do something team-related. I greatly enjoy the flexibility of my schedule these days!
This week, unfortunately, hasn't been nearly so enjoyable. Early on Monday, a stomach bug made itself known, and it has been relentless all week. I have been out-of-commission most of the week, though I managed to teach twice. Unfortunately, my body wasn't quite ready for that and decided I need to stay home for a few more days. I have such sweet and thoughtful roommates, though, who have been sympathetic and even go to town to pick up Sprite or juice for me.
 |
| Passion fruit is my new favorite. Do we have them in the States? They're one of God's most delicious creations! |
It was a struggle for me this week to be confined to the house, not because my introverted self doesn't love being at home for extended period of time, but because there were so many things I had been looking forward to doing this week that I just wasn't able to do. It was disappointing, and I wondered why I, who almost never gets sick, had to be bed-ridden this week. Eventually, by mid-week, I realized there was nothing I could do about it and accepted it.
But today I realized that God didn't want me to simply accept that this is how my week is going to be. No, He wants me to rejoice in it!
We are called to rejoice in the Lord always and to give thanks in all circumstances.
Rather than resenting the situation, I should be thanking God for it.
2 Corinthians 12: 9 says,
“'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When my body is ill and simply has no strength left, but I choose to rejoice and thank God anyway, it is then that Christ is lifted up, and His name is made great both here on earth and in the spiritual realms. When God's called, chosen, and faithful followers praise Him in the midst of painful and disappointing times, their testimonies of the Lord's unending goodness are heard. These hearts of gratitude speak words of truth not only to friends and family in that person's life but also to the angels and demons battling in the spiritual world.
God's power is acknowledged as the only source of power, and my weaknesses no longer matter because my strength is perfect in Christ. Now my prayer this week is that my times of rest would be for the glory and service of the Lord and for the advancing of His kingdom.
Whether my weeks are full of obvious "ministry opportunities" or simply involve resting at home, I desire to do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). And it looks like this is a resting week!
No comments :
Post a Comment