What I learned in Uganda about Faith

It is interesting what I learned about FAITH during my recent trip to Uganda with Designs for Hope (www.designsforhope.org).  What makes it so interesting is that my primary responsibility on the trip was to provide pastor/discipleship training and my topic of choice was the significance of our faith.  In fact, I am actually in the process of writing a book based on Paul’s letter to the Romans that, among other things, speaks to the significance of our faith – primarily how all of a Christian’s life should be about living in faith.   This is an important topic to me not so much because I consider myself an “expert” at faith, but quite the opposite – because faith comes so hard for me.   I am very much a critical thinker, so I need answers!  I want answers to everything.  The problem is that God does not give us all the answers in the world.  God only gives us what we need in order for us to trust him in faith – and the first 5 chapters of Romans explains to us so clearly why we must come to God in faith and not through our own merit, works, or critical thinking.

Going to Uganda seriously tested my faith… but being in Uganda taught me a great deal more about faith than I ever anticipated.  To begin with, we really had to have faith in God that he would be sovereign over all the agents of travel.  As part of our mission, we needed to get 50 12V gel-cell batteries to Uganda.  The transportation industry is VERY particular about the types of batteries allowed in the baggage compartment of passenger airlines.  The list of prohibited batteries is very specific.  Likewise the list of permissible batteries is very specific.  The problem is that our batteries didn’t fall into either list – so were they prohibited or permitted?  The answer depended upon who you asked and ultimately is the decision of the cargo manager at the airline.  We worked for weeks trying to get a definitive answer as to whether we could pack the batteries in our luggage; and by the time we realized we were not going to get an answer, it was too late to ship the batteries so that they would be guaranteed to be there in time.  So in faith we both shipped them and also put another set in our checked luggage.  It was so encouraging when we were sitting in the airport in Ethiopia, waiting to board the last leg of our journey to Uganda, and we could look out the window and see the bags with our batteries being loaded into the cargo bay of the plane…  God was faithful…

…but then we got to Uganda and discovered we had 4 other bags missing – and there were critical components to our mission in those bags.  We didn’t need them until the 4^rd day in country, but for 3 days we prayed and “argued” with the airline about the status of our bags.  In the wee hours of the morning of the 4^th day… the courier showed up with the bags.  God delivered again just in the nick of time – not too soon, but not late either.

These were tests of our faith, but they weren’t faith-tutors.  In reality, it was the people of Uganda who were my personal faith tutors.   To see the overwhelming poverty in which so many Ugandans live was difficult enough, but to hear their prayer requests was even worse.  We may think we live by faith here in the states, but how many mothers do you know whose main prayer request is that God would provide food so that her babies do not starve?  In Uganda, you either live by faith or you live in hopelessness.

Unfortunately, I saw more hopelessness in Uganda than I did faith – and that was also a faith tutor for me.  I realize I was only there a few days, so impressions here could be overly generalized, but those impressions were pretty clear to me.  Uganda is 98% “Christian” but I dare say the number of people who had real saving faith was only a small fraction of that number.  As I was preaching about the difference between simple belief and a faith that saves… and about the difference between a belief in Jesus and truly following Jesus… I was struck by the number of people who didn’t have a Bible – perhaps for many it was because one simply was not available, but for most it was because they could not read.  As I watched them worship and as I taught, I wondered whether there was any real difference between their tribal religion of 100 years ago and their tribal “faith” of today.  Were they “worshipping” God because they had faith in him or were they simply going through the religious ritual that had become the norm for their tribe or village – a ritual replacement for their old tribal religions.

I thought a great deal about the number of people wandering the streets (and jungle paths) everyday living in hopelessness – desperately trying to sell bananas or “meat on a stick” or even toilet paper to the passers by so that they could feed their families.  I contemplated how many people literally lived from day to day not knowing where their next meal was coming from or whether they would survive to the next season.  These things taught me about faith.  They taught me that without faith, life truly is hopeless.  In their difficult and perhaps even miserable circumstances, so many Ugandans could either live for Jesus with a purpose despite their circumstances or be distraught without him.   They could either hope in eternity… or they could hope that someone brings aide so that they don’t starve to death.  They could hope in the resurrection… or they could hope in a false picture of Jesus painted by the liberation theology that is so prominent throughout Africa.

These things also taught me that my life is far too comfortable to say that I actually understand what it means to live by faith.   Sure, there are lots of things I have to take by faith every day.  There is much about God and the Bible that cannot be “proven” that must be taken by faith – and for a critical mind like mine, that is extremely difficult.  Frankly, I truly believe that is the way God designed it – so that we all come to him in faith in one way or another.  However, God wants us to trust him for everything – not just to trust in the unanswerable questions, but also to trust in Him for every breath we breathe, every step we take, and every word we speak.  That is why he only gave the Children of Israel enough manna for one day.  That is why Jesus taught his disciples to pray “…give us this day our DAILY bread…”  That is why many of our struggles seem like they have no way out – until God delivers us through them and we see he was in control all along.

So I come home from Uganda with this dichotomy:  The world in which the Ugandans live is so incredibly different from ours that it is ridiculous to even try to compare them.  Yet at the same time, there is an eerie similarity between the plight of the Ugandan people and the plight of the American people. 

Our differences are firmly established in the physical world.  We live in unprecedented wealth.  Even our “poor” are wealthy compared to the world’s standards.  They live in abject poverty.  We have access to every modern technology and medical advancement.  Most of them do not even have the basic “needs” we take for granted such as electricity, clean running water, or simple medicines.  We are as different as night and day.

Our similarities, however, are grounded in the spiritual world.  Both cultures appear to have a great misconception about faith.  For decades, our country has been “culturally” Christian, just like the Ugandans are today.  Now, our culture seems to be drifting from that culture into an “any kind of faith goes” mentality. Their culture seems to be drifting into a “trust Jesus and you will get money” mentality.  In both cases, there seems to be a great need to understand real, saving faith.   Sure, there are legitimate, dedicated and committed followers of Jesus in both cultures, but there appear to be so many others in Uganda who are worshipping the “god” of their tribe or village rather than the God of the universe. Likewise, there appear to be many of us who are worshipping a “god” of our own design – a god that makes sense for how we want to live – a god after OUR own image.  I saw many people singing to Jesus, but very few who appeared to be actually following him.  I see the same thing every day here.  This similarity was reinforced when one of the Ugandans approached me after one of my sermons and said, “It is good for them to hear you preach this.  They need to know that you [that is, Americans] have the same Jesus we have.”  They need to make their faith personal and their own and fully surrender to Jesus.  We need to make our faith personal and our own and fully surrender to Jesus.  We are exactly the same.

At the end of the day, what I learned about faith is how universal our need for it really is.  As different as we all are, our shortcomings ultimately are the same.  We are all in need of a savior.  We all need to place our faith IN him… and then live by faith every day.

You Won't See THAT in America...

In the aftermath of the recent Designs for Hope mission trip to Uganda, I thought I might share with you some of the things we saw that you will never see in the United States.  Now these are not the expected things, such as lions and elephants - which technically you can see in a zoo in the states and, besides, we never saw a lion - although we did see elephants.  Rather, these will be things that were, generally speaking, unexpected.

Rhino Crossing Sign - we might have expected to see a Rhino, although we didn't. Besides, you can always go to the zoo to see a Rhino.  However, when we saw the Rhino Crossing sign, we were somewhat taken by surprise.  Here's a question... what do you do when a Rhino crosses the road? Somehow I think an animal as big as a Rhino always has the right of way.  On a related note, we also saw a Zebra Crossing sign in downtown Kampala, but we are still debating whether it really meant that Zebra cross there.  I'm in the camp that says...hmm...no.

A Mother Breast Feeding in Church - OK, I will admit that in our culture we are overly sensitive and averse to a public display of that wonderful thing which has kept our babies alive since the beginning of time.  And while, to the dismay of some overly prudish folk, those taboos are beginning to crumble in our culture, it can still be quite disturbing (not to mention distracting) to the preacher (uh, that would be me in this case) when a two year old sitting on the front row decides he can't wait for the buffet at Denny's - not that there would be a buffet at Denny's...or a Denny's for that matter...in Uganda.

Rocks Used as Construction Cones - That's right, hundreds and hundreds of breadbox sized stones all lined up in neat little rows to keep the crazy drivers of Uganda from killing the road construction crew.  The manpower involved in setting these construction cones out must be staggering...

Traffic in Kampala - Speaking of crazy Ugandan drivers, I've been to some places where traffic and driving were downright scary.  Quito, Ecuador comes to mind for instance.  None of them hold a candle to what we experienced in Kampala or all of Uganda for that matter.  Stepping behind the wheel (or stepping off the curb for that matter) literally means taking your life in your own hands.  Cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians all follow one simple rule: "I have the right of way - unless you are a Rhino."  There were traffic cops around, but I honestly have no idea what they did.  On more than a few occasions we were looking face to face playing chicken with another crazy Ugandan driver. I know we clipped another car - mirror to mirror - on at least one occasion and I am pretty sure at one point we actually hit a pedestrian.  By the way, honking your horn in Uganda means "Get out of the way; I'm coming thru and I'm not slowing down!" Oddly enough, the honking of the horn is a kindness - because they really aren't slowing down!

Hover Toilettes - I've heard and experienced that bathroom conditions outside the US are bad, but I can't think of anywhere in the US where males and females share the same hover toilet.  As one of the ladies on our team said, "I'd rather go in the woods."  The guys agreed.

Genuine Selfless Hospitality - I live in the South where hospitality is a staple we are proud of.  However, I've never experienced the level of genuine selfless hospitality we experienced in Uganda.  I would go as far as to say it was a little uncomfortable.  Knowing how little they have, I felt guilty being on its receiving end.

Kids Excited to See a Beach Ball - all kids like beach balls, but the kids in some of the villages we visited not only have never had a beach ball, but didn't have a ball of any kind.  For them a beach ball was cause for pure joy...and a soccer ball was downright rapturous. 

Kids Cutting Grass at School with a Machete - Speaking of kids, what do you think would happen if you took all the kids at your school out to the playground and gave each of them a machete.  I'm pretty sure the outcome would be dicey and I have no doubt DHS would have a thing or two to say about it.  In Uganda, that's just part of the normal school day and how the playground grass stays cut.  Believe it or not, no one gets hurt - that is, until one of the kids hits a hornet's nest hidden in the grass (which we saw happen while we were stuck waiting in the crazy traffic).

Toilet Paper Street Vendor - OK, so being harassed in our van by street vendors selling everything from peanuts to  papayas to plantains to meat on a stick was expected... The funniest thing we heard all week was a distracted street vendor lamenting the fact that we were not stopping at his intersection as he exclaimed (give it a Ugandan accent) "Wait! Some meat!". I guess you had to be there.  But a toilet paper street vendor?  That was truly unexpected. I guess when you gotta go you gotta go... and you might need it for that hover toilet (shudder).

Here's a couple of slightly expected things we saw that you won't see in the US.

Phone Charging Stores - this one would only be expected because part of the Designs for Hope mission is to free pastors from this bondage - so we knew they existed.  However, we never expected to see so many of them - several per block it seemed - .small stands with 25-50 plugs charging cell phones at 500 Shillings (20 cents) each.  That might not seem much to us, but to the African, having a cell phone is a life-line and for the African living in the bush with no appreciable annual income, 20 cents every time your cell phone dies is substantial.

Thatched huts - Although not completely unexpected, it was still amazing to see the stereotypical grass thatched huts still widely used throughout the bush.

Women Balancing Large Heavy Loads on Their Heads -  They still do this?  Apparently, and its more impressive to see in person than on TV or in pictures.... Just how do they do that?  Color me impressed.

Miles and Miles of Slum Markets - I expected to see slum markets... What I didn't expect to see were literally miles and miles and miles of them.  How many papayas and plantains are there in Uganda anyway - and who is going to buy them?

Cactus Trees - Perhaps if I thought hard enough I might have anticipated this one, and maybe there are some cacti out West that might qualify as trees, but these were some of the biggest cacti I have ever seen.

Ant and Termite Hills the size of Houses - just one word... Freaky. It is the stuff nightmares and bad horror movies are made of.

Baboons on the Side of the Road - got a banana?  That's what they were asking every car that passed.

And saving the best for last...

A Pastor Driving a Motorcycle... in a Suit... Through the Jungle... in the Dark...with two other people riding on the back of the bike - I promise you will NEVER see that in the US, but kudos to Pastor Alfred - the sole member of the Rescue Committee.  Pastor Alfred was not part of our "in country" team, but no matter where we were ministering, he always seemed to show up and was gracious and kind and helpful to our work efforts.  And when we got stuck in the mud, he appeared literally from nowhere to help get us out, including some fairly impressive suit-donning trailblazing through the jungle at night to get us back to "civilization."  The two other riders were locals who showed him the way through the jungle "pass".  If only our pastors understood Servant Leadership as well... It was certainly a lesson for me!

Reflections on Uganda 2013

As I write this, I am sitting in the airport in Entebbe, Uganda waiting to board Ethiopian Airlines flight 810 - I am coming home from a week of missions work with Designs for Hope (www.designsforhope.org).  I sit here trying to decide exactly how I would describe the past week.  If I were being "Super"-Spiritual, I would say that the week was awesome and fantastic.  There was great Kingdom-work done.  We installed 47 Designs for Hope Bicycle Generator kits for pastors and church leaders in the many villages surrounding Lira, Uganda.  We also provided 48 water filtration kits capable of providing 1,000,000 gallons of safe, clean water each - that's 48,000,000 gallons of clean water.  We preached the Word of God to hundreds of Ugandans.  In conjunction with a local nurse, we treated many hundreds of Ugandans with basic medical needs and medicines.  We passed out eyeglasses, read Bible stories to kids, colored with kids, played with kids, and visited a ranch where Ugandans are schooled as children and vocationally trained as older youth.  We have made many new friends, as the people were absolutely fantastic, putting Southern Hospitality to great shame.  They were genuinely glad that we were there and showed us so regularly. The work had both eternal value and practical value.  They were blessed by our work and we were blessed by their love and joy.  What more could you ask for in a mission trip?  Wait, I know...salvations! Despite the fact that this trip was primarily to love, serve and minister to the Ugandan church, we actually saw five salvations.  If I were "Super"-Spiritual, this trip would have been a grand slam. The problem is, I am not super-spiritual and if I said this were the case, I would only be telling part of the story...

 

On the other hand, if I were being unspiritual, I would say this was the worst mission trip I've ever been on.  The trouble began when we arrived at the airport in Entebbe only to find that not only had the airline lost four bags that contained very critical components to our mission, but also our driver was not there as planned.  In fact, he thought we were coming in the next day so we had to wait at the airport for three hours till he got there.  Then what was supposed to be a two hour drive to arrive at our first venue at dinner time turned out to be a 5 hour drive that did not arrive at our destination until 11:30 pm.  We left Birmingham at midnight Friday and did not arrive at our locale until 11:30 on Sunday (3:30pm Sunday Bham time). It was absolutely brutal! In fact travel in Uganda was never as expected.  If a trip should reasonably be expected to take an hour, the Ugandan would say plan for two, but in reality it would inevitably take three.  Our schedules for the week were completely in turmoil at every stage. We spent more time in the bus than we did ministering. In fact we missed several meals as a result. Add to that, one of our team members became deathly ill the second day of the trip...and I am not kidding when I say deathly.  We were very concerned for a while and he was completely bedridden for three days.  During the course of the week, several of our team members became sick with one ailment or another..some milder than others..so that on our last ministry day roughly one-third of our team was impacted. The conditions were difficult - dirty, hot, and third world.  There was garbage everywhere! The culture was equally difficult - there were so many expectations placed on us and we were constantly tiptoeing to make sure we did not offend them...which I am pretty sure we did on a couple of occasions.   Once we got stuck in the mud and spent over an hour pushing our van through the mud - followed by an interesting journey where the van four-wheeled through the jungle on a walking trail because that was the only way to back track the van to a real road.  One night our hotel lost power during a very nasty thunderstorm, which was especially rough on me since I haven't yet lost enough weight to have weaned myself off of my CPAP sleep apnea machine.  Plus, if I were taking a critical view of things, I cannot say with certainty that the bicycle generator kits we installed will be used as we intended for the purpose of advancing the gospel.  Because of tribal politics, several received kits who I would suspect are not directly engaged in evangelistic efforts.  If I were unspiritual then I would have to question whether this trip was a success at all.

 

Fortunately I am neither super-spiritual nor unspiritual, but rather a spiritual realist if you will.  So I would have to categorize the trip as challenging but rewarding.  It was a test of both our determination and our faith - and God proved that he is trustworthy every step along the way.  Whenever something bad happened, God showed up to make it right.  Our bags arrived just in the nick of time to be used as planned.  All sicknesses were overcome, no one died, and there really was great work done for the Kingdom of God.  The culture was challenging but the people truly were amazing.  I don't know whether the hospitality was genuine or just a response to the fact that we came bringing hope, but it certainly seemed genuine enough. While it was difficult to see how hopeless the vast majority of Ugandans appear to be, it brings us great joy to see that many villages will have clean water for the foreseeable future.  I really do believe lives were...and will be... saved and enriched because of our efforts. We have seen God be faithful, so we have faith that the bicycle generators that were funded by so many of you will be used as God wills them to be used. We have learned much in the last week, and as a spiritual realist, I hope to take what I've learned home and use it to evaluate our Designs for Hope mission and strategy, so that the next trip will be even better.

 

We are all tired, but encouraged.  We are glad to be going home, but sad to leave behind new friends who are also brothers and sisters in Christ.  This was our (that is Designs for Hope's) coming out party, and I think it was a very good one... With many more - even better ones - to come.

India anyone?

The Present Inaccessibility of Indescribable Joy

Note:  I know that this is a longer post than normal for me, but I encourage all those who may be struggling with joy this day to read this blog in its entirety – persevere to the end.

After having written a book titled Indescribable Joy, one might expect that the author of said book would have the subject firmly in his grasp.  Unfortunately, writing a book that outlines the principles of joy from the book of Philippians – God’s own primer on the subject – does not make the author immune from the things that tend to rob us of that prize.  Quite recently, I have suffered myself with being able to find the joy that I speak about in my book.  It was rough there for a few days.  I hate to admit that I have not been following my own advice, but over the last week or so joy of almost any kind – much less indescribable joy – had been somewhat inaccessible.  I am not exactly sure what that makes me, but hypocrite is probably the first word that comes to mind.  How can I write a book about joy and so completely fail in maintaining it myself?  But God has helped me through that and I thought it might be helpful to share with you how I overcame it.

There are, of course, reasons… and then there are excuses… and many times the difference between the two can become indistinguishably blurred; but I suppose that I can venture to offer some reasons/excuses for why joy has seemed to be allusive to me despite being a self-proclaimed (by virtue of having written a book on the subject) joy expert.  My reason/excuse for being joy deficient these days had to do with the overwhelming intersection of multiple life initiatives.  I live in four different worlds these days.  Normally, these worlds remain compartmentalized and, if anything, complement each other quite nicely.  In recent days, however, they are neither complementary nor have I been very successful at compartmentalization.  The result is a whirlwind of conflicting objectives, competing priorities, conjectural actions, and a growing fear of unsatisfactory results in all four realms (note: That last sentence sounds much more profound if you read it with a British accent).

First, there is my secular job.  I work at least 40 hours a week at a job that pays the bills and (hopefully) puts my kids through college.  It’s a great job that I hate, but I am grateful and thankful that I have been blessed with it.  Generally speaking, it stays out of the way of the other 3 worlds that I live in and is the means by which the other 3 ends are enabled.  Fortunately, there is nothing extraordinary about what is going on in that secular world right now, but as the other 3 worlds come into focus, one can imagine how proper compartmentalization can be difficult at the moment.

Then there is my writing.  Writing is one of my two great joys.  The other is preaching.  The beauty of writing is that I can do it just about any time.  When I catch a minute after eating lunch, I can write a few lines.  When I retire to my bed in the evening, I can write a few lines.  On rare occasion when I have more time available than normal, I may get the joy of writing a number of lines.  In the process, I have managed two books – the afore mentioned one on joy and one on the practicality of our faith, based on the book of James – Faith Beyond Belief: Understanding True Faith from the Book of James. Neither of these will ever make me rich and while I would strongly suggest to the reader that they purchase and read both of them (obviously I would recommend that – but in reality they are excellent resources on joy and faith), I have not invested the time and resources necessary to make them anything more than a hobby.  The purpose of that hobby, however, is not just personal enjoyment, but the fact that I can use my God-given passions, desires, and gifts to bless and edify the body of Christ.   I get my joy not in the writing itself, but in knowing that the writing may be used by God to bless others.   I am working on a third book as well, but with the demands of the other 3 worlds, I just do not currently have the time available to finish that particular project.  It’s just sitting there… waiting… calling out to be finished but not receiving its answer.  Oh… I also do the occasional blog, as you may have noticed.  Taken together, these generally satisfy my passion to write, but in recent days that calling which cannot be answered tends to be a bit disturbing – and less than satisfying.

The third of my four worlds is a fabulous start-up non-profit organization called Designs for Hope.  I will not endeavor to go into the details of what they organization does.  You are welcome and greatly encouraged to look into that one yourself and see how God is using the natural and supernatural gifts and talents of some of his people to help others of his people. I am privileged and honored to be part of the coming out of this organization as it begins its emergence from concept to reality.  That emergence is coming to a head next week with the organization’s first fully sponsored product distribution and mission trip to Uganda.  Again, I am privileged to be a part of that, but as one might imagine, the effort associated with planning and organizing such a trip can be overwhelming.  I am not the primary organizer, but even the pieces for which I am involved and responsible are not insubstantial.  I take those responsibilities very seriously.

Lastly, but by no means least, is my ministry in the church.  As an Associate Pastor of Youth and Children in a small, older, otherwise aging church that is striving to regain its vitality, one can imagine the difficulties that would be present under normal conditions.  Scare financial resources and even scarcer human resources make building a youth and children’s program from what was previously non-existent quite difficult.  Add to that the fact that the church itself is located in an area that, while still considered suburban by tradition, is growing more urban in its culture on a daily basis; and is itself struggling with issues such as commercial revitalization, declining income, and the like.  I have no doubt that God has called me (and my wife) to this church to make an impact in the community for Jesus Christ - to help this church in its revitalization efforts and to bring Christ back to the community.  To that end, this week is Vacation Bible School.  To those who have been involved in the preparation for VBS, I need not say more.  To those who have not been so involved, nothing I can say can adequately explain the effort involved – that is, if you take such an effort seriously.  I have seen churches who do not take VBS seriously and am personally appalled by it.  VBS is a very serious thing.  There will be children come through the church doors during VBS week who may NEVER come through the doors on any other occasion.  For those children, it may be the one and only time they hear the gospel the entire year.  To not take that seriously would be a grotesque abuse of stewardship.  VBS is probably the single most important evangelistic opportunity a church will have in the entire year.  Every night this week – when I should be in preparations to leave the country – I am graciously making a fool of myself in front of myriad of (hopefully) gleeful children… preparing the way, laying the foundation, and (again hopefully) opening the doors for that moment later this week when they will be invited to meet Jesus in a personal way.  This weighs heavy on my soul as a very important task.

As I said earlier, the four worlds normally do not intersect in such a way as to present too terrible a difficulty for each other.  However, the present rise in activity in at least two of the four has been causing quite the disturbance in the aggregate.  I cannot deny that together there is a level of furor that rises to near manic proportions – giving further rise to questions as to whether any of the four are being afforded their due effort and attention.  Then there is the obvious question as to why under God’s blue heavens am I taking the time out of such a taxed and fatigued schedule to write this particular blog.  The answer lies in the indubitable fact that such is necessary to maintain my sanity.  It is necessary in order for me to outline the reasons for my own failure to attain the level of joy that God desires and to remind myself how to reacquire it – and in so doing perhaps grant the reader some exhortation towards similar situations they might experience as well.  And so to help myself rediscover my joy, I took it upon myself to remind myself of some of the principles necessary to maintain joy.

I needed to remind myself of the principle of prayer.  In the frenzy of the last few weeks, I have found it quite difficult to keep up the normal schedule of spiritual disciplines and I confess that openly in repentance. I have realized in the last few days that while my prayer life has not been non-existent by any stretch of the means, during this time of increased stress my prayers have been more abbreviated in nature.  If joy truly requires communion with God, then during such times of distress one would anticipate an increase in prayer activity rather than an abridged one - and so I committed myself to be in more of a state of continual prayer than I had been in recent days.

I also needed to remind myself of the principle of purpose.  There is no doubt in my mind that the stresses of the present moment are all related to activities whose sole goal is the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is not just the anticipation of the gospel activities associated with VBS and the upcoming mission trip that should be bringing me joy.  Indeed, I find some shame in the fact that I have been having difficulty maintaining my joy when, during the last two weeks, God has graciously allowed me to participate in leading two young adults to a saving and life-altering knowledge of the gospel and experiencing new birth in Christ.  That alone should be enough to keep one’s joy at a fevered pitch for quite some time.  Indeed it was… for a day or so anyway… but then the difficulties and pressures crept back in all of their unavoidability.

Even the definition of joy that I proclaim became a reminder to me.  Joy is the state of being glad.  It is not just an emotion and it certainly is not always reactionary.  I am indeed glad for all of the things going on in my life and despite the stress they are creating I know that they will be used greatly by God (going back again to the principle of purpose) to advance his purposes.  That enables me to choose to be joyful about all that is happening even though my emotions at the moment may not be what we would call “happy.”  And so I took it upon myself to "choose" to be joyful - that is, to be grateful and glad that God was allowing me to serve in such capacities - although the emotion of it was still no where to be found.

Because of that that I remind myself of yet another of the principles of joy – the principle of perseverance.  I may not feel the joy, but I know that through perseverance, joy is present.  It cannot be denied that the last several weeks have been very difficult.  It likewise must be acknowledged that the upcoming weeks will also be equally difficult.  But as Paul encouraged us, so we must encourage each other.  We must forget that which is behind and press on forward for the prize to which God is calling us.  That prize or “reward” – our eternity with him – has many way-points along the way and I know that his intention for us is to experience great joy at such times.  Those way-points are themselves a reward of sorts as we see his work competed through us.  I have no doubt that will be the case in the coming weeks as these difficult days come to completion, and so I encourage myself (and you) to persevere – to remain faithful through the difficult work of the next few weeks to the next way-point of rest – to choose to be joyful even when I might not feel joyful.

This whole journey of introspection, though, has at its conclusion an unusual and unexpected twist related precisely to the type of “reward” I am hopeful for in the coming weeks. In my book, I all but promise that making a conscious choice to "be" joyful even when you don't "feel" joyful is an act of obedience to scripture that will not go unrewarded.  For me, that is precisely what happened.  I am referring to an encounter that I had with a co-worker combined with a devotional that I had written several weeks ago for the Uganda mission team.

The co-worker is a believer and is one of the few people I know who actually purchased and read Indescribable Joy.  In her own words, she said that she dreamed about the principles in the book all night and that the result was – life changing.   At first, I had mixed feelings.  I was thrilled that the book meant so much to her.  That is, after all, one of the “joys” I get from writing.  However, I also thought that it was a little bit strange – dreams… about my book?  That is so odd...and a little creepy perhaps... However, the more I thought about it the more I realized how perfectly timed her encouragement was to me in this moment of need.  Why else did I write the book if not to change lives and encourage others to experience joy in a way intended by the Savior?  I have no idea what she meant when she said that she dreamed about the contents of the book, but the fact that God used the book in her life is more than enough encouragement for me today.  Her words of encouragement came at exactly the moment I needed it most - and it changed everything for me as well.  I started to actually "feel" joyful again.

Then came the devotional (http://www.surrenderdaily.blogspot.com/2013/07/designs-for-hope-uganda-mission.html), which spoke of the "food from heaven" that often comes when we are obedient in service and ministry.  This is precisely the word I needed - to be reminded that tiredness and weariness are not always a sign of stress, but simply of work well done - furthermore to be reminded that God will grant us the strength we need to actually persevere as required.  Having read this devotional which I wrote myself several weeks ago, I could look back over the last few weeks and see how God has indeed strengthened me at exactly the times I needed Him to in order to persevere.  Indeed that is exactly what he was doing at the present moment. 

To receive a gracious gift from the Heavenly Father at my exact moment of need – isn’t that just like Him?  To be provided the gentle nudge of not only physical strength but also spiritual vitality that is needed to help us persevere yet another day on this journey - that is itself a source of indescribable joy.  Oddly enough, that was the last principle I outlined in Indescribable Joy – the principle of Contentment – the fact that joy requires faith that God will provide and meet our needs.  Indeed he will provide precisely what we need, when we need it, in order that we can persevere.   He is faithful in our weakness to make us strong.  I can honestly say that I am once again content and have that joy that just a day or so ago I THOUGHT was inaccessible.

I encourage each of you who may be struggling with joy to persevere.  If you can get and read my book, I know that it will be a great help to you.  But if not, then know that God will strengthen you as you need it.  He will not leave you or forsake you.  BE GLAD AND REJOICE that he is your strength and your rock.  Be obedient to choose to be joyful... and he will be faithful in return.

Designs for Hope Uganda Mission Devotional 12 of 12: Food from Heaven

This is our last devotional before we leave for Uganda.  I pray that God has prepared all of us for this trip.  

John 4:31-34

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (ESV)

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. (ESV)

Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (ESV)

Nehemiah 8:10

For the joy of The Lord is your strength. (ESV)

There are lots of reasons why I love the story of the woman at the well.  Perhaps not the main reason, but certainly one of the reasons is the part of the story listed above.  At the beginning of John chapter 4 we find Jesus sitting at the well..."wearied as he was from his journey."  As was often the case whenever Jesus found himself tired and weary, it was precisely at that time that a ministry opportunity presented itself.  Jesus could have ignored this woman completely.  It would have been culturally acceptable to do so.  He could have asked her for a drink and not taken the situation any further.  Instead, he took the time to engage her with the truth of God’s word.

It was at that time that Jesus found strength from above.  He called it food.  Regardless of what you call it Jesus was empowered to meet the needs of the moment despite his own obvious physical need for rest and nourishment.  This is not to say that there were not times when Jesus rightfully took care of his physical needs.  Jesus often slipped away to a remote location to rest, pray, and renew his spirit.  However, when there was ministry to be performed, God the Father, through the power of God the Holy Spirit, always enabled him to carry on to meet the need.

If you have ever been on a mission trip before, you know that they can be exhausting, but you also know that it is some of the most satisfying tiredness you can possibly experience.  You probably also found that it brought you great joy.  Jesus is not unique in his supernaturally imparted strength.  Scripture is filled with many references to the fact that God will strengthen us.  Indeed, God always gives us the grace we need to do what he expects us to do.  If we try to do it in our own strength, we will most certainly be stressed out, perhaps get depressed, and may even fail.  However, if we wait upon The Lord, depending upon him for our strength, we will just as certainly prevail.  Will we be tired?  I think if Jesus got "wearied" then we can probably expect that we will get tired as well.  However, we can rest assured in the fact that we can have the spiritual food that will sustain us until the work is complete.

In your quiet time, contemplate on what it means to wait upon The Lord - to depend wholly and completely on him for your strength and your power to accomplish what he wills on this trip.  Acknowledge that God is the source of your strength.  Thank him for that and pray that he will fill you with his joy and his strength so that you will persevere while you are in Uganda.

Father, thank you for being the source of my strength. Forgive me for the times I try to serve you in my strength instead of relying on your strength. 

Designs for Hope Uganda Mission Trip Devotional 11 of 12: Using Your Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1,4-7

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (ESV)

Recently on a Wednesday night at our church, my wife, Patty, was teaching the kids a lesson about using your gifts to serve God.  It was an extension of the previous Sunday morning children's church Bible story on Joseph, who used his gift of dream interpretations to help others and save lives.  The object of the lesson was to build a small-scale model house out of a variety of materials. Each child was given a specific task to perform.  As is sometimes the case, things did not exactly go as planned.  One of the kids was having trouble performing her task and it was frustrating the efforts of the whole team.  Furthermore, there was a problem with some of the materials - specifically the glue.  In a serendipitous moment of servant leadership, one of the other kids stepped in to help the child having difficulty and while she was doing that, the child that was having trouble figured out what was wrong with the glue and fixed it.  Every child, therefore, successfully contributed to the team effort of building the house even though their final contributions weren't exactly as originally planned.

Several years ago I went on a mission trip to the Amazon jungle basin of Peru.  I was not in the best physical shape for two reasons.  First, I was very much overweight.  However, I had also recently been very ill and - just to be honest - probably not recovered well enough to be traipsing around in the Amazon jungle.  The result was that during the very first day in the jungle I suffered a severe case of heat exhaustion.  It was clear that it would take at least two, if not three days for me to recover.  There is no way I could go back into the jungle. As you might imagine, I was extremely disappointed.  For all appearances my mission trip was prematurely ended.

 As it turns out, though, a village not too far away had a newly established church but was without a pastor.  Knowing we were near, they unexpectedly sent a team to our camp seeking help.  They knew nothing about how to "do" church and wanted someone to teach them the basics that we take for granted every Sunday morning.  Our trip leaders were, at first, struggling to figure out how we could meet their need.  At that point we realized the good that God had planned in the seemingly horrible event of my heat exhaustion.  I could not go back in the jungle, but I am gifted in teaching.  The delegation from the nearby village needed someone to teach them.  So for the next three days, I spent time with these wonderful new Christians teaching them about what it means to be a pastor or a deacon, about baptism and the Lord's Supper, and about basic discipleship.  God provided for the need through the most unexpected (and in human terms undesirable) of circumstances. I can assure you I was blessed by this opportunity more than I ever could have imagined - and probably more than I would have if I had not become ill.

Everyone has natural, God-given talents and abilities.  In addition, every believer has spiritual gifts endowed to him or her by the Holy Spirit.  Both are to be used for the common good, the building up of the church, and for the glory of God.  While we are in Uganda, there will be numerous opportunities for all of us to use our talents and spiritual gifts to accomplish all three of those objectives.  However, like the kids in the object lesson above, we might find ourselves in a situation where our tasks and our gifts are not always aligned appropriately; or circumstances we cannot foresee may change our objectives entirely.  In those moments, we can choose to be frustrated, or we can choose believe that God has already figured out how to get the house built.

In your quiet time today, pray that God will help show you ways in which you can use your talents and spiritual gifts during our trip.

Father, thank you that you have given all of us natural talents and spiritual gifts.  Fill us with your Spirit and help us to accomplish your will through the use of these gifts. 

Designs for Hope Uganda Devotional 10 of 12: The Servant's Heart

John 13:3-5, 14-15

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  (ESV)

In one of our earlier devotions, we focused on the glory and majesty of the risen savior.  However, when he was on earth, his mission was that of a lowly servant - even a slave.  Jesus himself said that he came not to be served, but to serve.  It was not until he rose from the grave that his mission changed from lowly servant to magnified King of Kings.  While he was here on earth he gave of himself completely to others, showing compassion on them and meeting their needs.  He demonstrated his servant's heart to his disciples on his last night with them by humbling himself to perform the task that was typically the responsibility of the lowliest servant in the house - washing the feet of the guests.

Jesus has promised that one day we will experience a resurrection as well.  On that day, Paul says in Romans 8 that we too will be glorified. Our bodies will be made perfect like his body and we will reign with him for eternity.  Until that time, though, our mission here on earth is essentially an extension of Jesus' mission while he was here on earth.  As Christ drew others to himself by showing kindness, compassion, and mercy on others, so he commands us to do likewise.  We are to have a servant’s heart, looking to the interests of others even more so than we look to our own interests.

Sometimes the most difficult thing in the world to do is the "dirty" job.  Sometimes we feel that we are too dignified for such responsibilities or that such menial tasks are beneath us.  Jesus calls us to repent of that kind of prideful thinking and to humble ourselves for the cause of the gospel. 

Whenever a mission team sets out on a journey like ours, one can never really know what kind of things may be expected of us.  Anything can happen.  Be willing to do whatever The Lord impresses on your heart to do in those times of need.  Humble yourself and allow your servant's heart to shine brightly.  It may very well be that in those times of selflessness you will experience your greatest - even life changing - blessings.

In your quiet time today, meditate on the ways in which Jesus - the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Second Person of the Trinity - God incarnate - humbled himself and became a servant.  Examine your own heart and your willingness to be Christ-like in your service to others.  Pray that God would help you have a servant's heart and show you when to become a leader by being a servant.

Father, I pray that you will give me a servant's heart.  I pray that we all will humble ourselves before you so that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Birthday Ponderings on Being Over the Hill

Because of the constant threat of identity theft and other such horrific social and cultural perversions, I will keep certain personally identifiable details out of this post.  Those of you who know me well enough will be able to fill in the blanks - literally speaking.  Those who don’t know me well enough do not need to be able to fill in the blanks, but will be able to get the gist of the point regardless.

In just ___ days I will be forty-______ years old.  That’s just ___ years from being 50!  Over the hill is now squarely in my rear view mirror.  In fact, over the hill has taken on a whole new meaning.  Now it means going backwards in time towards my youth.  I am quickly picking up speed down the hill now and my brakes are beginning to overheat from the constant application.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am fighting it tooth and nail.  I have my foot fully pressed on the brake pedal.  I have lost 70+ pounds in the last year and that has, hopefully, slowed down the progress tremendously; but I imagine that soon the brakes will fail and there will be nothing to stop me from hurdling full speed ahead into the valley below.

Someone once said that getting old is a mindset.  If getting old is a mindset, then recent lapses in mental capability that I have experienced must be telling me that old is a reality not as far into the future as I might expect or even hope.  I still think I am a fairly sharp guy mentally, but recently I was at a restaurant with my wife, looking at the menu, and caught myself asking her, “Honey, do I like their soup?”  It is not a good sign if you don’t even know whether you like something or not.   Likewise, it can’t be a good sign that last night I was complaining to myself when we (my wife, some friends we had over to our house, and me) had not eaten dinner yet – and it was only 6pm!  Can you say early bird special?  AAAAAAHHH...

Maybe getting old really is a mindset and I just need to adjust my thinking.  I must confess, however, that my body has been telling me something quite the opposite for the last couple of years.  There is something very physical – not just mental – about this whole aging thing.  Aches, pains, soreness, and stiffness appear to be more the norm than the exception.   I refrain as much as possible from taking pain medications, but I can’t help but think that I will one day be that guy who takes 10 or 15 pills a day – but let’s hope not.  Rather, let’s hope I can work my way off the meds I am currently on and can keep from adding new ones.  Already I have reduced my blood pressure medicines to almost nothing due to my recent weight loss and if I keep losing weight, I may hopefully come off of them altogether and perhaps my CPAP machine as well!  How’s that for not going down without a fight!

Trust me, it is a fight.  So in fighting that fight I have done a few things differently this past year.  In addition to actually taking weight loss seriously, I have also taken up a new hobby – kayaking.  That’s right - heading downriver in a miniature canoe is surely something for young people, not old people.  Of course I’m not brave enough to attempt anything over a Level 1 rapid; but hey, I’m in the boat!  It’s a start.  Exercising helps, too, and my torture of choice is a recumbent bicycle that I can ride three or four times a week (if I am disciplined enough) in front of the television.  Occasionally I even walk a few miles, and I take the stairs more often at work.   I have seen big improvements in my health and physical condition as a result of these small steps.  Senility, I defiantly shake my fist in thy face!  Ye shan’t have me before my time!

Some things, though, just can’t be avoided.  What scientific principle is in play that says when you get older you can no longer eat onions or peppers in the morning – or for that matter smoked sausage?    Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and to have an omelet (even if it is just an egg-white omelet) without onions or peppers is just plain wrong.   Apparently, I can’t avoid the vision problems either.  It started a few years ago.  Then I just had difficulty reading the excruciatingly tiny instructions written on medicine bottles (what’s the deal with that anyway – you need a microscope to read the sides of medicine bottles these days).  That progressed to having to wear reading glasses on rare occasion just to read books late at night.  Then came the day I couldn’t read the dinner menu at a restaurant because I didn’t have my reading glasses with me.  Now I have to carry them everywhere I go.  Without them, I actually know what it feels like to be illiterate.  These are the inevitable signs that no matter how hard I fight it, the future is still coming.  Yes, it’s coming.

“It’s coming.”  Don’t say it too loudly or it may hear you and overtake you.  Whisper it softly.  They are ominous words that haunt us – that remind us - of the one thing that can’t be avoided – the Valley of the Shadow of Death.   When I was young, I couldn’t see that valley.  In fact, I was certain that Christ would return for us all before it got here.  Now that I am on the back side of the hill, it is clearly visible.  It was always there and none of us are guaranteed even tomorrow, but we all have that false expectation  - a hope really - that it remain as far away as possible.  For me, it may still be on the far horizon, but I can see it now more clearly than ever.  It is within sight.  If actuaries and family history are any indicators at all, I have fewer years ahead than are behind.  That is a very sobering thought, especially since I only recently figured out what God wanted me to do with my life.  I have so much to do and not enough time (or on most days – energy) left to do it!  I have squandered the time God has given me on selfish things and want to spend the rest of my time giving it back to Him.

I look at my life and wonder how I got here.  My house is an empty nest and I can’t help but think that somehow I missed my children’s childhood.  Where I once looked forward to the day when they would be out of the house, I now look forward to the times when they come home – if only for a few hours.   I can’t deny that my wife and I are thoroughly enjoying being empty nesters, but we both look forward to the possibility of grandchildren visiting some day.  Having kids back in the house would not be a bad thing.     On the other end of the family tree, my wife misses her parents fiercely and I grow more and more concerned for mine on a daily basis.  How much longer will they be with me?  A morbid thought for sure, but one grounded in reality nonetheless.

These are the things that define the human condition.  It is who we are.  In many respects, my time has come and gone… but in so many other respects, my time has only just now begun.   Every day on earth is one day closer to the day I will be with Christ in eternity.  Every day on earth is one more day of grace given to me by the Heavenly Father to do His will.  Lord willing and the creek don’t rise I still have years and years left to enjoy the life he has given me.  On this forty-_____ birthday of mine, I can relate wholeheartedly to the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.    

In fact, there’s really another way to look at this whole over the hill thing.   Going uphill was really hard.  It was, after all, uphill.  Going downhill has to be much easier, right?  Now that I know I am on the right track and assuming I am headed in the right direction, why shouldn’t I just take my foot off the brake and pick up speed?  Sure, the Valley of the Shadow of Death can be a scary place, but I will fear no evil for I know that God is with me – and I know what lies on the other side for me and all those who claim the name of Jesus.

Well, that may be true. However, I have to admit I will probably keep fighting it as much as I can, but I will not fear it.  There is much joy, much happiness, much grace and mercy in the future. I don't want to miss even a second of it.  I can say that with confidence because I agree with the words of civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy who said “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”    He also said “Bring on your tear gas, bring on your grenades, your new supplies of Mace, your state troopers and even your national guards. But let the record show we ain't going to be turned around” – but I’m not sure that applies to this situation… well, maybe it does…metaphorically speaking, that is.

Happy Birthday, Me.

Designs for Hope Uganda Mission Devotional 9 of 12: God is with You

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”  (ESV)

Psalm 37:39-40

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (ESV)

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though hits waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah (ESV)

One of the greatest sources of encouragement that a person can have - whether it is on a mission trip or at any time - is to know that God is present with them.  How comforting it is to know that even when you are half-way around the world from everything that is familiar to you, God is there. 

Through prayer, we have direct access to the Father regardless of where we may be.  He is our Heavenly Father, so we know he will provide for us.  Because he is a father, we can boldly ask him anything.  Like a loving father, his answers to whatever we may ask will always be in our best interests - even if it is not necessarily what we desire.

Not only is God present, but God is present to help us when we need him.  He is our very present help in time of need.  God is not some disinterested deity who has no part in our earthly concerns.  He is concerned with - yes even involved in - every aspect of our lives. Indeed, there is nothing for us to fear.  We serve a God who is not only present with us, but who loves us; and "Perfect love cast out fear" (1 John 4:18).

I can remember as a child going to places I had never been before.  New places are always scary because of the unknown, but whenever my parents were with me, I knew I had nothing to fear because I placed my complete trust in them.  They would lead me where I needed to go.  They would take care of me.  They would protect me.  Our Heavenly Father will do precisely the same for us while we are in Uganda.  Place your trust in him and do not fear.  Know that he has everything under his control and that he is looking after you like a father looks after his young.

In your quiet time today, thank God for being a loving father.  Acknowledge his leadership and authority in your life as a "parent" and meditate on the significance of what that means. Then pray that he will take away any anxieties you may have about our upcoming trip.  Commit yourself to trusting him.  Consider memorizing 1 John 4:18 so that whenever fear may begin to well up inside of you, you can remind yourself of the Father's perfect love.

Father, we praise you for being a perfect father.  Lead and guide us as a father would.  Thank you for your love and for being with us through all of our experiences.