There are all kinds of "calls" in this life. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the "call of the wild". This week has been a challenging week of self-examination and discernment. Whenever I look at the photos of our time in Mozambique, I feel an incredible tug to return. Knowing if that tug is a "call" is difficult. I want to serve God wherever I am, and I am fine with staying home and serving Him right here in the most ordinary of ways. But, what do I do with this "tug" in my heart?
I was reading Isaiah today and came upon a Scripture that spoke to my desire to serve "to the ends of the earth". In Isaiah 49:6b it says, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Every time I see or hear that phrase "to the ends of the earth", my heart swells for Mozambique.
But is that "swelling" a call of God? Not necessarily~ That's where the discernment and self-examination come in. What are my motivations? Is there anything in me that is wanting to serve in Mozambique that is selfish or part of a personal agenda?
In reality, it would be much easier to stay home, to be sure. I would have to raise funds again, work on writing content, and keep a bunch of commitments I already have in place~ not to mention attending to my family. So why am I even thinking about going? It's this "tug". . . If God does call me to go, He will provide for all of it. My response for now is to simply be willing to go and willing to stay home. I want to do whatever God calls me to do, when He calls me to do it. For now, I will pray and seek His direction.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Call of the Wild
Living in the woods has its moments and last night as David and I settled down for the evening, there was a sound we had never heard before ~frenzied yipping interspersed with howls. It was loud and discordant and lasted for quite a while. Once we determined our TV had not picked up some weird signal, we turned off the television and opened our bedroom window. It was clear that a pack of coyote was close, very close. We listened.
Over the years, we've seen a lone "adolescent" male once or twice roaming the hillside. Young male wolves are excluded from the pack when they begin to vie for the attention of the females, so I imagine it's the same with coyote. We had heard an occasional howl in the summer evening as the sun set behind the ridge, but this was the first time either of us had heard anything like the chaos of the coyote gathering.
Dogs "telegraph" one another in the evenings, at least that's what we call it. One will bark, others reply. There's a sense of communication. The voice of a fox will make the hair on the back of the neck stand on end when it screams into the silence of the night. Owls hoot with a consistency that can be comforting, if you recognize the source. One can fall asleep to the lullaby of owls. Coyote, however, come across as wild and disorderly. I wanted to listen longer; I wanted to make sense of what I was hearing.
I know there is order in the chaos because it is nature and nature makes sense. It is the part of God's creation that never disobeys! Every creature in nature does what it is created to do without question as long as humans don't interfere.
Oh, but we have interfered. We have encroached on the territory of wild animals and they cannot survive our invasion. On any given day, all you have to do is drive along the highway to know that we compete for space with the creatures of the wild. We are so jaded to the frequent, bloated corpse of the deer that we hardly even notice, and we complain vehemently when we hit one because of all the damage to our vehicle! A couple of days ago, there was a news item on the nightly news about a black bear struck down along a highway near Pittsburgh~it looked large as the overhead camera scanned the area. Wonder if it was a female journeying to her "cave" to hibernate and give birth to her young.
I will never tire of living in the woods. I still experience a certain awe when I see deer~ a daily occurrence in my world. I am glad that last night when we did a "pet check" that our little dog was snug in her chair and our outdoor cat was curled up in his usual spot. Coyote like to feast on cats and maybe even little dogs....but, they are just being coyote.
I look forward to the day when the world makes absolute sense~ when the "wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion will yearling together . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11: 6-9.
Over the years, we've seen a lone "adolescent" male once or twice roaming the hillside. Young male wolves are excluded from the pack when they begin to vie for the attention of the females, so I imagine it's the same with coyote. We had heard an occasional howl in the summer evening as the sun set behind the ridge, but this was the first time either of us had heard anything like the chaos of the coyote gathering.
Dogs "telegraph" one another in the evenings, at least that's what we call it. One will bark, others reply. There's a sense of communication. The voice of a fox will make the hair on the back of the neck stand on end when it screams into the silence of the night. Owls hoot with a consistency that can be comforting, if you recognize the source. One can fall asleep to the lullaby of owls. Coyote, however, come across as wild and disorderly. I wanted to listen longer; I wanted to make sense of what I was hearing.
I know there is order in the chaos because it is nature and nature makes sense. It is the part of God's creation that never disobeys! Every creature in nature does what it is created to do without question as long as humans don't interfere.
Oh, but we have interfered. We have encroached on the territory of wild animals and they cannot survive our invasion. On any given day, all you have to do is drive along the highway to know that we compete for space with the creatures of the wild. We are so jaded to the frequent, bloated corpse of the deer that we hardly even notice, and we complain vehemently when we hit one because of all the damage to our vehicle! A couple of days ago, there was a news item on the nightly news about a black bear struck down along a highway near Pittsburgh~it looked large as the overhead camera scanned the area. Wonder if it was a female journeying to her "cave" to hibernate and give birth to her young.
I will never tire of living in the woods. I still experience a certain awe when I see deer~ a daily occurrence in my world. I am glad that last night when we did a "pet check" that our little dog was snug in her chair and our outdoor cat was curled up in his usual spot. Coyote like to feast on cats and maybe even little dogs....but, they are just being coyote.
I look forward to the day when the world makes absolute sense~ when the "wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion will yearling together . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11: 6-9.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Living Water
Water in Mozambique is a precious commodity.
Recently, they have had a serious drought and people are dying of thirst! Crops are turning to dust. It rained last week for a bit and the people rejoiced! Continue to pray for enough rain.
While we were there this July, Titus showed us the pump that needs repaired or replaced in order for him and his men to continue to drill wells. Our Clean Water Team from Crossroads UMC is preparing to go in April to facilitate some wells being drilled and hopefully equipping the Mozambicans to continue to be able to drill wells on their own. Like anything else in the world, it will take money, planning, and technical abilities to accomplish this.
But we are seeking to provide so much more than manpower and economic power for the provision of water there. We are seeking to provide the people of Moza
mbique with water that will quench their thirst forever ~ the Living Water. How wonderful it is that we do not have to have a pump; we do not have to drill a well; we do not have to wait for rain to drink this Living Water. So as we provide materially for the people of Mozambique, let's not forget for a moment that our mission is provide spiritually for them as well. Let's pray that as the wells of the land gush forth with water for their bodies, that the Living Water will flow abundantly into their spirits. Amen.
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