The richness of an experience involves three distinct aspects: the joy of anticipating that experience; the pleasure of having the experience and then the satisfaction and inspiration of reflecting on the experience.
Early last week I returned home from a rewarding two week trip to Paraguay. Immediately upon returning, several days of work awaited me at the Prison and then a half day of work at the Naaman Center; followed by a PTL India Partners banquet and time with my good friend P.C. Alexander who is visiting from India. On Saturday evening we attended a play in Litiz performed to raise money for the crisis in Venezuela.
This was followed by a sermon on Sunday morning, a Sunday afternoon life group and a trip to Baltimore to visit family. There was more prison work on Monday and work on Tuesday preparing taxes. There was a presentation on India with Alex at the wonderful SAMUEL School in Harrisburg on Wednesday afternoon. Finally there was a Wednesday evening banquet at the Star Barn celebrating the founders of the Naaman Center. (and noting the merger of the Naaman Center with PA Adult & Teen Challenge.)
And now I am in the air again on the way from Washington DC (Dulles International Airport) to Mombassa to teach at the Ukunda Missions School and participate in the graduation of the 6th class.
Just listing all this makes me feel out of breath. It also gives me the concern that I could be missing two thirds of my life: the anticipation and the reflection.
Fortunately the 2.5 hour drive to Dulles gave me precious time to reflect and anticipate and pray with Ruth. And now the 15 hours in the air to Kenya has yielded me additional time to pray and reflect and anticipate. So God does provide.
But I find that I must struggle to make the time to truly hear all that God wants to show me in preparation for an event and all that He wants to teach me in reflections following the event.
As I listen for His voice in all this, I hear Him say, “ I did not come to make you busy; I came to fulfill my purposes in you. Rest in me and I will show you my plans to encourage you and direct you, not to over burden you. I can’t show you my plans, if you think you have to make them all happen. I share my plans so you can have the big picture and know how your part fits in to the whole. Simply focus on what I’m doing in you and through you in each moment of each day.”
And so my strength and my peace are renewed as I wait upon Him.
theexpandingshrink 