Kenya

A few months ago I had the chance to go to the other side of the world: Mombasa, Kenya. We went there to partner with our friends Josh and Maggie at Lighthouse for Christ- our task was to help build a "church" near Kilifi. The church we were tasked with building was essentially a concrete slab with a tin roof and walls made out of more tin and chicken wire. Our missionary friend, Josh, told me that this structure we were going to build is "beyond their wildest imagination"- they being the church members. As you can see from the picture, many of the nearby homes were essentially mud and straw, so concrete and tin were sortof a luxury.

Each day as we worked, we had a contingent of locals who came to help. One of these fellows was named Ali, and we soon learned that Ali was actually a Muslim. Nonetheless, he was happy to work on a Christian church to make money. When I asked how much he would make for his effort, I was told probably 200 shillings. That's 3 bucks for a hard day's labor. Here is a picture of the workers- you can see Ali on the far left in the attached photo.

I was saddened by the number of kids who were at the worksite each day. I found out they weren't in school because they were either too young or their parents couldn't afford to send them. You'll see a picture attached where the kids are gathered around me. It actually looks like I am giving them a profound word or teaching them some cool phrase in English, but that's not true. In fact, all I was doing was staring at them. They stared back. It was as if I was an alien from an other world who had been transplanted to their land. Most of the kids were in tattered clothes that I would only put on my kids if it were the last thing they had. They were barefoot in most cases, and didn't seem to mind. I was absolutely mesmerized by these kids-so much so that I literally couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say to them. They had a certain sparkle in their eyes, yet at the same time, a look of desperation. It was as if they looked at me wondering if I was their Messiah, the one who would rescue them from their simple lives of poverty. I felt so helpless, knowing there was very little I could do to help them or improve their lives for the sake of Christ. I looked at them and thought of my children- I thought of the food we waste, the clean water we take for granted, and the clean clothes we have to put on. Realizing the state of things in rural Kenya made me sick at the thought of our selfish society that takes a "me first" attitude to everything. We spend so much time acquiring and consuming and storing and building while others are starving. What an eye opener.

The majority of Kenya is Muslim. I attached a picture of one of many mosques that I saw as we traveled the countryside. There are Christian churches there as well, but they are a minority. The most striking aspect of a Muslim world is the call to prayer that is heard all over the city at various times of the day. Check out the attached video.

The end of the story is about Sam. Sam is a pastor of one of the local churches, but he also is an excellent carpenter and handyman. He spoke good English, but I think preferred to speak in Swahili! Sam has a heart of gold- I was encouraged to hear him say his favorite book of the Bible is Joshua. He grinned ear-to-ear as he spoke about his admiration for the integrity and character of Joshua. I was comforted by the words of Sam, who you can see in the middle of the above picture. Before we left, he told me, "They will never forget you. Those kids will never forget you. And because the church is here now, and you helped build it, they will come to it." Wow. Maybe there was something that I had to offer those kids. Or at least I could help set up a place where one could come after me who could offer the message of the gospel to them. That would be the greatest gift I could give them. And that makes it all worth it.

I love you because

Brantley and I were snuggling in bed the other night and he said, "Dad, I love you."

I started to reply with my usual, but for some reason was prompted to ask him why he loved his Dad.

"Because you love Mommy," was his reply.

Needless to say I was touched almost to the point of tears. Then came the realization that his understanding of love in large part comes from what he sees. If he sees me speaking rudely or belittling Kate, then that to him is incorporated into his standard of what love is. If I yell and holler and act like the world revolves around me, then he sees that too. If I come home in a bad mood and do not acknowledge the boys or my bride, he might think "that's just the way Dads are."

What an awesome responsibility we have as parents! God has given us the chance to mold and shape the way our little ones understand and perceive the way relationships work. I have been charged with showing love to my wife and my kids, which ultimately shows them who God is, for God is love.

God, please grant me the grace to live in a way that is honorable and right so that the little eyes that see me might be impressed with the image of Christ in their minds. May I do justice to Your Name and be humbled by this awesome responsibility you've given me. Teach me to call upon You for help in this, for I am certainly doomed to failure if left to work it out myself.

Always know where the cut off valve is

So it just rained cats-and-dogs, and my bride comes in from her early-morning workout routine and announces that I should turn off the sprinklers since the ground was already rather moist. I trapse out to the garage and turn the dial to "Off", assuming that the sprinkler heads would go back to their home in the ground. An hour later, after I am fully showered, shaven, and dressed to go to work, I find out that the sprinklers did not, in fact, return home, and I needed to do something about it. Now I'm all about conserving natural resources, but at that moment I was more in the "let's try to keep our yard from looking like the Atlantic ocean" frame of mind. Anyway, I took my starched slacks off, threw some old clothes back on and started walking toward the sprinkler box. When I get there, the box is completely filled with water and I can't seem to locate the valve that shuts the whole thing down...back to the house. By this time it is past 8 AM, so Kate calls the "sprinkler man" to ask for a stat appointment. She quickly hands the phone over to me and I realize that there are no stat appointments available. BUT- as a courtesy- the receptionist is willing to give me instructions on how to turn my water off. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the whole situation, I indulge her and listen as she describes the location of the valve that I need to shut off to make the sprinkler heads, the water, and the whole kit-and-kaboodle go away. Turns out I was looking in the wrong box. **Oops**

Anyway, I make my way back out to the GREEN box located by the street. Squatting down to reach through about 8-12 inches of water for the valve, I realize it is not a valve you can just give a little turn with the hand. I need a wrench. By that time, God had unleashed the fury of heaven and the rain which started as a sprinkle was now at a full downpour. I obtain the needed wrench and despite my best efforts, cannot get it shut off. Need to bail water out of the box so I can see what is going on.

So I found a stray milk jug that was not being used, cut the top off, and used it as a pitcher to bail water out of the sprinkler box. After I got enough out to see what I was doing, I figured I'd give it the old college try once again. No luck.

I turn my attention back to the black box which contains the main water valve to the house. "If I shut this off," I thought to myself, "I turn off all clean water that runs to my house." I had to savor the moment- it was a Tim the Toolman kind of moment when I realized that I had the power of the whole household at my fingertips! Kinda wondered if God ever felt this way...

Thoroughly drenched by this point and feeling a little desperate, I turned off the main valve. "That did it!" I thought.

I gathered my belongings and headed to the garage. Not wanting to bring the Gulf of Mexico into the house, I started to take off my wet clothes and realized I was going to need another shower.

Then I put two-and-two together and realized no water = no shower.

Back to the street I go with my wrench. I manage to get the water turned back on, and luckily the sprinkler was now off and unplugged.

So, my friends, a word to the wise (and a lesson learned): Know where the cut off valve is BEFORE you have an urgent (or emergent) situation

Why I love my wife

My bride of almost 9 years amazes me. She is patient and kind and so loving. Here's at least a partial list of why I married her- just in case you're wondering...

1. Kate is so normal. She just is. If you know her you understand what I mean.

2. Kate is a loving mother to our boys. I never would have anticipated that, but she is amazing with those guys. I even think she's surprised by herself sometimes.

3. She is determined. What I mean by that is that she insists on doing certain things her way. She won't buy the kids' b-day cakes because she can make her own! She won't pay someone to clean her house - she figures she can do it herself. 

4. Kate is very practical. She has encouraged me many times to make good decisions because what I wanted to do just wasn't practical.

5. She makes me less "rough-around-the-edges".

6. She is compassionate toward the downtrodden.

7. She lives out her faith on a daily basis.

8. She washes my clothes and makes me supper. (I'd love her even if she didn't do these things, but what a bonus!)

9. She is so smart. 

10. She tries hard to make our home a place of refuge.

11. Kate loves Jesus and is committed to following Him.

12. Kate tries really hard to take care of her body.

13. Kate always fights fair- even when I have really offended her. She always forgives and doesn't hold grudges.

14. She is supportive of me. If I told her I felt like we should move to the moon she'd probably go along with it!

15. She is a source of accountability for me.

16. Kate likes to do alot of the same things as me- especially go to the lake!

17. Kate often thinks about others before herself.

18. She is very much committed to her family.

19. Kate is lots of fun to talk to. She's a good conversationalist and a good friend.

20. Kate has my best interests in mind. She won't let me- or anyone else- make a decision that would be in opposition to what is best.

I could go on all night, but the point is clear. Sorry to all you other guys- I've got the best wife around!!

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Thorn in my Flesh

After several years of feeling tired all the time I have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Basically this is a disorder that causes you to stop breathing when you're asleep. Every time this happens your brain "wakes you up" to tell you to breathe. You don't actually realize you're waking up, but you are. It basically prevents you from getting a good night's sleep.
The treatment for this disorder is called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Basically I get to lie in bed wearing a mask similar to the one here
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and air blows in my nose and mouth all night. Fun! The idea is that the air prevents the airway from closing off and allows me to continue breathing throughout the night.
As you might imagine, it is rather miserable. What is even worse is that my sweet wife, being that she is also my bed partner, has to endure the sound of the machine and me breathing into a mask and hose all night. If you are having trouble imagining what this might be like, go watch Star Wars. Remember Darth Vader?

Anyway, I was pondering my struggle and a few things hit me.

1) Paul said, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." I have no real idea what it means to suffer. I live in a wealthy nation and practically have everything I could ever ask for. I am not persecuted for my faith. I have a loving family. God has provided for me in numerous, uncountable ways. We should all take a minute to be thankful for the things we DO have rather than worry about the stuff we want. Really puts it into perspective I think.
2) Paul begged the Lord three times that his "thorn in the flesh" might leave him. God responded to him by saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Oh that I might understand the depths of God's grace!
3) James commands us to "Consider it all joy...when [we] encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces endurance." Could it be that God is testing my faith through this thing? Could it be that I am lacking in endurance? Most certainly it could, but why do I need endurance, God? What is next in my life that I am going to need endurance for?

I think I have to come back to the fact that I know God is a good and loving God. He responds to me as a Father responds to His children. I might not understand everything that happens on this earth, but I know God has a plan for me. I trust Him as a wise God who has "thoughts that are not as my thoughts".

Reflections on Easter

First of all, here's a pretty great pic of me and the boys, snapped by my lovely wife!

I've been ruminating for quite some time now on the things of life, specifically the purpose of life. 

Start with a quote by Oswald Chambers-

"The cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it...The cross is the centre of Time and of Eternity, the answer to the enigmas of both."

A wise man explained to me recently that many people on this earth do not live to the fullest and/or do not have joy because they are not living in line with their purpose. Furthermore, many people do not even realize they have a purpose for being here. They wander through life, looking for meaning in relationships and possessions. Each relationship they enter into leaves them longing for something more. Each purchase digs a hole in the soul that feels empty and cold. Life is a series of events that randomly occur in no particular order or format.

On the other hand, Jesus models for us a life of fullness. He clearly lived with intentionality and purpose. He was keenly aware that He was on earth because He had a job to do and He held unswervingly to that fact. So how can I live with that same calling, that same "fire in the belly" that drove Jesus to do the things He did? Scripture indicates God has a plan for all of our lives. So that means we must NOT be here by accident. All of us, no matter how screwed up we feel and no matter what circumstances we have gotten ourselves into, are here for a reason. So how do we get in touch with that purpose or perhaps more appropriately I could call it "life vision"?

I propose that the first thing which needs to occur is that our eyes must be opened to the light of God's Word. I suggest that the Great Commandment is a good starting place for the Christian who is looking to understand his life vision-

"You shall love the LORD you God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength."

When we begin to embrace a fundamental truth such as this one, we see all other events in life through the lens of this principle.

As we commit ourselves to Him more and more over time I believe He changes us. Pretty soon my desires are no longer what they used to be- a faster car, a bigger house, a nicer watch, etc. etc. And as this transformation occurs- let's call it "progressive sanctification"- I become more and more aware of the fact that He is all I need.