Potholes and Cow-Poops

We were walking home from a goodbye party for a sweet British family. Jason balanced the leftover lasagna pan while Judah raced around potholes at lightening speed. I was holding Ezra’s hand, avoiding “cow poops,” and Emily gripped a very squirmy, upset, but quite precious, Zoe. For some reason that night Zoe shied away from her usual giggles and two-toothed smiling by crying and screaming at the top of her lungs. She wasn’t happy being held and she wanted “down,” but her limited one-year-old encephalon didn’t process that “down” meant a pot-holey, cow-poopy, and dark terrain. Emily, being the caring mother that she is, wrestled with this little ball of unhappy energy while trying to explain the reality of the situation. But no matter how logical the explanation, Zoe had a limited view of reality and still wanted her way.

If we change the characters of this story by substituting the nurturing mother, Emily, into God, and the grumpy, agitated Zoe to Asia we find an applicable lesson.  Sometimes I am the squirmy and stubborn baby because I find myself questioning God’s hold on my life. I want down now! I want to be overseas now! Give me a mission’s team now! I want to do what I want NOW!  Overtime, I have been forced through experience to accept that the Big Man Upstairs actually always knows what is best for me. Through rocky relationships and identity reconfigurations God has always stayed true to the song He’s God the Whole World in His Hands. So, as I find myself in an unfamiliar country surrounded by new people speaking a vowel-happy language, I cling to the steadfast fact that God is in control and that, my bloggy followers, is the most comforting truth this world has to offer.

Eden Norris was my partner to Mwanza for about two months prior to the departure date. Out of all the people who love people, I found it amusing that Asia Todd would be a solo-intern. Funds for $5,000 miraculously pulled together within a 100 day span of time. Family time in Thailand wobbled back and forth. The R.A. status determined where and when flights landed. There were many potential potholes and cow-poops throughout the preparation for this summer. Yet, the internship in Mwanza, Tanzania is ready and set to go for whatever God has next. He is good and I do not doubt that. Ever. So, whether we are disciplining a cranky baby, sending a precious one to college, working a summer job we can’t stand, or screaming “DOWN NOW” in other realms of life, I hope that Zoe can teach us to trust God with our discomfort.  Sermon over. Initiate Tanzania recap tomorrow. Thanks for reading.