Most weekends here I try to travel to different parts of
this 300 mile wide city…described by one travel book as a city that “wrestles
between being a cosmopolitan center and an overgrown jumble of villages." It can
be madness to meander through- but fascinating.
But traveling through Addis to others parts of the city is often worth it. A change of scenery plus in exploring various outdoor cafes over the past year- I’ve found a few favorite places where I can write and reflect and work on my book under the warm African sun.
This past weekend as I headed towards the other side of the city as I often do, I immediately noticed traffic seemed to be at a standstill. Cars, taxis, buses, were just sitting there, many blowing their horns. “Jams” are common here in Addis- so you always need to be prepared to walk a little. Which I usually prefer overall anyway. I jumped out of the taxi I was in and was hoping to walk myself out of the mess. But the problem I soon discovered was the road was UNDER CONSTRUCTION most of the way to where I was going.
It was amazing how construction had cut off whole roads where usual traffic thrived. Even businesses and once bustling cafes sat empty now and some had closed entirely. As I carried my bag through the dusty roads for almost two hours to my destination on the other side of the city- I observed all the construction and its effects.
There were big pieces of equipment, odds and ends, lying around. Even workers were sleeping under trees. This construction was effecting everything.
In some places, you could tell the design of what that part of the road would become.
But in most places it mainly looked a wreck and unfinished.
Couldn’t that often be said of our lives?
I began thinking about how messy life is and really the world is overall. It has brokenness everywhere. Even the places or lives that look nice and clean- often you find have the biggest pollution of all running just beneath the surface. Quick fixes or cover-up doesn’t hide for long the sin or brokenness there.
The amazing thing to me about God is that when we chose to go our own way instead of His and sin came into the world, God could have put a big stamp of forever condemned on planet earth. Uninhabitable. Set for demolition. And that would have been that. But He chose instead to offer new life, redemption!
Isaiah 49:8
This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances…
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
And if we accept this undeserved gift- His work begins and continues in each of us…we’re under His “construction”-. He’s shaping us back into our original design and for a purpose often bigger and greater than we could ever imagine.
1 Corinthians 2:9
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him"
Galatians 4:4-6
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to "son-ship." Because you are His children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father”
Sometimes we look at each other and all we see is the mess, the disorder. We see the gaps. And wow, we’re quick to call out the speck in someone else's eye without notice the plank sticking out of our own.
Instead of seeing the potential in others, the places where God is or can work in a life to refine, restore, renew and rebuild; we stamp out the possibility of God’s power in a person’s life.
We give up on others or even ourselves. We think...we’re too messed up...the sin is too big...too strong. The sickness, the addiction, the disease is too big to cure or remedy. But we forget God’s bigness.
Psalm 147:2-3
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.
I think it’s so interesting too how God works in us and through us while we’re still "under construction." For a long time I used to and I still often struggle with making bold moves for God because I feel like I’m not “ready.” I need to get more organized or disciplined or pray more to do that God. I’m not ready. But if God says go, do, speak,…we can trust Him to back us. In our weakness, He is strong. We will never be fully complete and our construction finished until we leave here and return back to God. But He’s given us His mission to continue, His kingdom to help usher in. And even in our brokenness that is still under repair- He can use us in mighty ways to partner with Him to finish what needs done, to go where the gospel needs to go; to speak what truth needs spoken.
Romans 8:26
I had my students this past week share in class about three things they were grateful for and why. I was so touched because so many of them first gave thanks to God- for sustaining them, loving them, being with them. We also talked about various quotes on being thankful, etc.
One quote shared was:
“On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge our dependence.” – Williams Jennings Bryan.
We are DEPENDENT on God. We might not realize it or like to admit it- but we are. He sustains our life, our planet, our galaxy, our universe. We need Him. We need a Savior. We need His Word, His guidance. His Spirit with us. I’m so grateful He’s offered us the greatest gift, Himself.
For some reason, my mind also drifted to Mother Teresa when I was walking. For many people, this little lady from Macedonia exemplified a modern day life of someone who showed the love of God and the compassion of Jesus tangibly. But many were shocked when it was revealed later through her writing- that during most of her later years- she was in a dark season of the soul and almost a crisis of faith. BUT- she made herself available to God and the world was changed-marked by this humble servant. Even as she was “under construction,” God used her to rebuild, restore, and touch the brokenness in others and offer healing, compassion and the love of God.
May we remember we’re works in progress. We’re buildings under design, renovation, restoration. But we able, while still under construction, to do great things because of God's Spirit living in us.
1 Peter 2:5
May we celebrate that. And encourage God’s construction work in others as well.
When I see street kids here in Addis, over 100,000 are said to live on the streets, it’s easy to quickly guard your purse or bag. You see desperation and great need and you feel the need to run. Many stay away from these. But “these” are whom God invites to the table and who He tells us to include as well.
May we see God’s work underway in our world and in the lives of others, then pull up our sleeves and join in. And may we submit ourselves to His work in us and allow Him to use us even while we’re under construction ourselves.
No joy is greater than being in part of His work!
Onward with you!
Prayer Requests
-Please keep my good friend and former co-worker, Debelle, and his family in prayer. His wife is still struggling to recover from surgery.
-Please keep our students and staff here in prayer.
-Please keep my Dad's recovery from back surgery in pryer too, he is doing great and we give thanks!
But traveling through Addis to others parts of the city is often worth it. A change of scenery plus in exploring various outdoor cafes over the past year- I’ve found a few favorite places where I can write and reflect and work on my book under the warm African sun.
This past weekend as I headed towards the other side of the city as I often do, I immediately noticed traffic seemed to be at a standstill. Cars, taxis, buses, were just sitting there, many blowing their horns. “Jams” are common here in Addis- so you always need to be prepared to walk a little. Which I usually prefer overall anyway. I jumped out of the taxi I was in and was hoping to walk myself out of the mess. But the problem I soon discovered was the road was UNDER CONSTRUCTION most of the way to where I was going.
It was amazing how construction had cut off whole roads where usual traffic thrived. Even businesses and once bustling cafes sat empty now and some had closed entirely. As I carried my bag through the dusty roads for almost two hours to my destination on the other side of the city- I observed all the construction and its effects.
There were big pieces of equipment, odds and ends, lying around. Even workers were sleeping under trees. This construction was effecting everything.
In some places, you could tell the design of what that part of the road would become.
But in most places it mainly looked a wreck and unfinished.
Couldn’t that often be said of our lives?
I began thinking about how messy life is and really the world is overall. It has brokenness everywhere. Even the places or lives that look nice and clean- often you find have the biggest pollution of all running just beneath the surface. Quick fixes or cover-up doesn’t hide for long the sin or brokenness there.
The amazing thing to me about God is that when we chose to go our own way instead of His and sin came into the world, God could have put a big stamp of forever condemned on planet earth. Uninhabitable. Set for demolition. And that would have been that. But He chose instead to offer new life, redemption!
Romans 8:1-3
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives
life has set you free from the law of sin and death Isaiah 49:8
This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances…
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
And if we accept this undeserved gift- His work begins and continues in each of us…we’re under His “construction”-. He’s shaping us back into our original design and for a purpose often bigger and greater than we could ever imagine.
1 Corinthians 2:9
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him"
Galatians 4:4-6
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to "son-ship." Because you are His children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father”
Sometimes we look at each other and all we see is the mess, the disorder. We see the gaps. And wow, we’re quick to call out the speck in someone else's eye without notice the plank sticking out of our own.
Matthew 7:4
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
Instead of seeing the potential in others, the places where God is or can work in a life to refine, restore, renew and rebuild; we stamp out the possibility of God’s power in a person’s life.
We give up on others or even ourselves. We think...we’re too messed up...the sin is too big...too strong. The sickness, the addiction, the disease is too big to cure or remedy. But we forget God’s bigness.
Psalm 147:2-3
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.
I think it’s so interesting too how God works in us and through us while we’re still "under construction." For a long time I used to and I still often struggle with making bold moves for God because I feel like I’m not “ready.” I need to get more organized or disciplined or pray more to do that God. I’m not ready. But if God says go, do, speak,…we can trust Him to back us. In our weakness, He is strong. We will never be fully complete and our construction finished until we leave here and return back to God. But He’s given us His mission to continue, His kingdom to help usher in. And even in our brokenness that is still under repair- He can use us in mighty ways to partner with Him to finish what needs done, to go where the gospel needs to go; to speak what truth needs spoken.
Romans 8:26
the Spirit helps us in our weakness...
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong
Our lives should prepare the way, should pave the way, for
people to connect with God. Our lives should
point to our King and that we’re part of a kingdom. There is a reverence and
humility that others should pick up on.2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong
I had my students this past week share in class about three things they were grateful for and why. I was so touched because so many of them first gave thanks to God- for sustaining them, loving them, being with them. We also talked about various quotes on being thankful, etc.
One quote shared was:
“On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge our dependence.” – Williams Jennings Bryan.
We are DEPENDENT on God. We might not realize it or like to admit it- but we are. He sustains our life, our planet, our galaxy, our universe. We need Him. We need a Savior. We need His Word, His guidance. His Spirit with us. I’m so grateful He’s offered us the greatest gift, Himself.
For some reason, my mind also drifted to Mother Teresa when I was walking. For many people, this little lady from Macedonia exemplified a modern day life of someone who showed the love of God and the compassion of Jesus tangibly. But many were shocked when it was revealed later through her writing- that during most of her later years- she was in a dark season of the soul and almost a crisis of faith. BUT- she made herself available to God and the world was changed-marked by this humble servant. Even as she was “under construction,” God used her to rebuild, restore, and touch the brokenness in others and offer healing, compassion and the love of God.
May we remember we’re works in progress. We’re buildings under design, renovation, restoration. But we able, while still under construction, to do great things because of God's Spirit living in us.
1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians
4:7-8, 16
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed
on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
May we celebrate that. And encourage God’s construction work in others as well.
When I see street kids here in Addis, over 100,000 are said to live on the streets, it’s easy to quickly guard your purse or bag. You see desperation and great need and you feel the need to run. Many stay away from these. But “these” are whom God invites to the table and who He tells us to include as well.
Matthew 22:8-10
“Then
he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I
invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and
invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out
into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad
as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Matthew 25:40
‘Truly
I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me May we see God’s work underway in our world and in the lives of others, then pull up our sleeves and join in. And may we submit ourselves to His work in us and allow Him to use us even while we’re under construction ourselves.
No joy is greater than being in part of His work!
Onward with you!
Prayer Requests
-Please keep my good friend and former co-worker, Debelle, and his family in prayer. His wife is still struggling to recover from surgery.
-Please keep our students and staff here in prayer.
-Please keep my Dad's recovery from back surgery in pryer too, he is doing great and we give thanks!
-Please
continue to pray for many still seeking work, that God will open up
doors and that hearts will stay encouraged.
-Please
pray for the draft of my book, that
I will continue to have
time to write.
-Please pray
for those needing work visas, visas out of Ethiopia, etc, that God
will provide and His perfect will be done.
-Pray for me
as I try to plan my "break time" in the USA- that I can get
home for Christmas as God allows.
-Please keep
Ethiopia and its leadership in prayer, as new leadership arises- that
it may be blessed and favored by God.
Blessings to you!
Blessings to you!
Thanks Holly for reminding me of the ability to be a blessing even in our weak, under construction state!
ReplyDeleteJason Hale