The gentle rains of this time of year have arrived in this part of the world.
Sometimes the rains come heavy and strong and sudden.
But mostly they are gentle and welcomed.
They make you feel sleepy and though they often cause traffic jams, flooding to roads, and power outages, they are still overall peaceful.
Since returning back to Addis, I still feel largely grateful to be back. I know that God sustains our lives and opens and closes doors before us and behind us...and I feel truly humbled to be back in this beautiful land with people I love and I'm ready to work and serve and give God my best here.
Having now caught up with many students, friends, neighbors, staff, and those I consider to be family, ... the reunions again have been so sweet!
And as I have listened to the gentle rains coming down the mountains and through the city, though those are peaceful, I still feel much instability and uncertainty here for what is ahead for Ethiopia. Covid remains with little access to vaccines. Cases are rising again and the delta variant is suspected for the surge. More urgent in peoples' lives is the economy with crazy high and fluctuating prices and the situation in the northern part of the country. There is growing fighting, famine, and fear.
What will the future hold? For life here? The places we work? For ministry?
It seems like in so ways many of us are still "falling" and are not sure of what things will be like when we land. There's discomfort in the unknown.
God has had me thinking about this more and more- as power goes on and off. As the rains hit my roof. As I sit in traffic and sip on the best coffee in the world....again... while listening to the gentle rains...
And for some reason, what God keeps bringing to my mind about this is tandem parachute jumping.
I'm not sure why. I've never jumped out of an airplane. Nor do I ever want to.
And how people can get a good selfie or have someone snap a good picture of them while falling is beyond me. How can you smile when falling???
I think my face would be more like this... HA HA...
If I ever had to jump out of a plane for some reason, I'd definitely choose to do it "tandem" as the people in these pictures did. That means an instructor is strapped to your back. That would mean if you fainted or froze, which would likely be me, your instructor could still pull what needed pulled and get you safely down.
God has been reminding me, that in life ... there are TONS of falls that happen. We trip ourselves. We get pushed. Yet God has been reminding me... thanks to Jesus...when we fall, we ALWAYS fall tandem. God is strapped to us... so we don't have to freak out or faint. We can get down safely and rise back up!
God's Word supports this ...
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. Though they stumble, they will never fall for the Lord holds them by the hand (Psalm 37:23-24)
Though the righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again... (Proverbs 24:16)
The Lord upholds all who fall ... (Psalm 145: 14-16)
Nations fall down and collapse, but we rise up and stand firm (Psalm 20:8)
If you're in a free-fall now for whatever reason, be encouraged! If you're in God's family through Jesus, you are "falling tandem."
God will guide your fall!!!
Maybe Covid has wrecked your business or finances. Maybe your health has had a scare and seems to be going downhill. Maybe a relationship ended or someone disappointed you. Maybe you've lost a job and nothing seems to be opening up. Maybe you're single or married and something just seems unsettled. Maybe sin has caused you to fall, or fall again, and you're plummeting down. There is fear and panic and sorrow and shame and loss.
Again, remember, if you're in God's family, you're falling "tandem." God is with you and can get you to where you need to be and can even give you an amazing ride as you fall!
What I've learned about these "free-fall" times- is they can actually become cherished because we learn to trust God and His voice the most when we are falling. While falling, He can show us Himself in new ways and show us things we have never seen before. We can actually sing our best songs of praise WHILE falling. We can actually smile and worship God best at this time!
What I've also learned is your best ministry can happen while you're falling. There's a connection to God, a deep dependence, a humility, that God can speak through your life to others. People watch you. And you can bless them, by how you fall. Your fall becomes a powerful testimony, a bright light, as God opens new ministries and new insights and takes you to new places as you fall tandem- connected to Him!
Trust your Instructor! He has grace to give you, new chapters to write in your life. A fall is not the end, it can be a beginning! Trust God - who is with you!!!!
The Lord sustains all who falls and lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14 )
I will be with you always, even to the end... (Matthew 28:20)
Those who trust in the Lord will mount up with wings like eagles..(Isaiah 40:31)
He lifted me ... and gave me a place to stand...blessed is the one who makes the Lord his trust (Psalm 40: 2-4)
May we trust Him while falling and honor Him as we do!!!
Praises-Prayer Requests
Praises again for the reunions with staff-students-friends-family here. May God bless these relationships!
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| love having Hilina, Peniel, and little Noah as my neighbors! What a Blessing and Joy! |
Prayers for peace, health, safety, and for Ethiopia overall and for the leaders of the country
Prayers for open doors for work and ministry opportunities and courage in tandem falling and in advising others who are falling
Hope University- Prayers for the semester ending, Graduation at the end of August, my work with them in the time ahead- that God will lead.
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| Architecture GC- five years done! |
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| Environmental Science GC- finishing 4 year degrees |
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| IT grad- 4 years done! |
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| some of my favorite graduates |
ETC- I've been asked to teach a class this semester- Intro to Mission - which will start after a few weeks. Pray for my preparation for this course- and that I can do my best with God's help to equip church leaders in mission. I'm humbled for the chance!
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| love teaching at ETC! |
and please pray that in the gentle rains...and tandem falls...that God will be honored by my life.
Blessings to you this fall season!
Thank you for the prayers and know I'm praying for you as well!
