Last Sunday in Haiti
Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 2:25PM You sometimes don't realize some of the little blessings in life until you experience a change. I laid down on my bed after tucking the mosquito netting up and out of the way to rest under the fan. Moments after laying down the electricity turned off. I figured that it was off for the day, to turn on again tonight. What a pleasant surprise and cooling blessing for the electricity to turn back on and to feel the breeze of the fan, though for who knows how long.
Many of you are sitting in church as I begin to write this. It's 11h00and we've been done for an hour. We were awakened at 06h30 by the music team warming up for the service. Sunday School started at 07h15and ran into the service which ended at 10h00.
The Assistant Pastor (I recognized him as the father of the three month old baby boy I have been treating with OMT) taught about the three qualites of Noah as an example of how the head of a family should be: 1. Just 2. Irreproachable as an example for others and 3. He walked with God. Genesis 6:22 says "Noah did everything that God commanded him to do." - not just some of it. The pastor gave an example of if someone in NYC started building a huge ship down town then everyone would think that he was crazy. Noah was no different, but because he was beyond reproach his sons obeyed what he said without question and they were all saved from the flood.
(I've moved outside to sit on some bricks under my favorite mango tree behind the kitchen. There is a bit of a breeze here & much cooler than the room. The ladies are sitting on the other side of the banana trees washing all the laundry by hand in large basins. Ripe mangos are being sliced and passed around for snacks as we await lunch.)
Lot, in Genesis 19:12-14, didn't have the same reputation as Noah with his daughters and their fiancés. His children, in return, thought that he was joking when he told them that angels had told them to evacuate Sodom and they rebelled. Lot's family thus died in the destruction of Sodom.
There was a lively discussion throughout the lesson. Unfortunately I only understood some of the French and none of the Créole so I missed the majority of it. It must have been good though because the conversation was rapid, men & women both, and lots of laughing.
Church today was different. There were only a couple of songs and then a phone call was made by one of the men on the platform. Initially I thought that it was just a cultural difference in acceptance of making personal calls from the platform during the service, then I realized that he had called another pastor. This cell phone call was put on speaker phone and placed beside the mic on the pulpit ... the "Cell Phone Pastor" proceeded to preach an hour long sermon over the phone.This time it was all in Créole, but Fabiola (the one whose leg wound we have been redressing twice a day) showed me the Scriptures in Job from which he was preaching.
He focused on Job 1-2, 13:15 & 42:1-17. Everyone read Job 1:21b aloud together. I realized that I've heard this phrase repeated many times by the entire congregation at every service I've attended so far: "God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed."
Since I couldn't understand the sermon, I thought about what I was reading and what I've observed here. The faith that everything is in God's hands is very strong. We need not ask "why?" when something bad happens, but we need to ask "What do you want of me now, Lord, what do I need to next?" The "why" is not as important as the "what next?" I don't believe that there is any harm in asking why, our God is always big enough to handle any of our questions, but be prepared to receive the answer "The answer to that is not for your knowledge at this time." A lesson I continue to need to work upon.
Reader Comments (2)
I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for taking the time to post it!
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead."
James 2:14-17 (NIV)
I think of you every time I read this passage...we here at home are all praying for you and for the lives you are helping and saving in Haiti, but you actually took up arms and answered the call to action! I am completely awe-inspired by both your faith and your great works...it is an honor and a privilege to have you in my life, both as a healer and a friend! Continue to take good care of yourself and those around you in need! Much love and prayers always!