When the wheels fall off in life... we often times want to complain.
We want to believe that we deserve better than this said inconvenience.
Our minds want to start piling up the unplanned costs or the lost time.
But what if the timing of the wheels falling off actually SAVED us from something worse?
This week, my wheel literally fell off of my car. Well, it really broke off.
When I saw what had happened to the car... I became OVERWHELMED...
with thankfulness. (and laughter)
You see, I drive my kids 45 minutes one way down the most dangerous road in Zambia to school everyday. It's full of trucks loading things to and from the Congo. The condition of the roads are horrific, and we see accidents almost every day. Not fender benders... but take your life accidents. Speed and passing also become so dangerous.
Each night as we pray, we thank God for a safe journey to and from school, and ask that He provide us with the same the next day.
So... it just so happened the wheel on my car broke off on the road that Lifesong School is on. Going slow. Close to help. Safe.
If it had broken off 12 hours earlier... going 100KM/hr... on a road packed with trucks... it very easily would have flipped and possibly ended in an unthinkable way.
Thankfulness.
Provision in the broken wheel.
His protection and love shined bright on our family in that moment of "I'm sorry, did my wheel just fall off?"
I'm thankful that my eyes were opened to the provision that day. And let's admit... considering the day before I made a joke that "the wheels are about to fall off" ... I found the situation quite humorous.
Grumpiness and Gratefulness can't live together in the same heart simultaneously.
You get to choose.
Choose what you see.
Sometimes what seems to be a huge disaster is actually His protection from something unknown to you at that time...
How quickly the accuser starts... He's always had a keen interest in our type from the beginning. He starts in the smallest of ways, at such a young age.
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" she asks from behind her bowl of mixed cookie dough. Heart sinks. How early the doubts begin. The first signs of those awful feelings I can so easily remember...
Where did this come from? We live in a world free from the western ideas of "beautiful"...
But its something deep inside her all of us that longs to be seen as beautiful and yet, a blockage- a lie- doubt is somehow planted into the soil of her soul.
The accuser... the planter of lies.
As we get the fresh cookies out of the oven, I offer a compliment to the chef... "Great job!" The compliment is met with resistance... "you did most of it" or "they're not that great." The inability to accept a compliment... or the quick deflection and minimization is offered. Oh how guilty are we to not accept a simple compliment with "thank you." Because it surely conflicts with that lie planted deep into us that says "You're really not that good... not that special."
The accuser... the planter of doubts.
And me- the caretaker of this beautiful garden growing in front of me. I begin to pick out the weeds that lies have sown. Weeds that I recognize all too well.
I tell her of her great value... her great beauty simply because of who she is... which has nothing to do with skin color, the wave of hair, waist size, brain capacity, performance, or bank account.
Deceiving is the only way to contain the great influence built inside of you...
because to hold such beauty...
such love...
such compassion...
and grace...
fearlessness...
brilliance and hope...
love for the one who made you...
it is a most perfect package for being the change...for doing great things...
Do not be deceived my sweet girl... Hold onto truth... Know that you are enough... God's grace is enough... your life, your hair, your eyes, your laugh... it's all enough.
Maybe it's the frustration of it taking HOURS to load a photo...
the daily 8 hour power outages...
or just plain laziness... (ok, it's probably this one)
Despite the INACTIVITY of my blog... the life is full of ACTIVITY...
Here's my weak attempt at catching up...
Our 3 days of Christmas before the malaria struck... ahhh...
Soccer tournaments that landed my 2 bigs in the Nationals!
Following the Soccer bus early... Enjoying the African Sunrise...
Celebrating with Friends after Z's first U13 Soccer game...
Opening our Student Life Program... 48 kids from G8-10 in boarding facilities...
Ukubyala without any power... Be the Light...
Art of Marriage at Nsobe... Good & Wild times with all our staff at Lifesong...
Awesome time with Phil & Starla... our marriage coaches!
The Purchase of this property in which my heart has desired for 4 years! It's the new home to Girls Student Life! Ah-May-Zing! Tsangalala... Let's Rejoice!
My Friday and Saturday Nights by the fire pit... debating constellations and listening to NJ the DJ...
My G8s studying before exams in my Guidance and Counseling Class... because I'm nice the week of exams... only. ;)
The next generation of Lifesong Football... Z's best friends...
And all this activity... occasionally I steal away to my room for some juice and Jesus...
Mwaiseni... Welcome to our school... Here's a little peek for those who've never been here (which you are always welcome... )
Porridge for Breakfast... HOT... because it's winter here!
Ukubyala... Impromtu Praise and Worship with friends near and far...
KG and Benson planning their "song"... which was indeed the CUTEST THING EVER... would love to upload the video but i'm kinda pushing it with all these photos... ha. They sang together "Jesus Never Fails"... just the 2 of them... still.my.heart.
Us gals waiting on the frittas to finish so we can eat something yummy! Outdoor kitchen goodness...
This boy... ahhh... how he has grown into such an amazing young man... Serious about school... serious about life...
These, on the other hand, are still enjoying boyhood... to the fullest... Pray for these boys... their smiles cover a multitude of pains...
Me and Skip Bo...
The Crew... Yes, they are out of control and one can't possibly get a decent photo...
Which requires more of this...
And these guys... my life... my heart...
How can one love someone so much anyway?
And that's a wrap...
So... that means I'm all caught up, right? You didn't miss a thing! We opened boarding, had an awesome soccer season, fun family time, teams, growth... and so much more! I'd love to promise that I'm back to blog land... but I might be lying. One thing is for sure... life is full and active even if the blog isn't. My journal is... and maybe one day I'll be brave enough to start writing again... love from Zambia...
