I don’t really have a right to complain. That’s what I’ve
learned … living on the mission field could be a heck of a lot harder. We
actually have it pretty lucky here in Lubango, Angola—we have two good grocery stores.
A “mall”. School options. Traffic that moves, and doesn’t just stay still. It’s
fairly easy to escape the city. There’s one or two nice parks. A pool.
Restaurants. FANTASTIC weather.
So, really, compared to some of our colleagues, in more
difficult countries or locations, we should be very, very thankful.
But big surprise … it’s hard to be thankful, when you start
comparing. Am I right? I mean, we have it good, but it’s still no Canada. No
Europe. No United States. It’s still Africa.
Our house is good … but it could be better. It would be nice
to have consistent electricity. A dishwasher. Light fixtures.
Our church is good … but it could be better. It would be
nice to have a nursery. A bigger building. A shorter service. A place to fit
in.
Our life is good … but it could be better. It would be nice
to have more time. More money. More vacation. Family.
Our program is good … but it could be better. It would be nice
to have more help. Less problems. More money. Less visas.
And just like that …. we’re feeling down. It’s been a year
and a half since we left Canada. It’s far too easy to be discouraged, and, well
… hard to be encouraged.
Venting helps. Distraction helps. Sleeping helps. But they
are just band-aid solutions. What does the Bible say?
Philippians 4:11-12:
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever
situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to
abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8: “Now
there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into
the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content.”
Philippians 4:6: “Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Clearly, the answer is prayer. Quiet time. Focusing on God
and not just on our present circumstances (or our past mistakes … or our future
dreams). Looking for contentment not in material things, but heavenly things.
Easy to say, slightly harder to do. Especially when you’re a
parent. Correction: when you’re a human. A human who has her heart still kind
of stuck in Canada, what life “used to be like.”
Pray for me. Pray for us. We’re thankful and glad to be
here. But, perhaps like many young parents our age, or first term missionaries
around the world, we need daily grace to not focus on our circumstances (which …
really aren’t that bad), not to focus on what social media tells us we’re
missing out on, not to focus on what life used to be like … but to focus on
God. It’s not an accident that our hearts long for something this world can
never give us. So let’s pursue it. Let’s pursue contentment in godliness.
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