Proud and Humbled

Being the night owl that I am, it is forever a challenge for me to get up for work in the morning. Not because I don't want to go to work, but because I can't make myself go to bed at a decent time and I'm tired. This morning was no exception...I was running rather behind. I have made a habit of checking my email before walking out the door. Today, I had one from a dear friend of mine in Senegal who works at Dakar Academy (the school I taught at for two years). However, I did not have time to do anything but skim it. My friend mentioned reading his blog for a spiritual boost...and I didn't have time before I left for work.

The beauty of having a temporary mind-numbing job like mine is that it gives one much time during the day to ponder on a variety of issues. Today I kept thinking about how badly I wanted to get home and read his blog...because I knew it was something about my dear Senegal.

A few minutes ago, I got the chance to read it...and I was humbled and proud at the same time. Proud because DA kids are constantly amazing me and humble because they are amazing.

Before I post a letter written by the assistant-director (who steps in as a relief dorm-parent one night a week with a boys dorm)...I have to ask you to keep Senegal in your prayers. Last week, my best friend, Cori, wrote me and told me that she feels God is really stirring things up in Senegal and is about to do something big.

For those of you who don't know...this is the season of Ramadan for our Muslim cousins. It is a particularly strategic time to pray for Senegal and other Muslim countries. If you are not sure how...read THIS. (A basic guide of how to pray during this month.)

But now for what blew me away...here is the letter written by Dan, the assistant-director of the school...

On a normal Monday evening, I take the boys on the roof for attayah and a devotion. Last night was no different, except that one of the boys asked if we could have an extended prayer time on the roof after the devotion. . . . As we ended our time on the roof, the rains began to come down, and WOW, did it pour, and then the power went out.

Shortly thereafter, the boys came to me and asked permission to all sleep in the living room. They cited two reasons. (1) With the power being out, it was cooler and (2) they wanted to continue their time in prayer.

By 9:00 P.M., every boy was in the living room and it was pitch black. They began to pray. They prayed for each other, for DA, for their parents, for their parents’ ministries, for the administration, for their dorm parents, for the Senegalese people, for God to crush Satan’s power in Senegal. They prayed and prayed and prayed.

Then they began to pray one-on-one with each other; each boy going to all of his dorm mates. Several of them even prayed with and for me. I was absolutely blown away. At around 10:00 P.M., the power suddenly came back on. Several of the boys got up and turned off all the lights while the others continued to pray. . . .

They prayed for the Holy Spirit to empower them to share the Gospel and to give them the courage to love each other and everyone they came in contact with. They prayed for strength, they prayed for God’s armor, they prayed for the Holy Spirit to take control of their lives. . . . They prayed for over two hours!

. . . Your children are . . . a bright light in our lives. . . . They are a testament to your loving affection and guidance. They are a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit. . . . They are a testament to what young boys can do for a world in need of God’s love. . . .

May God bless your day as your boys have blessed my night!

In His Service,

Dan

His Reasons

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently before Him..."
Psalm 37:7

A very beloved friend sent me this verse today.
It was a good reminder for me.
I sense myself becoming restless.
Ready to get moving on with my life.
Rather than treading water here.

Yet, here I remain.
No door has opened yet.

Like a toddler sick of sitting on the lap of her Father.
I am starting to squirm.
Ready to get down and walk.
Exploring as I go.
Finding new adventures.

But He's holding me here.
And I have to believe that He has His reasons.

Somewhere in the Middle

I've been listening to a song lately.
And it has captured my heart.
It has challenged me.

I want to live on the other side.
Beyond the status quo.
Not somewhere in the middle.
Simply because....He's worth it.

Fearless warriors in a picket fence
Reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end
And we are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences
The God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
Or are we caught in the middle
-Casting Crowns

Confession #387

Confession:

Sometimes I watch shows (Alias, 24, or Lost) on my computer rather than on the TV...
Simply because it makes me feel like I'm back in Senegal...
Just for those 45 minutes...
And sometimes I'll drink kool-aid while I watch...
Because that's what we always used to do...

It's the little things I remember...
And the little things I miss. :)

Word of the Day

Goals.

Mom and I had a chat over lunch today about goals. As expected, her definition and mine are very different. Regardless, tonight I sat down and made a list of "goals" for tomorrow. Most would call it a to-do list...but in my world, these are my very short term goals.

I'm a big picture person, so I struggle with the details of my goals...but I definitely have them. I was informed today that I need to write them down. Since I am also a procrastinator, I will simply say that I will get around to it eventually and maybe even share them for the world to see. But until then, I thought I would share this little quote I found while reading through some old stuff from a friend tonight - goals are important so we have a direction...even if it changes along the way:

"Alice in Wonderland came to a fork in the road. Icy panic stung her as she stood frozen by indecision. She lifted her eyes toward heaven, looking for guidance. Her eyes did not find God, only the Cheshire Cat leering at her from its perch in the tree above.
"Which way should I go? blurted Alice.
"That depends..." said the cat fixing a sardonic smile on the girl.
"On what?" Alice managed to reply.
"On your destination. Where are you going?" queried the Cheshire fiend.
"I don't know..." stammered Alice.
"Then," said the cat, with its grin spreading wider, "it doesn't matter...""