You Are The God Who Protects Us

I thank you Father for protecting Bev's life and the lives of our staff today.

Bev could have died when that gunshot shattered her window but You made the bullet divert through the roof of the car.

Steven or Davis or Rogers or Joseph could have been shot and killed when they chased the robbers but You made them miss and none of us got shot.

Thank you Lord for putting such a bond of love between us that my brothers would chase down two armed robbers in a dense banana plantation and capturing one because they had tried to harm Bev.

God you are so good to us that we cannot say thank you enough.

Lord thank you for giving me more time with my wife.

You indeed are the God who saves. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Building a Souler Heater

I've been sick for a week now, maybe malaria, maybe something else but it is annoying me! I've got a project to build. A solar water heater.

With a design finally in place and a plan duct taped together, I am ready to go. But if I had tried to build it this past week I would have botched it. Fortunately as the illness delayed my start I began to see some design flaws. Places where I had cut corners or didn't consider what the design would lead to. So back to the drawing board.

As an avid Do-it-yourselfer I enjoy my time planning projects but invariably when I think I know better than the experts I doom the project to either failure or very limited success. So this period of reconsidering and redrawing plans is beneficial but frustrating. I want to get the heater right the first time but I don't always want to take the proper steps.

My desk is covered with ideas about things I want to build but don't take the time to get all the information I need. (I was going to include a picture of my desk but adding a picture to my blog is too technical for me.) I tend to get excited about a project for awhile then as it proves more difficult than I imagined, I lose my enthusiasm and many times the project dies in a heap of paper on my desk.

But then I realized today that this is the story of my life. Not my physical life but my spiritual life. I read in God's word about what I can be and what God wants me to be and I get excited. I jump with both feet into a new commitment to improve a weak spiritual area in my life. Only to realize that it was not a simple as I thought.

I start to cut corners and neglect to heed all of God's word. I look for the quick easy solution rather than going by the expert design and plans of my Creator. I start to think I can improve on the design of my life by doing-it-myself. But it doesn't get better only worse. But if I slow down and go back to His design I learn how to build my life, when to change my life, where to live my life and why God has given me this life.

And as I am learning to slow down I am learning to meditate more on what Jesus is doing in my life. I look to and for Him more. Then I start to feel the warmth of His love for me. That is the souler heater I really need!

Don't Look At The First Man

"Don't look at the first man but look at the one behind him." God had me speak these words to a young man in South Africa as he was preparing to plant a church. A group of us were praying for him and God put those words on my lips for him.

I was reminded of this Tuesday as we were looking to interview for a new Laboratory assistant at the clinic in Ogongora. I had tried without success to reach our # 1 candidate from the previous year but his phone was never available. On the 6 hour drive to the clinic I kept trying his number only to get the recording that his phone was not available. One time it did ring but nobody answered so I prayed again for the Lord to put us in contact.

Two and one half hours later when I arrive at the clinic my phone rings and it is the Lab Asst. I explain why I had called him and he agreed to come from Kumi to interview. Pastor Okello Stephen and I rejoice at God's answering our prayer. It was perfect! Or so it seemed at the time.

Three hours later, when our prospective Assistant arrived he immediately informed us that he wanted three times what we could afford to pay him. And He also was just put on the shortlist for a better job in Soroti. He then declined to discuss anymore details and wanted to leave. Since I had agreed to pay his transport I reluctantly reached for my wallet.

As I went to ask the boda, the motorcycle driver, how much he was going to charge us I noticed he was a middle aged man not like the young daredevils who typically drive bodas. He told me the price but then asked if he could have a minute of my time. "Sure, what can I do for you?"

"Well my son is a lab asst. and I overheard that you are looking for one. Would you mind if I went and got him?"

"Yes, by all means!"

Thirty minutes later we were interviewing Ronald and he was promising. Are you born again? Yes. I asked how old he was- 23- good we wanted a young man. I asked if he was married but it wasn't likely at that age. He said he was married. Hey this guy is getting better all the time! But no children? Yes, my first born was born this morning! Wow! He wants a job close to home so much so that he leaves his wife in the hospital to interview with us. Next question, "How much would you want to get paid?" He gives a number and BINGO right on the dot to our budget.

I am so excited I can hardly keep from hugging this guy! A final question pops into my head. "Is there any other medical work you can do?" He is trained to dispense drugs! The other staff person we needed to hire was someone who could dispense drugs.

That is when I remember the words Jesus had put on my heart. "Don't look at the first man but look at the one behind him." The Lord made me realize that he was in control, not me. All my plans fail but His don't. And I could take no credit it was all the Lord's doing.

I am also reminded that the first man Adam failed. But the second Adam, Jesus Christ has never failed! Look past man and see the One that God has sent for us. He is perfect for our lives no matter how many questions you ask!