A Difficult Season

There are times and seasons in life as we learn in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."  The last three months have been a difficult and dry season for me personally.

While the ministry has been having a fruitful season I have struggled. On the July 31st Bev was shot at during an attempted armed robbery. God spared her life and only some bullet and glass fragments entered her eye. These are microscopic shards and the fear is that they will move and cause damage. She flew home to America and the doctors could only shake their heads in wonder and amazement that she has no real loss of eyesight. We praise our Lord, Jesus, who restores sight to the blind but also protects the sight of those who can see. Jesus is with us in all trials protecting us, guiding us and giving us strength to endure all situations.

Not having Beverly here for 3 weeks was difficult. We have become such a team the last few years. She is always there to help and assist me that I can sometimes take her for granted. But she is now back and we are facing new challenges all the time.

I am losing the ability converse with people. Things of daily interest just don't come to mind now. Where I have always been quiet it now takes an all out effort to enter into a conversation.  I can teach but the ebb and flow while talking to a friend is not there.

After the robbery attempt, trusting others and not looking at every stranger as an enemy or potential thug has caused strain in all of our relationships. Who can and do you trust? God is there but it is just harder to see Him in others!

Sickness has made this a more trying time. In the last three months I have had two strong colds, a tough case of malaria and a bacterial infection in my lungs. Even as I write this the infection still refuses to heal. I am tired and weak and Bev is getting weary looking after me.

But good things are there as well. George and Luan Fellman have come from the western side of the country to help with the Ministry. This is an answer to lots of prayers over many years. George can give me relief from some of my physical duties and Luan can take the strain off Bev.

Isaac and Clea Wootton will join us in December and will take over the School of Ministry and some other duties. That takes away five hours of daily work. Connie Cross, Clea's mother will also be coming and help carry part of the load. All this is great. So what is the problem?

I have become so focused on work, what I do, and how I serve the Lord that I have started to struggle with how to "Love the Lord your God."  It now seems that if I can't serve the Lord to the exact measure that I did in the past, I have become worthless.

Our clinic in Ogongora is struggling to make ends meet. The people want the services and medicines for free. Many would pay if they could, but they cannot. 70% of the monthly charges do get paid but it still leaves a hole. God has been more than faithful to supply but I don't want to take God's gracious provision and then say it is not enough. Therein lies the challenge. To trust God, to let God work according to His plan but also to follow Him and work according to the pattern He has shown us even when we are not sure of the provision.

At the end of it all we endure the difficult seasons for we know that Jesus will get us through even if we do not know how. Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."