The Best Things in Life Can't Wait... But Must

I'm not sure what it is, but it's been hard to focus lately, both at work and just day-to-day activities. Perhaps it's coming back from South Africa and feeling a bit disoriented. Perhaps it's thinking about jobs and living situation when I return in August.

Before coming to Kenya, I had placed a lot of emphasis on hope. If someone has something to hope, something good to look forward to in the future, then that will propel them past present and possible undesireable circumstances. But what if there's LOTS to look forward to, like going to Tanzania this month and Emily's visit in May, and then stress caused by future uncertainties, i.e. earning money and finding a place to live?

And what if there's nothing to hope for? What then?

I've prayed a lot about perspective lately. I pray that I will see this country not as a corrupt, backward place compared to what I saw in South Africa, but a country of friendly people eager to move forward. I pray that I will not think it terms of "What will Emily and I do while she's here?" but in terms of preparing my heart to share my life here with a dear friend I haven't seen in 9 months. I pray that I let God seize hold of my worries on the future, laying me down to rest in the present blessing as I live the dream of being here in Kenya and working with a faith-based NGO.

In our line of development work, we often talk about planting the seeds of hope for people. In Christianity, we often talk of the hope of the afterlife. Perspective does do a lot to encourage and discourage. Yet must we always focus on what is to come? What about the here and now? And when we do realize our dreams, won't we imagine another one?

We must be content in the present just as we our hopeful in the future, lest we deceive ourselves and become blind to today's blessings and challenges. Otherwise, we run the risk of saying to God, "Welp, see ya there!" and we race off to do our own business, trusting that we'll end up eventually where God can bless us. Let us prepare our hearts today before the sun rises tomorrow.

God makes awesome promises to us about our future, both in this life and the next. Yet the Lord also promises to be with us, here and now, until the end of the Age. Let us not forget to reach out our hands to grab hold of God's, in addition to as we journey hand-in-hand to the Promised Land.