This week the aviation department discovered an engine problem in one of the planes and while it is being repaired, the plane is out of commission. There are no roads to get to the Port Moresby airport, so without aviation, we're somewhat stranded. Yes we could drive down to LAE and take boat somewhere, but it takes 5 days to get to Australia by boat, and that's after a 3 hour drive.
So in a way, without the planes and helicopter, we're very stranded up here, although we're never truly stranded because there are multiple aircraft.
With this particular craft however, out of commission, mail is slower, flights are rebooked, schedules are drastically changed, and people remember that flexibility is a very important attribute.
Being flexible as you lose a convenience isn't a quality that I was necessarily born with. In the States, if someone can't offer you what you want, someone else can.
Here, you're lucky to have it from a single source, and most likely you learn to do without.
This is not the United States of America. There are things you learn to do without. There are a great many things here however, don't misunderstand me. It is not the middle of nowhere, we have conveniences.
-Another freedom, or ability I should say, is earning power. Being a volunteer, dependent on the generosity of others, we have no ability to earn bonuses as is usual for me around this time of year.
So as I'm sitting here pondering these, limitations, and wondering... why there is this gnawing feeling at me like something is wrong... in my mind Psalm 121 starts reciting.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
And it dawns on me, the part of this adjustment, is that I am losing some of my self-reliance. I am relatively powerless to make a plane engine start working again, to find a competing airline, to do many of the things that we rely on others to accomplish.
Losing self-reliance is a humbling thing, at least for me, an American. And in the midst of feeling, maybe glum, I recite Psalm 121.. and then Psalm 40
Psalm 40
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
And my attitude turns very quickly. Because I realize that I have been given the opportunity to apply Scripture in a very real way. To live it. In so many ways being here, doing this work, living this life, is a chance to apply God's Word in a new way.
I am in fact blessed to be depending on God for these things, because I get to see Him deliver. He won't let us fall. We're trading a bit of self-reliance for God-reliance and while a somewhat uncomfortable transition, it is a trade well worth making.
Now before anyone gets the impression that we're doing poorly in any way, let me belay those fears. We are not. We've been the recipient of such care and generosity and encouragement that our spirits are high and our hearts are full.
What I refer to is the occasional moment where you are struck with the very real truth that without God's provision you would not be able to do what you are doing. And in that moment, there is an opportunity to recognize God's work. It is in this action that we can turn a struggle into an act of worship.
My life this year, has not been forgettable. It has been a series of moments. Moments of great joy and of struggle. Moments where I seek God out to guide my family, and to give me the strength I need to continue.
I think that this relationship, the discipline to turn to God and praise Him in every situation is what will keep the vitality of this ministry going.
I thank all of those who are continually praying for us. It is sensed on this end. How?
Well many of you already know how... but for those who haven't experienced it yet...
There comes a time every so often when a feeling or a thought hits you. It is a discouraging thought, and incapacitating thought, and yet, from somewhere unbeknownst to you, strength comes. A reminder of our God's greatness. It is in that moment that you realize someone out there is praying for you. And you have found triumph in the struggle because of it.
I'm not being very specific I know because this doesn't apply to a specific instance, but rather to many instances that occur infrequently.
