Keep It Balanced

Not all of missionary life is formal ministry (ie. leading Bible studies, vacation Bible school, training pastors), but I do believe all of life is ministry. Our days, like your days often feel and look like this picture of the woman to the left, a delicate balance. All of what happens in our lives is a direct result of God’s sweet Holy Spirit, often making a way where there seems to be no way. This is how we fill our calendar, one day at a time. Some days are filled with friends visiting from Kampala, others full of running errands, meetings and planning for mission teams to come from America. This was one of those weeks full of friends and planning for the Indiana Wesleyan University missions team to arrive.

The highlight from this past week was having our dear friends Brad & Annie Brown (pictured left) come and visit us from Kampala. They have such great hearts for the Lord and are just about to finish up a 5 months term in Uganda before heading back to Boston for seminary. Our time together was like a breath of fresh air. We ate good food, talked about their time of ministry in Uganda, played volleyball and laughed a ton!!!

The rest of the week, and this week too, are devoted wholly to final preparations for our missions team that is coming this week. Billy and I go to meet the team of 10 college guys this Thursday in a game park for safari, orientation and a spiritual retreat before bringing them to Arua on Saturday. We have been busy finalizing all the schedules, programs (VBS at Uganda Christian Univ. pictured left) and projects for them as well as anticipating the return of Billy & Joanna, who arrive home tomorrow morning.

In the midst of all this planning and daily life in Arua, I am constantly confronted with the fact that the only way I can keep my life balanced is if I let Jesus do something in my heart daily to love and live as Jesus. I have to guard against treating Him like someone who can just help me get my “to-do” list done. Jesus has to take the lead each day and we’re all privileged to be able to join Him in the work He wants to accomplish that day, whether in America, Uganda or anywhere else. This is how I prayerfully live life. It is in the “daily grind” of life where the Holy Spirit wants to meet each of us and if we are not careful we will miss Him.

Jesus, today help me live in such a way to move with You and accomplish your agenda for the day. Amen.