May 20, 2010

Day off....well not quite

So today was to be our day off.
It started at 6am.
I got out from under my mosquito netting and made my way to the kitchen. Good news, we had electricity this morning, that means COFFEE.
Washed and got dressed. Coffee's ready, time for Kathy and to pray and get our day started with God in the lead.
Kathy was off to a meeting at 6:30am, I ran to the bread store and picked up two of our translators.
Back to our house where all our staff meet for prayer each morning at 7am.
This morning Maria one of our Empregadas lead our time with a devotional based on Psalm 23. Chico our gardener closed us in prayer and then the ladies sang a song ( the song is for my benefit:) I love listening to the ladies sing!

Instructions were given for the work to be done and meals that needed to be prepared and the translators were given their assignments for the day.
A quick trip to the market for supplies for our house and the team house.
Then with our to-do lists in hand Kathy and I went into Beira.
First stop Maukurara, what we call Sam's Club, because you can buy things by the case:) We are building relationship with the  Muslim owner and his wife, Ikra and their baby daughter Farita.
Then off to Nautica, a really nice place to eat right on the beach!
The sun was behind clouds and I was bummed, after all this was suppose to be our day off.

As we left Nautica I saw our friend Johnny. He is a young man who is cripple, deaf and mute. We  pay him to watch our car for us while we are inside. Then it struck me....

Initially I was looking forward to the day( at least part of it) off. In actuality we had about an hour and a half to get away for lunch. It was certainly enough and we felt refreshed, but there I was, bummed that the sun wasn't out.
 I felt ridiculous and ashamed!
There was Johnny, he was sitting on the ground beside our car.  As he scrambled to his feet using his smoothed branch for a crutch,  his all too familiar grin appeared without hesitation.

In that moment, the Lord helped me to see just how selfish and childish I was being.
I am so grateful that God used Johnny to help me see what He wanted me to see this day.

We left Johnny with his pay for a job well done and let him know we would see him again, then we were off to complete our to-do list.
I am so grateful that God uses everything and everybody to help us walk closer to Him as we head down the path He has chosen for us.

Thank you Jesus for a good day, which started "off" till you turned it "on" again.
Thank you Jesus for Johnny, I pray that you will continue to watch over him.

1 comment:

emily said...

I just sent you an email, and said I didn't really need a "blow by blow"... but I was sure wondering what you were up to, and then I checked your blog! How cool is God! God bless you and Johnny! Love you! emily