(Originally posted on February 3, 2020)
So often, missionaries speak about the miraculous and beautiful parts of mission work. We choose the exciting news to add to the newsletter...we put on our best smile when people want to know how much we love what we do and we reassure them that everything is going wonderfully. What we DON'T speak about nearly as often is the hardship that we live in - and it is harder than it is sweet some days.
Sometimes the mission field feels like a whole lot less of the miraculous and glorious life that people imagine and it feels more like a long desert journey with some moments of oasis along the way. I'm not saying that it's always hard or that we sit around crying all the time, wishing we were living our "other life" in our home country, speaking our native tongue. But I AM saying that I have learned that I have to purposefully look for the grace moments to survive those hard desert journeys.
What have my grace moments looked like recently?
A grace moment is receiving a humble gift in return for investing time in others. Three times in less than a week, this is how grace looked as we went to minister in a church, as I made a visit to teach financial management to a church treasurer, and made a home visit to check on a church member.
A grace moment looks like a rainbow to remind me of promises made.
A grace moment looks like a little Dominican girl running with the biggest smile to jump into the arms of her favorite American.
A grace moment is stopping for a moment to give thanks for all we have - all that we take for granted. Also, to realize that joy isn't based in material possessions.
A grace moment is a God-given breath of strength, just enough for the next moment, to complete the task.
So, dear friends. If you are journeying the hard desert places - look for the grace moments. His boundless grace helps us to survive those dry moments. Let's keep pressing on...and we will continue to see God's glory.
