day 376: motherly pearls of wisdom on perspective

well, i think it's safe to say that what i'm about to admit is true for many (if not most) of us: more & more i realize that my mom has sneakily embedded tiny pearls of wisdom into my mind in the form of quietly uttered phrases i will never forget. & as i face certain situations in life, those phrases inevitably come to mind. in those moments i shake my head & think, "...she was right...again."

i, personally, grew up hearing a number of these:

[before letting me go out with friends & taste freedom] "remember who you are & Whose you are"

[on relationships] "shake a person up, see what pours out & you'll discover what they're really made of"

[on trust] "it takes much longer to earn back trust than to lose it"

[on complaining/self-centeredness (this one a personal favorite as i was growing up & expressed being tired & not wanting to go to church. rolled my eyes then; makes me laugh now...but TRUE!)] "i'm glad Jesus didn't say that on the cross"

[on perspective] "you never know - a seemingly frustrating interruption to your plans might just be God's way of protecting you...give thanks in ALL things"

and this last one is where i'll drop the anchor for a bit...
this past thursday i was so exhausted! by the time school was over, i wasn't sure i could stay awake to drive home (about 25 mins on a good day). while stopped at a red light, a car pulled up next to me & shouted, "sissy - DON'T sleep here!" needless to say, i had closed my eyes & it wasn't the safest of places to do so.

when i finally got going, i saw that the main highway i needed to exit onto was closed. ok honest thoughts? "seriously?? how can you completely close such a main highway?! come on africa." i was beyond frustrated. i had a gps...but i could not figure out how to reroute & get home. several u-turns & over an hour later i finally did, all the while nodding off & praying, "Lord keep me awake!! watch over this car!"

come to find out, 70+ people were protesting, stoning cars & burning tires on that highway that day. service delivery protests, bus strikes, & demands for provisions stir frequently in cape town. this time, however, i wasn't aware. little did i know just how much the Lord was watching over the car! rather than complaining about the inconvenient detour, i should have given thanks! oh what a lesson in perspective! mom was right...again!

sunday, i had a similar experience again headed towards (instead of returning from) the same community (lower crossroads). i was going to the school to meet a student ("A") who is not yet a believer. from there we were going to church together. it's been rare in my life to meet someone who will admit they are not yet "ready" for the commitment required for a relationship with Christ, but is genuinely hungry & eager to learn more. BUT, that's been true of "A." it's encouraging to see how seriously she takes it.

we've talked some at school during breaks - of paul, of romans, of sin. she's been reading some on her own. so when she said, "i really want to find a church," i jumped at the opportunity to introduce her to a local pastor. and sunday was the plan.

as i got on the highway i noticed some black smoke in the distance, but it's so common i didn't think much of it. as i got closer though, i realized i was driving right into it. the taxi in front of me suddenly pulled a u-turn & i caught a glimpse of the road. no possible way to get through - covered in burning tires. so, i followed suit & turned around. still thinking i could figure a way in, i went down several side roads - again, praying similarly to before. "Lord, watch over this car!" but honestly, i was moreso frustrated that things weren't going as planned & that another roadblock was literally standing in the way of "A" connecting with a church. "Lord, You are bigger than this! what do i do??" in an extremely unfamiliar township, it's not great for me as a single, white female who is alone to constantly be pulling u-turns, looking like i don't know where i'm going. so, after about 15 minutes i felt it wise to turn around to head home.

my mind was still spinning...
- could i explain to "A" how to get to the church? no. & i hated the thought of her going alone for the first time.
- could i call the pastor to come & get her - surely he would know backroads better than i? yes, normally...he picks up many young people. BUT, the service was starting in that moment.

"A" called asking if i was close & we both were disappointed that the connection to church just wasn't going to happen that day.

while i'm able to look back on thursday & see the bigger picture, i can't say that's true for sunday's experience...not yet at least. BUT, i'm going on faith. the Lord works all things for the good of those who love Him...AND that motherly pearl of wisdom remains in the back of my mind as well. "you just never know...so give thanks anyway!"

join me please in PRAYing...
- for A, who i get to see every thursday. she is so hungry to learn God's Words & Truth & get connected to a church for the first time in her life. PRAY that her desires do not wane as challenges continue
- giving thanks - for God's protection AND that His plans are always better!