The Race

There were a couple different reasons why we chose to do this blog, as opposed to just sending out email updates. It seems like everyone who thinks they have something to say has a blog. I guess that comes with the times and the connectivity that technology provides. While it was never our intent just to be trendy, we do feel like it is a means by which we can communicate the Gospel message to others. So we are able to post updates about what is happening with our ministry here, along with pictures of what life is like in Ghana, and also to tell a little bit about the children here. I also like that I can post some devotional thoughts from time to time. The things I like to share here are lessons that I have learned for myself as God continues to challenge me and teach me.  

So it has not been easy for me since moving to Ghana. In fact, if I'm honest, I struggle more days than I don't. There have been many times here that I've had that conversation with God and I've told him I thought I might have bitten off more than I could chew. That maybe I've somehow misunderstood his calling for me and my family. I have felt the oppression of the enemy on my spirit more than ever. Thats why its been difficult. This is a spiritual battle. Many days I've thought; "There has to be someone better equipped for this than me". And I'm sure there is. But here's the thing. They aren't here...I am. Dawn often reminds me of how faithful God has been to provide for us and to bring us this far. She is absolutely right. There is no way I could have made this happen on my own. So each day He is faithful. He gives me enough to go on. He helps me to endure and persevere. 

In my reading this week I was led to 1 Corinthians 9:24 and 1 Timothy 4:7 where Paul talks about running the race. Then I read Hebrews 12:1 that says:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every         weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us". 

Now I know that the idea of how a runner must endure and train and press on has been used as a metaphor for the Christian life a million times. And it is true. That is exactly why Paul used that kind of illustration to show how we should run the race of life in the faith. Training, endurance...pressing on.

But another thought occurred to me as I've struggled to press on in my own faith this week. You see, as I thought about that picture of a race, I thought of what a running race actually looks like. If its a marathon, its usually in the streets of some major city, where thousands of people are lined up on either side to watch as the runners pass by. Or think of a track event at the Olympics, where there are a hundred thousand people packed into a stadium to watch the races on the track. 

I know that the verse in Hebrews 12 places most of the emphasis on preparing for the race-putting aside all the things that weigh us down and hinder us. But when Paul says to run the race with endurance, he is making a very important assumption. Think of any sporting event. There are usually thousands of spectators watching and cheering for just a handful of players or runners. Just picture in your mind all of the people and the sound- the roar of the crowd as the runners compete. The problem with making this the same picture as in Paul's writing, is that he makes no mention of the crowd. He doesn't mention anything about having a solid fan base to cheer us on. It's just the race and the runner. After much reflection, I've decided that I would rather be competing for the prize, than sitting in the stands watching, even if I struggle with the race. You see, I think this is actually like that old adage that says "you can't win if you don't play". And I always liked to counter that statement with: "if I don't play, I cant lose". But in this particular case, that may not be true.

Here is my point, and hopefully, some encouragement for you. There are many "christians" who are perfectly content with sitting in the stands and watching from a distance.  They think that as long as they buy the program, learn the stats and cheer for someone, they are ok. If you actually ask them to join the race, however, there are always reasons why they cant. Running the race is obviously Paul's depiction of how we live out our salvation, and I don't think we have the option of sitting out. I mean you are either in the race, or you are not. Being a spectator does not gain you anything. No matter how hard you cheer and wear the jersey or wave the flag, no matter how many stats you know, its not the same as actually being in the race.

So maybe you feel a little like me. Not fast enough...to old and out of shape...not equiped with the right abilities...

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be  weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall     renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and  not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

You see, there are no excuses. When we run the race, we don't run alone. God is right there with us. He strengthens us. We run based on his abilities, not our own. And I know God loves the underdog. If you feel like you have no chance of winning the race, or even finishing, don't become a spectator.

Endurance is defined as: "The act of enduring an unpleasant or difficult  process or situation without giving way, or the capacity of something to last under wear and tear". 

Thats how Paul says to run the race- with endurance. He knows it wont be easy. Spectators operate in their own strength, their own abilities, and their own comfort zone, but in the end, none of these things get you across the finish line. 

The frightening reality of this is that in the end, there will be many who will want to claim the prize, but God will say to them, "all you did was cheer from the sidelines. You didn't run".

  Believe me, I know that following Jesus- running the race- is not easy. It can be discouraging, and difficult. But please don't be a spectator. If you are tired and weary, choose to stay in the race and put your hope in The Lord. 

Cayle

Lessons from a Fish Picture, part 2

      One of the issues for me since my family and I started on this journey of becoming full time missionaries has been dealing with the huge range of emotions that I have gone through.  Its been quite the roller-coaster ride to say the least. And really, it started long before we actually left the U.S. When we sold our home, we were confronted by many strange emotions at the same time. Fear, satisfaction, doubt, excitement... on and on I could go. Then came the emotions of having to say goodbye to all our family and friends, mixed with the anticipation of new things to come, and then the same kind of excitement that early explorers must have felt when they reached a new, uncharted land. Thats what this all is for us...uncharted territory. Some of these emotions were expected so we were some what prepared for them.

      However, once we arrived here in Ghana and got settled in to our new surroundings, an entirely new set of emotions set in. I'm only speaking for myself, but much of what I feel now is as fluid and changing as water in a flowing stream. Emotions and feelings change constantly. Its hard for me to put into words what its like to go through such a drastic life change so quickly. I mean EVERYTHING is different. People are different. Even though English is spoken, the language is still used differently, and accents still make it difficult to understand sometimes. Things that we are completely used to saying or doing in America can be offensive to people here. Food is different. Being without our own "space" has made family time difficult at best, if not nonexistent. The way the kids here view things has made relationships for our girls difficult at times. I don't mean that the people and culture here are wrong,... just different. 

      For me, there have been days that I questioned whether I should be here-mainly due to doubts and feelings of inadequacy that ultimately are lies from the enemy. But I have not really had a sense of home sickness, like kids get when they are away from home for the first time.  Instead, I find  myself reflecting on things that never quite seemed as special or important to me as they do now. That is why I wrote the last blog, "Lessons from a fish picture". I have developed a much keener sense  of appreciation for the kinds of things I wrote about; relationships, experiences, and memories. Thats  typically not the way I am. I've never really been a sentimental person as far those things go, but  being separated from almost every aspect of the life I was used to has definitely made me think a  little differently! 

       But as I thought more about what I wrote in "Fish Picture", I realized I didn't really make it to the final point, so that's what this is for. Not that I feel like what I said was wrong or inaccurate, but rather just not complete. 

         In Philippians chapter 3, Paul is talking about all his achievements and credentials as a Jew. He says as far as a Jew goes, there was none greater than I. Paul was not talking about his possessions or material things. He was talking about knowledge and power and experience. But when Paul was saved, he gave all that stuff up for Jesus, and he says, "I consider all these things a loss for the sake of Christ".  Now if Paul would have stopped there, we as Christians would say "yes, he should consider those things a loss". We know that power and pride in our knowledge and what we have accomplished are not the kind of things that Jesus wants us to put first. But Paul didn't stop writing there. Read for yourself what he goes on to say:

         "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my     Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may    gain Christ".   -Philippians 3:8                          

         I added the emphasis, but Paul says ALL things. That includes good things, not just the things we would consider negative or sinful.. Good memories, good experiences and even good relationships. Even those good things don't compare with personally knowing Jesus Christ. This makes me think of the words to a song by Third Day, called "Nothing Compares":

"I've heard all the stories, I've seen all the signs

Witnessed all the glory, Tasted all that's fine

But nothing compares, To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

Nothing compares, To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

I see all the people, Wasting all their time

Building up their riches,  For a life that's fine

But nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

Nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

I find myself just living for today, 'Cause I don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring

So no matter if I rise or fall,  I'll never be alone, oh no

Nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no"

      So I wrote "Fish Picture" to give you some insight into my personal thoughts and feelings about our mission here and how it relates to my life back home. Things in my life that I now place a higher value on than I have in the past, because of the opportunity that God has given me here. And this post brings everything into line with biblical truth that says, "Jesus is King above ALL things".  NOTHING compares to knowing Him.

Amen

Lessons from a fish picture

So as you can imagine, living in a third world nation with large scale poverty will definitely make you aware of things we have been blessed with in an affluent country like the United States. Even most people in America that we would consider poor live much better than many people here. When you cut grass with a machete and wash cloths in a bucket, it makes you aware of how blessed you are to have lawn mowers and washing machines. 

But there is more to it than that. More than just machines to make things easier. More than technology and comforts. I think we take experiences for granted when we have so much as well. Yes, I said "experiences".

I like to fish. I like to catch fish. I like to eat fish. I like the process of learning what tricks it takes to get a fish to bite. I like being outdoors and standing at the edge of a river or lake as the sun rises in the morning. I like the feel of standing waist deep in the local river and making a long cast to the head of a nice pool. I like the anticipation of that first cast, and wondering if this is the day that the fish will be "on". I like fishing with a buddy and the conversations we have. I like fishing on the pontoon with my dad at the lake. I've even learned to like the time that I've spent fishing and not even getting a bite! These are all experiences that are way more than just fishing. And don't get me wrong. I've also learned to be very thankful to God for allowing me to have those experiences. 

But I realized this week that I've still taken those kind of experiences for granted way more often than I should. See, Dad sent me a picture of a nice mess of fish he caught at the lake this past weekend. They looked awesome! My mind immediately began replaying some of my past experiences, and I realized how much of a blessing those experiences are. Experiences that all to often don't even get a second thought when they are things we can do whenever we want, without any real limitations.

See, here in Ghana, fishing is different. There is no sport fishing. There is no relaxing evening watching a bobber and hoping for a bite. I have not even seen a rod and reel since I've been here. For those living in the coastal area or near Lake Volta, fishing is something that provides and income, or feeds your family...if you can catch a fish. The fish that Dad sent a picture of would probably be worth several weeks wages for a fisherman here. Fishing here isn't so much an enjoyable experience as it is a way of survival for some. Its difficult and tiring.

Please don't think I'm talking about bad conditions here in Ghana, or that its wrong to enjoy things like this in the U.S. These thoughts I'm writing down actually have nothing to do with fishing at all. Fishing just happens to be the example that I'm using. The point here is this. We shouldn't just be thankful for material things, or family or health, but also for the experiences that God blesses us with. Time that we can spend building relationships. Time and experiences where we can reflect on Gods creation and just be in awe of Him. I've realized that I have taken many things for granted in life that are often easy to overlook. Life really is more than stuff and accomplishments. I have a new appreciation for some of these often "routine" experiences in my life. I am also learning that a good way to practice what Jesus said in scripture; to store up treasures in Heaven and not be ruled by materialism, is to realize that God can be found in our experiences much sooner than he can be found in our stuff. We realize through our experiences that God is at work in everything we do, and the experiences become more important than the stuff we use. 

Thank God for what you have. But also be sure to thank God for every gift and talent you have. Every ability. Every relationship. The time you have, for even the number of your days is in his hands. Thank Him for all you have that cant be replaced. I promise you, thinking this way will help you move away from materialism and closer to the heart of God.

Cayle

Update on Building projects at CORM

 View of the progress on the apartment house we will move to. Rebar in place for support pillars.

 Block ready to start the walls

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 Block for walls and sand for cement for the floor of the church.

 Entrance to the third childrens home.

 Inside the children's house.

View of the first two children's homes from the second floor or the third

 Second level floor of the third house

 Third wing of the school

 Looking across the courtyard from the first wing of the school.