Back to Africa

Day 1'ish. 

Awake in Johannesburg, South Africa about 3:30 A.M. It's good that I've sufficiently smashed my sleep pattern already. I was slurring-my-words exhausted about 4 hours ago. Now I'm awake and thought-filled, and it's about 8:30 P.M. back home!

I am up because I'm in Africa again. I'm up because of nature's call around 20 minutes ago. I'm up because I can hear the sounds of dogs barking incessantly from somewhere in the dark of nearby night. I can also hear the occasional sounds of men calling back in deep, guttural growls that equal if not exceed the difficulty in rest. 

But it's not rest I need now. That will come. My body's rhythm will be subdued by this grand adventure. Now I need to listen. I want to hear the sounds of life. I want to hear God's voice speaking gently through the landscape. I want to hear his heart for the people and places I'm about to encounter. 

I am drawn back to Africa like a moth to the flame, ants to honey, or maybe the string of a bow as it is about to be released. Swaziland's children draw me again to this journey. God has a plan for them that includes me in some way beyond today. 

My prayer now is that He would make clear his plans for my involvement. That he would use me and this new team, this B13 Team, to accomplish his short-term goals in us and through us. And that he would use us to bring glory to himself and draw others into his kingdom. 

Someone recently shared with me the phrase, "It's good to be king!" And I'm sure it is a true phrase for those few folks who are kings in this world. But it occurs to me that even more true is, "The King is good to me."

God in heaven is good to us. All of us. In the next several days, a short little breath in life's journey, I believe God will provide me with even greater revelation of this truth. He will reveal his goodness toward me in ways I cannot expect.

He will also show his goodness toward those whose circumstances I view as extremely difficult. God cares about Swaziland's children. He has a plan for them. He's revitalizing this next generation to lead and powerfully influence their nation for good. He is drawing this people to himself. 

Their circumstances do not define them, or define God's love for them. The apparent lack of resources many face is not an indication of God's lack of love for them. The hardships they endure are not God's plan to hold them back or punish them in some cosmic raw deal. 

I want to be God's agent of love and grace toward the children of Swaziland. I want to help them see that God does have a plan and purpose for them. I want them to know for themselves that Jesus is in the throne room of heaven interceding on their behalf. I want them to know that there are folks around the world who stand with them, love them, and believe in their success. 

Signing off,

Mike