Staying in the present

Let's face it....we're Americans. We may live in Chiapas, but we are and always will be Americans. That means that we think like Americans, which means that we have a future-oriented worldview. Most Latin Americans have a present-oriented worldview. It's part of how they stay sane, I think. If they worried too much about how they're going to get by in the future, they'd worry all the time. Instead, our Mexican brothers & sisters live in the present - grateful for the ways God has blessed them today, confident that God will provide for them tomorrow, and more comfortable with accepting a degree of powerlessness over their lives. But we're Americans. We know that in less than 8 months, we'll be moving back to NC without jobs, without a place to live and without a certainty that everything will fall into place. And yet....

If we focus our energies on returning to NC, we will, quite literally, miss out on opportunities of a lifetime. Even if John & Ginny return to live in Chiapas later, it will be without Holly & Maggie. These are truly unique days to be savored and enjoyed. For if we look too far ahead, we're sure to one day look back and say, "gee, how I wish we'd taken the opportunity to _________!" or "I can't believe that we were there for 2 1/2 years and never got around to ______________!" These are truly once in a lifetime opportunities.

It's interesting to recall that, when God was providing for Moses and his people, God provided enough food for every day in the form of manna. Now I can't imagine that manna was very tasty, but it apparently was nourishing enough, and God provided enough for each to be nourished for the day. But he also instructed them NOT to store up more than they needed except on the 6th day. This story reminds us of 2 things....that we do not live by bread alone, and that we can and must trust that God will provide enough to meet our needs.

God provided a double portion for the people on the 6th day, with the encouragement for them to rest on the 7th. Some people were afraid when no manna fell on the 7th day, afraid that God had stopped providing. But of course, on the next day, enough manna fell to feed them that day as well...and the next day....and the next day.

And so it is that we try to live like Mexicans and the people who were faithful enough to follow Moses....trusting that God will provide for us today but also that God will provide for us tomorrow .... and in August, September and October too. With God's assurance of provision, we are now free to focus our energies on service, on living out the Kingdom of God in the present, on fulfilling God's calling for us to be in Chiapas.

Sounds easy, right? ;-)