Fresh Renewal

For those who might not be aware, Africans have a tendency to run habitually late to pretty much everything. Someone might agree to meet around 10:00, but not arrive until at least 10:30 or 11:00. A conference or even athletic event might change time and location at the last possible minute, further delaying the start of the event.

Coming from the fast-paced, tightly scheduled American society, this is obviously a challenge for the team and myself. For example, here’s one day that did not quite go as planned.

Original Schedule:

8:00 AM – Meet with Bronwyn to discuss testimonies and deliverance.

10:00 AM – Drive with the team to Swazi Candles for lunch

3:00 PM – Bible study at Mangwaneni

5:00 PM – Dinner, time with the team until bedtime

What Actually Happened:

7:55 AM – Find a note in the gate from Bronwyn that something has come up, and she won’t be able to meet until this evening. Go back inside and eat breakfast with the team.

9:30 AM – Walk to Hope House to pray with the patients, only to discover that everyone is in a staff meeting, so we are unable to visit anyone. Walk back home.

11:00 AM – Drive a new girl to the psychiatric hospital to schedule counseling sessions

1:30 PM – While waiting on the doctor, receive a frantic call from Mary-Kate that her 2:00 basketball game has changed locations and make arrangements to drive her to the game.

1:50 PM – Drive Mary-Kate to the game while Sarah waits with the girl at the hospital.

3:00 PM – Finally finish up at the hospital. Drive home and walk to Mangwaneni

3:30 PM – Arrive at Mangwaneni, find some women to talk to, lead Bible study

5:30 PM – Walk home, flustered and worn out

7:00 PM – Meet with Bronwyn

9:00 PM – Time with the team

This happened over a week ago, and I’m still baffled and exhausted by it. However, God is good, and every moment in ministry is an opportunity to learn.

As He often does, God takes me to Romans 12, verse 2:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

The pattern of “this” world, of the world I grew up in, allows me to control my schedule and where and when I can be. If I want to go to a class at 2:00, then I write it in my planner and show up on time. If I want to have lunch with a friend at Subway at 11:30, I know exactly how much time it takes to navigate traffic from my apartment to the restaurant, and if I’m running even five minutes late, I can quickly text my friend to notify her of the delay.

However, it’s not until I’m asked (or practically forced) to relinquish that control that I realize how dangerous it actually is.

The more I try to control, the less I’m trusting God, and the more I’m risking disappointment (for when life doesn’t go as I plan), which opens a door for Satan to hinder my relationship with God.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….

What does that mean?!

Well, my friends, I present you with three definitions of renew:

1. resume (an activity) after an interruption: the parents renewed their campaign to save the school.

So what was interrupted, and what is the interruption? My relationship and trust in God was interrupted by my conformity to this world. This relationship and trust is resumed (or renewed) by repentance and surrender.

2. reestablish (a relationship): he had renewed an acquaintance with McCarthy

Renewing my mind means reestablishing my relationship with God, and fixing my eyes and heart on Him. This comes through prayer, study of the Bible, and worship.

  

3. give fresh strength to: she would face the future with renewed determination

Give fresh strength to my mind. Let all my thoughts and prayers be centered on God’s will, not my own. Let my schedule be his schedule, not mine.

Be transformed by the resuming of your mind, by resuming the trust in God you first gained at salvation.

Be transformed by reestablishing your mind, by reestablishing your relationship with your Father.

Be transformed by giving fresh strength to your mind, by centering all thoughts and prayers on the Lord.