“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
James 1:2-3 NIV
A few years ago I had the opportunity to work for several weeks in Zimbabwe. One evening, after living by myself in the mission house for about a week, we had a pretty severe storm with high winds and crazy flooding. The already unpredictable and intermittent electricity was knocked out and it made for an interesting night.
I spent the night sweating, bored without internet and electricity, irritated that I could not talk to my family back home and unnerved by the darkness. At the office the next morning my Zimbabwean co-worker asked me how I fared in the storm. I shared how my evening went thinking I did my best to share without really complaining (I was 100% complaining). That’s when I asked how his night went.
With a smile on his face he told me how thankful he was that God was watching over them and gave them an “exciting” evening. He explained how their house is situated in a bit of a valley and the storm caused their house to fill quickly with about two feet of water. This made for a rough time making sure all the children were safe and the water would not cause further issues with electronics and electrical outlets. He then went on to explain he was late to work because he had to find buckets to scoop away mounds of mud that surrounded his car in the flood.
I felt so ridiculous. Here I was complaining about a few minor inconveniences as he joyfully described a pretty awful night; he found humor in the chaos. He continually thanked God for everyone’s safety and the simple fact he was blessed enough to have a car to dig out and a job to drive it to in the first place.
Joy. That is the takeaway for every team I have led to Zimbabwe. The profound joy the Christians in Zimbabwe have despite their oftentimes less-than-desirable situations. This of course comes from their faith in and dependence on Jesus.
So the next time you find yourself wanting to complain about a minor inconvenience or something even more serious, remember the example of our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe and find your joy in the Lord.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 NIV
-Rachel Eugene, IDES Bookkeeper