Redeeming the Time

One thing we have grown accustomed to here in Uganda is that making plans is useless... and if you do make plans, never expect things to happen on time. Things happen so unexpectedly and people have no consideration for time. In America, there are clocks everywhere. People go by the sun here and call time by "morning, midday, and evening." It's rare that anyone would be running or in a hurry for anything. So when Tyler busted through the door and said real fast, "Gotta go to Gulu. (a city 2 hours from here) I don't know when I'll be back. I love you, bye," I knew something was pretty important. Something else I've grown accustomed to is surrendering my husband to the work that God wants done here. When God says, "Go," he needs to go! Without even the thought of what about me stuck in a hut with 6 kids and no car- oh and by the way- we need groceries really bad, I am blessed to release him. Truly. If you can't tell, this has been a conscious decision on my part to honor the Lord, not a natural reaction. So after explaining the story really quick to me, I packed him a bag with jammies, a few extra shirts, a toothbrush, Bible, and a jerry can of drinking water.

You may remember Bismark. I posted something about his son, Matidi a while back. He is the construction man, and he has become one of Tyler's best friends. Bismark's brother is in the Army in South Sudan. He became pretty sick with Typhoid and Malaria. The hospital in South Sudan was treating him, and he was only getting sicker. So, on the verge of death, they put him on a BUS by himself to go home. This young man, Chris, couldn't walk and barely could talk. He was so weak. They were basically sending him home to die. Chris called Bismark and told him what was going on. This is the part when Tyler busted through the door and said, "Gotta go!" His plan was to go with Bismark and pick up Chris at the Gulu bus station that night. They would get him to the "good" hospital as soon as he arrived. Well, the bus got stuck on the dirt road full of pot holes the size of a little Honda, and Tyler and Bismark drove half way up to Sudan to get him. When they finally got Chris to the Gulu hospital, they confirmed that he had Typhoid, Malaria, and parasites attacking his liver causing it to shut down. He was not responding well to the treatment in South Sudan because he was having a severe reaction to the meds they were giving him. Tyler even called me from the hospital to Google to name of the medicine they were giving him to confirm it was a reaction. Crazy.

Anyway, two days later, Tyler left Bismark with Chris in the hospital and came home. And two days after that, he turned right around to go pick them up. Thankfully, Chris was released and is getting better in his village with his mother. The Lord spared his life. There is no way in the world he could have paid for a week in the hospital. He would have gone home to die if he even made it that far. Sadly, when Chris left for the Army, he asked Bismark for a Bible. When he came back, he was carrying Muslim prayer beads. I know God has a plan through all of this. We are praying for LIFE for this man. His physical body has been restored, but spiritually, he is dead. He needs Jesus.

So, after all of that, Tyler called and said he was on his way home. I was picking up around the house, mopping, changing sheets, etc. I sat down at the computer and I was looking at Facebook when I heard the big tanker coming down the grass driveway. I thought, "Well that's a bummer to come home to a wife on Facebook after saving a guy's life..." And instantly, the Holy Spirit echoed the end of Matthew 24,

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming... 

Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing." 

The whole chapter is talking about when Jesus comes back. No one knows when He is coming, BUT HE IS COMING. Whether we leave this Earth through death or He takes us up when He comes, what will He find us doing? Will we be like the evil servant that says,

"‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and (he) begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards..." 

Will we continue in acting like this world and wasting our time? Or will we be found faithful, doing the work He has called us to?

I'm not trying to slam Facebook, but really I don't care what your cat looks like or how well anyone slept last night... it's just a good way to turn off my brain for a few minutes. A time waster. I didn't want Tyler to come home and find me sitting around wasting time. I sure don't want Jesus to come back and find me wasting my time either. We've been given one life. Only God knows the number of our days.

If you die tomorrow will Jesus be pleased with the way you spent those days? We may not get tomorrow to do what we've been meaning to. Have you surrendered your life to Him? Jesus said we MUST be born again. Born again means start your life over and let Jesus be in charge of it now. You admit you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. In need of Jesus. If you want to know about this more, read the book of John in the Bible.

My prayer for my own life is that God would direct my days that, quite honestly, seem insignificant most of the time. I pray that in the few minutes between- and even in the midst of- the diapers and the sweeping and the math lessons and the dinner cooking, Jesus shines through. These days we've been given are gifts. I don't want to wake up grumbling that I have to do another day.

This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Notice that verse says "we will." It's a choice, not always a natural reaction. Like Jesus, may we get complete satisfaction from doing the will of God without delay.

Jesus said to them, 

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’?

 Behold, I say to you, 

lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

John 4:34-35