A few months ago, I left Soroti, Uganda — my home and mission field — to have an eight-day vacation with my parents in Ireland. Arriving at the airport, I could barely grab my bags off the luggage carousel because I was experiencing two major pulmonary embolisms. From there, I spent five days in the hospital, and then, I had to spend six weeks in Ireland, waiting for my body, lungs, and heart to heal and be safe enough to fly again. During follow-up doctor visits, it was discovered that I have further medical issues, so my insurance company flew me to my other home — Canada — to undergo surgery. I am now, unexpectedly, away from Uganda for eleven weeks, and this adventure is far from over.

The medical journey has been long, tearful, painful, and full of questions. The unexpected absence from Uganda has meant just letting go and trusting other people to pay bills or step up to fill ministry opportunities.

And yet, I know that God is good. The Lord has a plan for my life. He desires me to have this time of rest. I have seen His hand at work, as many people have been praying or helping me to communicate with others at a distance, and doctors have had miraculous openings to get proper medical care faster.

All of us have times of lament — sorrow, grief, pain, struggles, enemies, and loss — but we still need to praise God through those storms.

Lamentation is a powerful, and meaningful, form of worship because it places our love for God above even the worst of circumstances in our life. … God does not ask us to deny the existence of our suffering. He does want us to collect it, stand in those things and make Him an offering. The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, helps us to do this: He aligns Himself with our will and says, "I will help you to will to worship God." The glory of the majesty of God is that He helps us will and do. – Graham Cooke

Thanking God honestly and worshipping Him intimately during a time of suffering is difficult, but we must choose to recognize the majesty of God at work in our lives. He is a God Who desires to comfort, heal, and bring peace.

In church the other day, the pastor gave us all an assignment, and I would love you to do the homework as well. First, offer your lament to God, and then, share your moments of thanks or glory to God:

Lord, my heart cries out…

But…

Prayer: Almighty Father, we know that sometimes, life can be overwhelming and super-challenging. Forgive us for failing to see You in the hard times. Help us to trust in You through the good and the bad. Lord, fill us with Your peace and comfort, because we all desire to sing, "It is well with my soul", to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Hebrews 12:11 – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)

A few nights ago, a young neighbour boy came over to play. He was hanging out in the sitting room, colouring quietly. After some time, he began playing with a decorative pillow, tossing it up in the air and back down again. But soon, he started to be aggressive with his throws, and the pillow knocked the clock off the wall. It crashed down onto the ground and broke apart. I could see the look of horror on his face. (This is a Ugandan boy, and if it had happened at home, he would most likely have been caned.)

I immediately had to pray for God's wisdom in disciplining this child. He was not disobedient — it was an accident. I didn't want to see fear in his eyes.

I took a deep breath, counted the broken pieces on the floor, looked at the child, and with a smile, said, "Do you think that was the smartest game to play?" He hung his head at first, but then looked back at me and replied, "No. I'm sorry Auntie K." I informed him that all was fine. We could fix the clock nicely the next day if we got some super glue, and he was so happy. He was forgiven. Of course, I had to continue delighting in him; he's a neighbour whom I love dearly.

How often we react out of anger, frustration, or pride! I believe that the Lord wants us to learn to discipline those under our authority with love and forgiveness, in order to produce right living and peaceful relationships. We should try to respond to painful wrongdoings with the wisdom which comes only from God.

Looking at the clock, I found that God was showing me a few reminders for discipline:

• Within a quick second, I can either create change or worsen a relationship.
• Within a minute, I can say a quick prayer to ask God to grant wisdom.
• The broken, but glued frame shows me that it's possible to move on and gain control again.
• An hour is plenty of time to restore dignity to a child who has done something wrong.
• And thankfully God gives me many days to train up a child!

God delights in His children. How beautiful! Delight doesn't feel like a caning; it feels like a hug, a smile, and a conversation of repentance, forgiveness, and love. Delight grows dignity and harvests righteousness and peace.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for loving us and disciplining us. We are sorry for the things that we have done wrong, and we ask You to help us to correct our actions and attitudes and make things right again. Help us to delight in our children and to discipline them with love, dignity, and respect. We are eternally grateful that forgiveness comes from You. Lord, we request that You would also help us to forgive those who have sinned against us. In Your Son's holy name, we pray. Amen.

Isaiah 12:2 – Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (NIV)

Recently, I took some neighbour kids to the pool. The six-year-old twins showed absolutely no fear in the water, especially because they've trusted a few adults to hold them and teach them. I was super-excited to see their joy for learning, but I was shocked when I turned around to see one of the boys jump off the ledge and start "swimming" towards another adult. No adult was aware that the child was going to jump, but when we noticed that the boy was moving towards us in the water, the man held out his arms to assist the young learner. The young boy was full of smiles.

Oh, how I wish that I had that same, simple trust in God. God is always there. His plan for us is rarely what we expect, but He has promised:

Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (NIV)

Trusting God means that even during the bad, sad, hard, and miserable times, we still believe that He loves us and that He is good. He will teach us the things that we need to know.

So often, I feel like it's safer sitting on the edge of the pool, maybe dangling my feet in the water. How many times I have jumped into a plan, without God's wisdom! Thankfully, God is always there to pick me up from my worldly choices or unwise ventures and to put me back into His trusting arms.

We need to trust God through all things. He sees our tears and fears; He knows the plans that He has for us; and He wants us to dive into life's situations with the full knowledge of His presence. Trust Him and find joy!

Trust and obey,
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
       – John H. Sammis

Prayer: Trustworthy Father, we thank You for always being there for us. You never slumber nor sleep. You know our comings and our goings, so help us to have the faith to trust You with joy! You are ever-present, and we love You. In Jesus' holy name, we pray. Amen.

Almost daily, the neighbour twins run over to my house to check the fruit seeds that we have planted in broken mugs in the kitchen window. We've had one success so far: the soursop seed grew to be a foot-and-a half tall before we transplanted it beside the banana plantation in the village. Living in Uganda is not always easy, and in the northern part, the fruits are not so diverse, so we are trying to plant some variety.

"Auntie Karen, is it there yet? Can we see anything green?"

The boys have learned to dig for nice brown soil, and they know how deep to plant the seeds, but patience for five-year-olds is tough. They want to see a plant grow now. Thankfully though, every day, they get super excited about a tiny new green speck in the dirt.

I'm glad that they have the joy and energy to wait two years before even tasting the fruit of the soursop tree.

2 Timothy 2:6 – The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. (NIV)

And I'm glad that God has the patience to wait for me to grow in my faith. There are times when I feel like I'm barely surviving through droughts, rain storms, and windy days. Often, I even feel like I'm about to break, but God is a faithful gardener. Sometimes, my life feels like a "soursop" — my attitude is wrong, my face is downcast, and the events around me can put me in a sour mood.

Delightfully, God is there, looking after His creation. He protects me from the storm when I can no longer handle it on my own, and the Holy Spirit nudges me to hold true to the promises in the Word.

Luke 8:15 – As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (ESV)

I love that. I need to stay in the Word and hold fast with an honest and good heart. And guess what? I will be able to bear fruit with patience! I will be able to shine for the Son!

So as we wait, the twins are learning that our roots in God need to be deep and secure and that we always need to be in the sun for best results. Someday soon, we will enjoy the sweet fruit that has taken so long to grow.

Prayer: Lord of all creation, thank You for delighting in us and for patiently waiting for us to grow in Your likeness. Forgive us for times when we fail to seek You, but sometimes stick our roots in the ways of the world. Help us to remain in the vine and to trust in Your Word alone. Heavenly Father, grant us patience, and guide us in holding fast with an honest and good heart. May Your name alone be glorified. Amen.

Micah 7:18 – Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (NIV)

The nation of Israel also had enemies. Men lay in wait to shed blood. Rulers demanded gifts. Evil was skilfully crafted. No one could trust a neighbour. Families dishonoured each other. I can't imagine how horrible that must have been, but I am grateful for Micah's words, "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7 NIV)

So that is what I hold on to at the end of every day — that God will hear me.

He will, and He does. He also calls me to "put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)

He also asks that I should "be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36 ESV)

Today, I am just sticking to the Scriptures and trying to live out what it says, because it's the only way to overcome the enemy.

James 2:12-13 – So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (ESV)

Proverbs 11:17 – A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. (NIV)

Therefore, I am making it my personal mission to be kind. For my enemy, I desire to pray for success, peace of mind, good health, truth, and forgiveness. When I was a child, I attended a girls' club at our church, and every week, we were asked, "What does the Lord require of you?" and together, we girls would repeat words taken from Micah 6:8 — "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God."

Today, I'm going to delight in showing mercy.

Let's pray: Merciful God, thank You for forgiving us and for loving us always. Help us to love our enemies and to show them mercy and compassion. Lord, we ask that we can be patient as we wait for You to live, work, and move in our life. Help us to be humble as we delight to show mercy. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

While driving in my car the other day, I heard an old Tim McGraw song, Live Like You Were Dying:

I went sky diving, I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named "Fu Manchu"
and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying.

All those adventures sound like a great way to live.

Some of us may have lower expectations of excitement than what the world thinks is cool — I hope to have the house clean at the end of the day! I want to give my child a hug every day; I want to send a letter to a lonely friend; I want to honestly pray for a friend when that friend has requested prayer; and I want to watch the sun set and thank God for another day. These are all important ways to live.

Throughout the past fifteen years, I have often remembered a college professor who used to end his class with a prayer that finished with words based on 1 Corinthians 16:22 and today's verses: "Maranatha! Lord, come quickly!" I pondered those words and placed them near to my heart. I really do want to have the Lord come back quickly, but I also want to greet each day to the glory of God because I never know when my time on earth is done.

Now as I prepare for the mission field, I am excited that I can continue to worship God by sharing His good news. Even though I am ready to meet my Saviour today, there are many in this world who are not there yet. It is a challenge to all of us as believers to recognize God's calling on our lives, and to understand the chief calling of man, as defined by the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever".

Prayer: Father God, may we never forget that You have called us Your own. We pray that we can strive to worship You each and every day and to share Your amazing love with those around us. May we understand that our lives are just a twinkle in Your eyes, and that You deserve all the glory! Amen.