Season's Change

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

It's all happening so fast: The haze and chill are going and it's getting hot and dry again. The birds wake up early to sing their songs of joy and hope as the cold-blooded lizards are quickly dethroned by the warm-blooded rats. The mosquitoes return from their annual leave to give me perhaps the worst episode of malaria of my adult life.

These are all signs of one thing - Season's change. Yes, the Harmattan is on its way out as the Hot Season takes its place. The sun is already hot and blazing here in Kano and I'm so grateful that I don't have to endure it for much longer. You see, these events coincide with the end of my service year and I'm so grateful for the experience and that God has brought me this far. So, here I stand at yet another milestone in life. You know the thing about milestones - on the one side they tell how far you've come while on the other side they warn that there's still some distance to go.

You know the saying, "Change is the only constant thing in life." How true. It's sad to see some of my friends one last time and realize that I may never see them again. It's just the nature of our lives - you can be sure that a few years from now you will be in significantly different circumstances from where you are now. It may have to do with your career, your studies, your relationships, whatever, but it will be different. How do we deal with change? I wonder.

First, God doesn't change and because of that He's a steady anchor. He says it quite clearly in Malachi 3:6, "I am the Lord and I do not change." Our periods of change will definitely bring about feelings of insecurity and uncertainty but it's good to be able to hold onto something, or Someone, as steady and sure as God. He doesn't change and He is very able to help us through these periods.

Secondly, we must embrace change as a necessary part of our lives. Without change we couldn't grow and mature. Our experience would be severely limited making us less effective wherever we find ourselves. So with each new experience learn what you can and enjoy it for what it's worth.

Finally, as with each new season the year brings, there are joys and sorrows that come with every new phase of our lives, but then we can be sure that nothing lasts and the next season is on its way.

With love, Doosuur.

Through The Rubbish Dump

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2Corinthians 4:7

I observed a young Almajiri (apprentice Muslim youth) as he rummaged through the rubbish dump looking for anything of value. He would pick up this item or that, look at it for a moment or two, and toss it back. "Not Worthy", his seal of disapproval. "How in the world does he expect to find anything useful in this filth?" I wondered. But he plodded right on with hope in his eyes and anticipation in his attitude. He was determined to salvage something out of this royal mess.

In this world where immorality is on the increase and wickedness is rampant, is it not a wonder that God still finds anything or anyone worth saving? He must have a hard time looking at the earth. The Bible says, "The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good" (Prov 15:3). What an onerous and unpleasant task, having to take in both the bad and the good. Imagine eating good food that has gone bad. Even the thought is noxious. But He does it in the hope that He will find something good, something worthy of being saved.

But the joyous part of it all is that it really is not about us. He does all the saving. We know that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith. It has nothing to do with ourselves, the way we are. It's not about how we look, how nice we are, or how pleasant is our speech. It's His loving gift all the way, such that none of us can boast about it (Eph 2:8,9). It's no wonder then, that He still finds people to save everyday. He's looking diligently and His task is not yet finished.

As I looked on, the young boy found an old tin can. He looked at it for a moment, turned it over and, with a smile, tossed it into his old rucksack along with the other stuff he had already collected. I observed that as he looked at that can, he was indeed seeing it not as it was but as it could be. Oh, what a wonder! Indeed God sees at once both what I am and what I could be. Is it not that much easier to see why He would choose to save me? Now what I am is not worth much at all. But what I could be! … Well, that's a whole different story.

With love, Doosuur.

Say "Cheese"

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.

Proverbs 15:30

I was waiting in line at the barbershop today for a haircut when I noticed a young man looking in my direction, with a transistor radio to his ear, and smiling quite sheepishly. I looked away for a while and when I looked again, he was still there. He seemed to be looking at me and his smile seemed pretty silly by now. I did the natural thing and turned away and then, very cautiously, looked again out of the corner of my eye. There he was, staring. This time I looked him full in the face, deliberate and unblinking. He seemed even more amused and even chuckled this time. "What in the world is he looking at?" I wondered as I looked around myself. Was it my clothes? My bald head? Maybe the fact that I was eating aya (I'm out of practice)?

But then I noticed the transistor radio to his ear. He was amused by what he was hearing, not by what he was seeing. As a matter of fact, he may have been looking quite alright, but he wasn't seeing at all. My presence there was of no consequence to him. His smiling countenance was determined not by what he could see but by the unseen - the voice in his ear.

I think that's the way we must be as Christians. Our countenance must be determined by the unseen - the voice in our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says "Be joyful always." That's admittedly a tall order and seems absolutely impossible until we begin to learn that our circumstances must not determine our joy. Certainly we cannot always be happy. Life's just not that way. A friend once taught me that happiness is just that - happenness. It's dependent on the good things that happen to us and goes out the window when bad things happen. But joy is an entirely different proposition. It does not depend on anything that happens outside of us. It's based entirely on what's going on inside.

I find it easiest to be joyful by assuring myself, quite truthfully, that regardless of my circumstance all things will work for my good, according to God's promise (Romans 8). And I have the benefit of experience to fall back on. And then there's the peace that comes with just knowing God and being assured that He's intimately concerned with what happens to me.

But I believe we must go the extra step beyond just being joyful to showing joy. Take a look at yourself. Does your face bring a smile or a frown to the next person? How does the way you look reflect the way you feel on the inside? Remember, joy is infectious, so don't just have joy. Show it.

Put a smile on your face and watch your joy spread to others around you. In the Proverbs the teacher seems to suggest that our countenance will directly affect the way we feel and how joyful we are. So why don't we go ahead and try to put a smile on everything and give ourselves a better day.

With love, Doosuur.