Limbo

Radio training in Kampala began this week for some of the newest Every Village employees. They are all South Sudanese men, who will be helping to get the radio stations set up in Nasir and Tonj. We (the Nasir team) have been asked to help out with the training in teaching chronological Bible storying. However, we were not planning on being here for this. You see, according to the rotation schedule, we should already be back in Nasir. In fact we should have flown back in 5 days ago.

As most may know, there has been some unrest in South Sudan for a little bit over a month now. We have been warring in prayer daily for peace in South Sudan, just hoping to get a call telling us to pack our bags and prepare to fly back in. One day peace negotiations look promising, and the next day hopes are shattered as the peace talks are back to square one.

Recently, I have received many emails from friends and family asking how we are all doing. In all honesty, these past few days have been very trying. It wasn’t so bad during the time that we were scheduled to be in Kampala. In fact, I really enjoyed the amenities Kampala has to offer. But, now that our scheduled time has passed, restlessness has settled in. I have found myself feeling in limbo and somewhat homeless. Yes we have a great place to stay here, but it’s not home. Home is in Nasir. My life is there now. More than once I have wanted to either be in Nasir or back in the states. More than once have a grappled with the Lord as to why He uprooted me just to wait here in Kampala. More than once I have reasoned that I could have been halfway done with nursing school by now. The unknown is really what makes it all so difficult.

So as I began to review my chronological Bible stories for radio training, I was assigned to tell the story of Abraham and Isaac. My current situation caused me to view this story in a different light than I ever have before.  In this story, God made many promises to Abraham about his descendants. They would be as many as the stars in the heavens. They would be a great nation. They would be enslaved and mistreated, but after 400 years they would come out with many possessions. They would inherit a land called Canaan, and all peoples of the earth would be blessed through him (Abraham). But there was one problem, Abraham had no children. His wife was barren and they were both old. Yet Abraham believed God, and God fulfilled His promise when Abraham and his wife had a son named Isaac. However, years later, God told Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, up to a mountain and to sacrifice him to the Lord. Abraham obeyed God and took his son up to be sacrificed. In fact, he tied Isaac up, put him on the altar, and just as he was about to kill him, the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham telling him not to kill his son. Luckily, there was a ram close by, which Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac. Abraham then named this place “Jehovah Jireh” which means “the Lord will provide”. (Genesis 22)

Abraham had such a great faith. He believed God from the beginning and obeyed God, even to the point of taking his only sons life. He trusted in the plans of the Lord rather than his own reasoning. Yes, some of what God asks us to do make little to no sense. In retrospect, I am not being asked to take anyone’s life in my hands. All the Lord is asking me to do now is to trust Him, His timing, and His plans for my life (although at times this can be just as scary when I’m not wanting to relinquish control). If it is to go back to Nasir, He will provide a way. If it is to go back to the states, He will provide a job. If it is something completely different, He will provide the direction. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is Jehovah Jireh.