"As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things."

~Ecclesiastes 11:5

And so it is with me.  Much has happened over the past two weeks since I have last posted a blog.  Perhaps the most significant of these events is that our precious baby Moses has passed away. The death of African babies is no longer just a statistic to us.  Sadly, there is little help in the hospitals here to care for a baby so small.  Our team has found it difficult to grieve the death of an infant, and yet, our faith and hope are in God.  We have seen his healing power, and we have watched as babies die.  Our God is sovereign over life and death.  He gives and he takes away.  Such wisdom is too lofty for me to understand.  But one thing I know:  God's goodness and faithfulness endure even in the midst of tragedy.  In fact, sometimes it is the tragedy itself that brings us to this realization.  And so, we do not raise our fists to curse God, but we raise our hands to give him praise.  And we remember that even our very own days are numbered (Psalm 139:16). 

I
have been humbled with the reminder that life on earth is no more than
"a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James
4:14), as well as with the understanding that "naked a man comes from
his mother's womb, and as he comes so he departs.  He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand" (Ecc. 5:15). 

These truths beg the question:  For what, then, shall I labor? 

And. . .

If our lives are but a mist, how should we spend them? 

I believe these are questions for all of us to ponder.  And
for those of us who call ourselves Christians - who have committed
ourselves to living lives devoted to Christ - there is something we
seem to overlook:  Everyone remembers that Jesus
died to bring us forgiveness for our wrongdoing, and to secure our
places in the Kingdom of Heaven through faith in him.  This, of course is of utmost importance.  But perhaps we should also bear in mind that our Jesus also lived to teach us how to live.

We have answers to our questions.  Understanding how to live a life that is pleasing to God is not far from our reach.  The mist has purpose.  We can ask God to show us, and we can read it in the Gospels.  I challenge you to spend time doing this, and to share with me what you find.    

This coming weekend we will celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ.  (You will be doing it at church, with family, and with a ham on the table.  We will do it with a blow-out Swazi party and delicious warthog meat)!  I'll be thinking about all of you.  (and the ham on your table).  J

Be blessed, my friends.

With love,