Jodia

Today/JODIA, I am reminded of why I came to Haiti in the first place. While there is nothing extraordinary or remarkable about today, the time I have spent in personal reflection and prayer has led me come to a newfound understanding of why I am where I am, and why it’s okay that many of my expectations and plans are not being fulfilled at this time.

I have been in Haiti for a little over two months now, and if I’m being totally honest, it hasn’t been exactly what I expected. I don’t say this to bash anyone I am working alongside or anyone who helped me set expectations for this assignment, nor am I arguing that one should not prepare and plan for future endeavors. Rather, I am sharing this because I believe what I am learning is a valuable principle that can be applied to any situation in which one’s personal expectations or goals are not being fulfilled.

The word that led me to say “yes” to coming to Haiti for 11 months was “jodia,” or “seize the day,” in Haitian Creole. This word was something God spoke to me in a time of prayer prior to even knowing what it meant. As I am realizing now, this word wasn’t just to push me to make that initial decision of coming to Haiti, but was also to remind me while on the field that I am to seize the day. I am to seize every moment as an opportunity.

Practically speaking, my role in Haiti right now is primarily learning-based and less ministry-focused than I anticipated. However, this reality has caused me to really evaluate how I value time, and what my intentions are with each action I take. Am I seizing every moment as an opportunity? Am I taking every thought captive? Am I viewing every smile, glance, or interaction as a possibility for God to do something?

I am in Haiti because God called me to seize the day and accept this awesome opportunity to learn. While I may not be living the life I expected here and my goals may not be getting accomplished at this time, I am learning about things that never even crossed my mind before.

Overall, my time so far has taught me that I must never think my plans are more grandiose than God’s plans. I must never belittle the value in the mundane. I must never put God into a box of my own understanding, refusing to do or be in any circumstance that is outside of my own will.

The incredible truth behind all of this is that God DOES have purpose deeper than my own understanding, and there is immense value in seizing every passing moment as an opportunity.

Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

If you are in a situation in which you are struggling with your expectations versus reality, I challenge you to view this season as an opportunity. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you, and trust that there is something good in it. As we begin to trust God’s plan and take every moment captive, God is able to work in us and those around us in ways far greater than we could ever imagine.

Until next time,

Tamara

Abide

Abide: to bear patiently; to endure without yielding; to remain stable or in a fixed state

If there’s one thing I despise doing, it’s sitting around waiting for something to happen. This is especially hard when the thing I am waiting for is uncertain or unclear. So often, I am tempted to take action in order to bypass the “waiting” time and reach a quick result.

What I have learned to be true in these times of waiting is this:

I can’t bake a delicious cake in a microwave, I can’t become an expert from reading “Sparknotes,” I can’t run a 10k without extensive training, and whether I like it or not, I cannot fulfill the Lord’s call on my life without a season of waiting.

Perhaps not everyone is called to wait for the same amount of time, but I do believe that the Bible makes it clear that a plentiful harvest requires a time of planting, building, and, WAITING. As Jesus states in John 15:4, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

This passage has been challenging me deeply. While God has given me some vision and direction about what I am called to do during this season, I have surprisingly found myself in several instances where I don’t know what God is specifically speaking or what I should be doing. From this passage, I am reminded that to reach the next step, I need to abide in the Lord. I need to remain in His presence and patiently pursue His will, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

If you find yourself in a similar season, I encourage you to remind yourself of the value in waiting. A cake certainly tastes a lot better when it is cooked the perfect amount of time in the oven, a 10k is definitely a lot easier to run if it is preceded by extensive training, and the release of God’s purpose and will for your life is undoubtedly much sweeter when you choose to remain in His presence and allow time to grow.

I challenge you, as I am challenging myself, to ALLOW time to wait. If it seems like God is holding out on you, continue to pursue Him. Don’t lose heart and derail the process for a quick result. In due time, God will produce a harvest that is far better than you or I could ever achieve in our own time or strength.

Until next time,

Tamara