"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11
Have you ever made a plan for your day and then nothing goes the way you think it will? This happens to me all the time. It happened to me when I was back in the states, but it seems like it happens a lot more frequently here. At any rate, I've noticed that sometimes, the very best days, the ones where I really see God at work, are the days I don't plan....or rather, the days I plan but nothing happens the way I think it will. I had one of those days a few weeks ago. I went in to Lathitha on a Monday morning, but when I arrived there were a whole lot of people standing around and the office wasn't open. I quickly came to find out that Tuesday was a national holiday so we were off Monday and Tuesday. (Side note - if you want lots of holidays, move to South Africa!)
When I rocked up there, I saw my friend Sandisiwe, who lives in Mzamomhle Township and works at the creche in Lathitha, coming up as well. I'm really thankful she was there because I wouldn't have had a clue what was happening otherwise. I chatted with her a bit and found out that she was intending to go to the clinic that day. At first I thought she was going to go to the Mzamomhle clinic, but she said she doesn't go to that one because it's not uncommon for people to die as they wait to be seen. It's devastating to think about. I've never been to the Mzamomhle clinic, but I have been to a clinic in the Nompumelelo Township, and I can tell you two things: 1.) I don't blame her for not wanting to go to a township clinic and 2.) it's an incredibly difficult and hearthwrenching experience. We ended up going to the clinic in Gonubie but had some time to kill before she could be seen. During that time we chatted a bit about how things were going, her family, and things she's learning.
Before I go further, I want to give a little of her background. Sandisiwe is Xhosa, which is an African culture that is deeply rooted in ancestral worship. Many of the African cultures are shame based, so it's not an easy decision for people who come from these backgrounds to decide to walk away from what they've known their whole lives. It's a tremendous sacrifice and many people who want to follow Christ will go back to their family's ways. Sandisiwe has recently become a Christian and has denounced the traditional ways, but most of the people in her family are devoted to ancestral worship and don't agree with her choice. I bought her a Bible and have started talking with her a little bit about faith. My goal is to eventually get some time every week to sit down with her to read and talk about what she's learning, but we are on holiday again. (LOTS of holidays)
A couple of months back, right after I gave her the Bible, she had to go home because her grandmother passed away. She is one of the only people in her extended family who has a job, as minimal as it may be, so the responsibility of arranging the funeral fell to her. Another side note: y'all - we don't even have a clue. Funerals in South Africa cost tens of thousands of rand and at best Sandisiwe makes R1700 per month. At the current exchange rate, that's approximately $124/month. Ok, back to the story....So at the end of traditional funerals, there will generally be an animal sacrifice to the ancestors (usually a goat) and a ceremony. Sandisiwe wasn't interested in taking part in that, so she decided to leave immediately after the ceremony. All praise be to God for the strength He gave her to leave without taking part - I don't even have the slightest clue how difficult that must have been with the pressure she must have been getting from her family. But, in her haste to leave, she left the Bible at her grandfather's house, who still follows the traditional Xhosa ways.
But God.
Fast forward to our chat as we waited for her to be seen at the clinic. Y'all - she shared with me the most incredible thing. Her grandfather saw her Bible and began reading! Not only that, but he called her up just a few days before we met and wanted to tell her all about what he was reading - Hebrews 11. He had no other reason to call, he just wanted to talk about the faith chapter! :) As she told me this I couldn't help but tear up. Never has the above verse seemed so alive as it did at that moment. God's word does not return void. It is alive and well and He is moving in peoples' lives, here in South Africa and all over the world. Together we prayed for her grandfather that day, and we trust that He will answer our prayers. "For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." Matthew 18:20
With the pain of the recent terror attacks and the persecution that many believers face on a daily basis, it can be difficult to celebrate these seemingly small victories. They may seem small in comparision, but if God is teaching me one thing right now, it's that I don't understand Him or His ways. Everything is backwards to how I think it should be, small victories are huge victories, big troubles are actually small when left in the hands of Jesus. The poor are rich, the rich are poor, the humble will be lifted up and the proud will be brought down. I make a plan to succeed in my task but instead a successful day is hearing about and praying for a man's spiritual well-being and faith. How true it is that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. And thank you Lord, for that.