Feeling discouraged

Funny how we go in emotional cycles, isn't it. One minute we can be the life of the party, and the next, we can be in the dumps. Dawn and I are relatively even-keeled, but now and then, we get discouraged. Lately, it seems that we've been in the latter mood, partly because of the blasted lockdown of our city. 

We celebrated our first anniversary here recently, and for the most part, it's been lovely. It's just that we thought that we'd have seen more progress in the work by this time. 

Though, in actuality, we're blessed beyond measure. I remember a missionary friend of mine saying, "I get paid to tell people about Jesus!" And that is so cool. We get paid to tell people about Gods saving Grace.

We also have been delighted with the group of people that make up our tiny church. They are hard workers, most working six days a week from dawn to sunset. Yet, they are always in service. It's fantastic to be a part of this congregation.

I recently started a series of messages working through the believer’s armor. Last week I talked about our actual enemies Satan and his hoards. In that message, I brought David and Goliath’s battle into the explanation. Don't you love that story? David, at that point in his life, wasn't too discouraged. He saw the cause and took action. I wonder if he ever looked back on that situation and thought, “Wow, I did that?”

David took on a nine-foot giant in an instant because he saw a threat to God’s great name. Discouragement is a threat to God’s name too. It proves that he isn't strong enough or in control enough to help us in our needy moments. So often, our needy moments are trivial distractions. They demand our attention, and after the storm, we wonder why we were worried in the first place. 

While writing this update, I got a message from Rodinele, my coworker. He said that we are going to open our new preaching point soon! He wondered what I thought about the idea, and I had to chuckle as I replied, “THAT is the reason that we moved in the first place.”

That was God encouraging me. An appropriate message at just the right moment. He does that sometimes.