I have been fighting a pitched battle recently with my drive
for perfection. At times such as this, it’s a curse. As a child, I faced
constant demands for perfection. Resistance is a challenge--especially since
there are times when the quest for perfection is valuable, as in my prior
career as a lawyer. My clients deserved better than a half-baked job on their
case. I try to remember that I am not now, and never will be, perfect. If
that’s good enough for God, I need to let it be good enough for me, and to remember
my salvation does not depend on how I perform the tasks before me. Thank God
for that!
We are gearing up for our next mission trip to Nicaragua.
This year we will help the community of Las Lajas install a Living Waters for
the World clean water system. My job is to organize the spiritual and health
education for the people who will use the clean water. The spiritual part
includes reminding them that God wants the best for them, including clean
water. It’s the health education that is causing me sleepless nights. I’m
comfortable teaching adults, but Las Lajas has also arranged for us to teach the
students at three elementary schools, a total of some 150 kids. I have a curriculum,
but I have to modify that to prepare something like a portable Vacation Bible
School. We will be making copies and gathering materials, all of which we must carry
with us to Nicaragua. Several women from our church who teach kids as a
profession have volunteered to meet with us next Saturday. I am so grateful for
their time and their expertise.
I keep reminding myself that while I have to do my part in
the preparation, God is with me in this latest adventure. I know how important this
work is. People’s lives are at stake, including the lives of children like my
grandkids. Too many die around the world from lack of clean water. I’m grateful
for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of some of them, and I’m trying
to remember that whatever I am able to teach them will be more than they know
now. God is once again stretching my horizons, and I’ve been thinking about Mother
Teresa, who said, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just
wish he did not trust me so much.” Amen, Sister!
Grace and Peace,
Donna
