In the summer, we would occasionally lose electrical power. Food in the refrigerator might spoil. As the weather got colder, we get less and less power. After Thanksgiving, we were down to about four hours of electricity, every other night.
So we adjusted. We bought and connected a generator that will run most of our appliances, though none but the smallest of heaters. But the noise (and expense) of the generator really bothers Hamroz. So we have wood stoves and lanterns. Hot water for showers is available from the pipes every two days (unless someone has to wash clothes in hot water), but you can always bring up some boiled water from the kitchen and pour it over yourself. We would generally run the generator for guests, but wait for, “city power” for our own enjoyment. Recently, we missed, “city power night” every night for two weeks. Finally, last night, we declined going to an ISK staff party at the Director’s house to stay home and enjoy electricity.
I found the refrigerator door wide opened the other day. I left it opened, thinking that perhaps someone was cooling the food with room temperature instead of waiting for electricity.
They are constructing a power line, coming down from energy-rich Khazakstan through Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and on into the lucrative energy market in India. Some day. It will provide 24 hour/7 day per week power to Kabul. Some day.
Last night we invited a guest over (one of my friends) to enjoy the electricity with us. We even watched a movie. At ten o’clock, as usual, the power was cut. Then it came back!! It stayed all night!!! It was still on this afternoon!! I got a hot shower this morning, and can get one again tomorrow!! And the clothes are washed!! And ironed!!
Some say it is the legendary power line, finally in place. Some say it is a three day gift from the government to celebrate the upcoming holiday of Eid-al-Qurban. Only time will tell.
I told Hamroz that it made national news when a few states in the US lost power for a few hours, back in 2003. They called it a blackout. There is no translation for the word, “Blackout” in the Dari language. Yet.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Power of Praise
I Pe 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. NASV
The utterances of God are living and active; they accomplish things all by themselves. All was dark when He said, “Let there be light”. But because He spoke, even though it had not yet appeared, light was the truth about the universe. God’s Word is truth, over and above what our five senses tell us. Because He said it, it will happen. He speaks calm to the storm, healing to the sick and by the power of what He speaks, it becomes so. And our speech should imitate His. We should speak words with intrinsic power.
Prayer is a connection between the divine and the earthly. In it, our requests, our sins, our problems meet with His divine presence and power. When we intercede, occasionally that powerful conviction arises in our soul that allows us to speak a powerful word that we know that we know will be fulfilled. It is an error that I have often made to continue to repeat my perspective, my desire, when that conviction does not arise.
What is lacking is usually not more of my perspective. Instead of arguing the validity of the prayer request (trying to help God understand the problem) what is more likely necessary is a deeper connection with His divine presence and power. What is lacking is praise. If there is a word like His, a powerful word that will fulfill itself, in my heart, I should speak it out. Otherwise, I should remember His characteristics, call them to mind, speak them out - until such a powerful word wells up inside me. It is more often His perspective and power, not mine, that lacks in my prayers.
The utterances of God are living and active; they accomplish things all by themselves. All was dark when He said, “Let there be light”. But because He spoke, even though it had not yet appeared, light was the truth about the universe. God’s Word is truth, over and above what our five senses tell us. Because He said it, it will happen. He speaks calm to the storm, healing to the sick and by the power of what He speaks, it becomes so. And our speech should imitate His. We should speak words with intrinsic power.
Prayer is a connection between the divine and the earthly. In it, our requests, our sins, our problems meet with His divine presence and power. When we intercede, occasionally that powerful conviction arises in our soul that allows us to speak a powerful word that we know that we know will be fulfilled. It is an error that I have often made to continue to repeat my perspective, my desire, when that conviction does not arise.
What is lacking is usually not more of my perspective. Instead of arguing the validity of the prayer request (trying to help God understand the problem) what is more likely necessary is a deeper connection with His divine presence and power. What is lacking is praise. If there is a word like His, a powerful word that will fulfill itself, in my heart, I should speak it out. Otherwise, I should remember His characteristics, call them to mind, speak them out - until such a powerful word wells up inside me. It is more often His perspective and power, not mine, that lacks in my prayers.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Why You Haven't Seen Me Around
In the beginning, God set up the pattern of a seven day work week. Six days of work and one day of rest. It is a spiritual recipe we were designed to follow with all of our hearts. The “teacher’s life” seems a perversion of this - one is constantly looking forward to a summer or winter break to finally take a rest. “Rest” is usually lurking too far in the future (hope deferred makes the heart sick), and this lifestyle increases the risk of burnout. The biblical model instructs us to keep much shorter accounts on our rest cycle – to rest up every week.
I have learned to rest where I am. Rest, for me, often means a 10-15 mile run – it takes up to two hours. My place of choice is Kabul University, shaded and relatively car-free. On weekends (Thursday and Friday, here) and perhaps twice more after a school day, you might see me passing by there.
Rest, for me, also includes having company over. Hamroz is a great hostess and it is our privilege to have a house frequented by, perhaps, 15-20 visitors per week. We try to keep Thursdays open to spend together, and it sometimes works out.
Rest, for me, features especially time with my wife. We date. We play. We host. I can usually come home for lunches. The dark and dangerous nights without power usually mean more time alone. Lots of pillow talk.
So breaks from school do not have to be breaks from “work” for me. They have been times to learn language (which I wish could be my full time job for a season – wish thus far unfulfilled; what a privilege it was for the first year and a half in Costa Rica when all I did was learn Spanish), times to run the ISK facility (not my cup of tea), time to run children’s programs (I can handle that), times to court, get married and honeymoon, times to make friends across this immense cultural barrier.
Having a friend like Hamroz, as well as all the short two-hour vacations at Kabul U, lessens the need to take breaks seasonally. Were I in the habit of leaving Asia for summer breaks, I would likely be single, relatively friendless and unable to communicate, except in English and Spanish. As it is, I consider myself a blessed and fruitful man. Can my family and friends in the USA bear with the sacrifice? Please post your comments.
I have learned to rest where I am. Rest, for me, often means a 10-15 mile run – it takes up to two hours. My place of choice is Kabul University, shaded and relatively car-free. On weekends (Thursday and Friday, here) and perhaps twice more after a school day, you might see me passing by there.
Rest, for me, also includes having company over. Hamroz is a great hostess and it is our privilege to have a house frequented by, perhaps, 15-20 visitors per week. We try to keep Thursdays open to spend together, and it sometimes works out.
Rest, for me, features especially time with my wife. We date. We play. We host. I can usually come home for lunches. The dark and dangerous nights without power usually mean more time alone. Lots of pillow talk.
So breaks from school do not have to be breaks from “work” for me. They have been times to learn language (which I wish could be my full time job for a season – wish thus far unfulfilled; what a privilege it was for the first year and a half in Costa Rica when all I did was learn Spanish), times to run the ISK facility (not my cup of tea), time to run children’s programs (I can handle that), times to court, get married and honeymoon, times to make friends across this immense cultural barrier.
Having a friend like Hamroz, as well as all the short two-hour vacations at Kabul U, lessens the need to take breaks seasonally. Were I in the habit of leaving Asia for summer breaks, I would likely be single, relatively friendless and unable to communicate, except in English and Spanish. As it is, I consider myself a blessed and fruitful man. Can my family and friends in the USA bear with the sacrifice? Please post your comments.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Rest
Why? So many horrible things are happening so near, to those I love. And they are looking at us next. Why are they allowed? The temptation to live by fear instead of by faith, to let terror, not the Holy Spirit determine my next moves, looms dark in my heart. I sometimes feel fatigued and heavy. Why did my Father call me here, just to become so heavy-laden?
You can’t rest unless you are tired. When you exercise, tens of thousands of microscopic tears are ripped into your muscles. And, when you use the chemical ATP, which is stored in your muscles to release energy, it changes into lactic acid, which makes you feel more and more fatigued and heavy as it accumulates. Rest consists in repairing the muscle tears (each tear repaired becomes stronger than it was originally) and converting the lactic acid back into ATP (which also stimulates extra ATP production). Here is the rub: if you don’t have any muscle tears nor any buildup of lactic acid, you can not properly rest, no matter how much time you spend laying around. You just atrophy – turning your body’s proteins into fat.
As with the body, so with the soul. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Which might somewhat explain the impossible trials each one of us must pass through. Unless we are first weary and heavy-laden, there is no invitation into Christ’s blessed soul rest. The things we see, the things that are happening, rip our soul apart. Only then, we are ready for healing rest.
You can’t rest unless you are tired. When you exercise, tens of thousands of microscopic tears are ripped into your muscles. And, when you use the chemical ATP, which is stored in your muscles to release energy, it changes into lactic acid, which makes you feel more and more fatigued and heavy as it accumulates. Rest consists in repairing the muscle tears (each tear repaired becomes stronger than it was originally) and converting the lactic acid back into ATP (which also stimulates extra ATP production). Here is the rub: if you don’t have any muscle tears nor any buildup of lactic acid, you can not properly rest, no matter how much time you spend laying around. You just atrophy – turning your body’s proteins into fat.
As with the body, so with the soul. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Which might somewhat explain the impossible trials each one of us must pass through. Unless we are first weary and heavy-laden, there is no invitation into Christ’s blessed soul rest. The things we see, the things that are happening, rip our soul apart. Only then, we are ready for healing rest.
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