We’re hoping for rain nowadays. The fierce cold (for locals anyway) seems to be over with, but the dryness persists.
As I make my treks over the river to visit my Fulani buddies, I have alot of time on the road, looking at the dust and the leaves and flowers and grass and trees that used to be vivid green all covered with red dirt. Sometimes I get to feeling like that in my heart and soul. Dusty and dry and feeling nothing. I published some years back this photo of a flower which says it all for me, like the sun in the photo above, shining through in spite of harmattan dust. The Lord’s mercies are new every morning, amen! He can bring new hope and new life out of dryness and dust and despair. You can almost look straight at the sunset when there’s enough dust in the air, and you can’t miss the bright new blossom in the midst of the dirt. That is, you can’t miss it if you’re looking in the right direction. I think you do have to be looking for the hope, or at least be willing and open to be surprised and delighted by the hope.
I recently was delighted by the hope in a Fulani friend’s face when I brought her friends from Gamboula to visit. I was encouraged by another Fulani friend’s expectation of someday moving back “home” to Gamboula. Over and over again the Lord brings hopeful things to me in the midst of troubles and dryness, even something so simple as a baby’s smile or the opportunity to help a child with meds for a badly infected ear, so that I am not overwhelmed. He lifts me up and puts my feet upon a solid rock. May God bless you with hope today!
