Observed Impact

As the crowd squeezed inside the two large tents Thursday night to avoid the drenching rain, they watched with eyes glued to the screen as Jesus was …

Observed Impact

The Worn Path of Daily

When we moved to West Africa the summer of 1999 with our four children, we moved into a house with high block walls, massive metal gates, and an abundance of razor wire.  We were delighted to know that we had inherited a beautiful German Shepherd “Guard Dog” as well. Thinking that she would both protect us and be a playmate for the kids who said they felt like they were in prison behind the walls with bars on every window.  We quickly learned that her guarding ability was limited…. And like her name, Daily ran around the house obsessively, over and over and over until there was a dirt path through the grassy areas where she had worn away the lush tropical grass.  Ignoring the kids who wanted to play with her, she went round and round and round until someone knocked at the gate, and as soon as we opened the door to see who it was, she would try to sneak inside the house to hide.

She was designed to be a Guard Dog and that is what we had wanted her to be, roaming the compound, ensuring we had no intruders.  In her brain, she was doing her job, running round and round and round. But in reality, she was useless as a guard dog and was a drain not only on our finances to feed her, but on our time as well as we had to cook the food to feed her.  

I was reminded of her this morning in one of our ladies prayer meetings as one of our colleagues shared a vision she had of green grass growing up where we have worn a path doing all that we think God wanted us to do.

How often are we like the dog Daily – frantically running round and round and round, thinking we are doing what we were brought here for, when all the while God wants us to slow down, to expand our vision and to actually enjoy the grass under our feet, rather than just wearing it down until all we have left is dirt which turns to boggy mud at the slightest rain or hard times. Dear Lord, please help me to look up and seek what You intend for me to do.  Help me to better understand Your design for my life and ministry here.  Help me to appreciate the green grass under my feet and not wear it out by my repetitive “doing”. Please help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting when I am focused on what I think I should be working on, so that I can lay my ideals aside and reap the fullness of life and blessing that You designed for me

path worn in the grass