Have you ever opened your Bible and stumbled upon a note you once wrote in the margins? Nothing makes me happier than looking back on how God has revealed himself through sermons, Bible studies or daily devotions.
Today at Highland, Kyle started a new series on the book of Jonah. As I turned to Chapter 1, I smiled as I read "Uganda, 05/19/10." Winnie, one of the evangelizers we met while at
Restoration Gateway last summer, talked about Jonah during one of our morning prayer sessions. I wrote down a quote of hers that I'll always cherish.
"As long as you have an appointment with God, He is faithful to accomplish it."
Thinking back on our trip to Uganda, I was reminded of a divine appointment I had on the plane. I journaled about it upon arrival in Kampala, and when the memory was triggered this morning I felt led to share it with you!
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"The flight from Amsterdam to Uganda began with a special God moment. The man sitting to my left was named Eric and was a native Ugandan. I'll admit, at first I was a bit nervous and didn't want to make conversation, but his willingness to open up put me at ease. I realized what an incredible opportunity I had to learn about the people I'd meet before I even arrived.
Eric is a solider in the Ugandan army and was returning home after being in the U.S. for seven months of training. He told me that he has two children whom he couldn't wait to see, Evelyn and Arinda. Arinda means 'protector' in their language, and his son was given that name because Eric said, 'God protects us!' When he asked me what my name meant, I told him that Amanda means 'worthy of love.' He then pointed to my ring and said, 'Someone loves you!'
At the time I was wearing my James Avery cross ring, so I proceeded to tell him about how my parents gave it to me after I was baptized. I shared a little about my faith as a Christian and how for us baptism is a personal choice of faith as a public statement of our relationship with Christ. I asked him about religion in Uganda and he said it's primarily Christian -- a mix of Catholic, Protestant and Seventh Day Adventist. 'But I believe that religion isn't a group or a title,' he said. 'I know that being a Christian means having a relationship with Jesus.'
I'm sure I was smiling when he said that! As much as I was fidgeting in my mind, trying to orchestrate a conversation that led to the gospel, God's promise became a reality. He said to Moses in the Bible, 'I will help you speak,' and now He was calling the shots in my conversation with Eric.
Eric told me all about Uganda's history and his involvement in the army. He spoke almost in a whisper, since talking about the war and the Lord's Resistance Army wouldn't ordinarily be an acceptable plane conversation, but it was so humbling to hear first-hand of the cruelty behind the Invisible Children documentary. I was humbled to think about the sacrifices Eric made to be away from his family while pushing the LRA out of Uganda.
'I hope my children understand why I do what I do,' Eric said. 'I want to make sure they have a better life, that they don't have to experience unrest.' I tried to imagine his reunion with his wife and kids in just a few short hours when we landed. Wanting a better life, Eric left home and gave up time to train in the UPDA (Ugandan People's Defense Army).
In the same way, wanting redemption and reconciliation with His people, Jesus left his throne in heaven to pay the ultimate price for our sins. How much sweeter will our reunion be when we finally see Christ face-to-face?! The Word became flesh so that we could experience true life. Life with hope and grace and mercy in the mist of so much hurt."
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"I hope my children understand why I do what I do." Can you hear Jesus saying that? He yearns and pleads for us to understand His grace, to try and wrap our minds around the magnitude of His love for us. What a beautiful reminder of his loving mercy.
