Abide in Me

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself , unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4

These past days I have been waiting for some great insights to share with you, but it dawned on me yesterday that my walk with God is spent more in the valleys and climbs than on any mountain top where I feel jolted by God's greatness.

Instead, I have been reminded that our walk with God should be a daily occurrence, a daily "plugging in". I am realizing that the act of plugging in is not just an act of daily devotions, but an act of centering ourselves on God.

I remember when I first came to Nigeria and was teaching English at a Lutheran seminary in Yola, Adamawa State. One assignment I gave was for students to write a paragraph to share the first things they do each day.

I was amazed that the replies were almost 100% uniform: "Sit up (while still in bed), thank God for seeing me through the night and ask him to be with me in the new day, wash my face, get dressed, greet my family and neighbors."

Meeting God from the moment we open our eyes to the time we close them again at the end of our day is what it means to abide in me.

Throughout the day that means reading His Word, seeking his will in decisions big and small, living out our faith when we connect with our children, spouse, family members, colleagues, people on the road, in the store, at school, on the phone, as we decide what to watch on TV or listen to in the car...etc. Centering ourselves in God's will starts with us meeting God one on one in prayer and reading the Bible, but most of our time is spent in our daily activities. How we carry ourselves in our daily activities is the true test of whether or not we are abiding in Him.

I pray that as you abide in Him you can remember that, as great as those mountain top experiences can be, we live down in the valley and it is there we live out our faith and testify of His greatness to those we meet along the way. We need the constant source of encouragement, comfort and guidance that we gain from abiding in Him to get through each day So let us meet him first in His Word and again and again in our prayers of thanks and our petitions for encouragement, comfort and guidance so that we can stay on track throughout the day. Then, when those mountain top experiences do occur, we will treasure them even more because we will have a better understanding of all aspects of what it means to abide in me.

Dorthea

Pizza or Shinge?

In Nigeria we have a kind of long-winged termite that comes out during the rainy season. Many people like to eat them. Kids especially like to catch them in a big bowl of water and drown them before frying them. In Yola, Adamawa State where we used to live, they even sell them in the market and women can make a fair amount of money. Tonight my daughter and her friends were catching them and now she wants to fry them.

Me, I made pizza today and much prefer it to shinge!

But then, I guess we all have our preferences. Some people can't imagine traveling to Nigeria and these days just leaving one's country is harder than it was before 9/11. As for me, I now feel like a foreigner in the USA.

Soon I will start teaching US History again and have realized that I need to find a way to enjoy it more so that my students can enjoy it too, I much prefer world history and diversity it offers.

Perhaps that's one reason we can have so many different preferences, we live in a diverse world, but diversity can be scary at times, just as the unknown can be terrifying, or at least uncomfortable. Change is like that too.

One of the things I like about living in Nigeria is that it is harder to get in a rut here. Ruts tend to choke me and stifle my creativity.

I guess that's why one of my favorite Bible verses is, "Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19

There is so much going on around us that it seems crazy to me not to appreciate the diversity, whether it is people or new food like shinge. (I have tried them in the past, and did today too when Annette insisted!)

My prayer for you today is that you can take time to enjoy something new in God's creation. May it bring joy in your heart and may you find a way to share it with others. If you want, you could even come to Nigeria and try shinge!

Dorthea

Give us patience to endure life's challenges!

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13

Yesterday I was reading a news article where Americans were wondering what they had to celebrate about on the 4th of July. I was relieved when, at the end of the article, the writer did mention that some were turning to the church.

So often the way we move on after, or in the midst of life's challenges is determined by our attitude and where we turn for comfort and encouragement. If we turn to a bottle, it will finish, if we turn to a person, they might leave us, if we turn to work, it might one day end, but if we turn to God, He is ALWAYS there!

I finally started learning that when I discovered Matthew 28:19-20 back in my elementary days. I consider it a fact that God will be with us until the "close of the age"! That fact has stayed with me as I studied in Norway, travelled to Colombia, toured in Europe and now as I live and work in Nigeria. Situations may change, but God doesn't! People may come and go, even we ourselves change, but God is constant and never-ending and God is SOOOO big that His Word speaks to us in every new situation and every new stage of our life.

As I dwell on this, joy fills my heart. I pray that you too might recognize the joy that is offered to you!

Dorthea

My first blog...

Living a life for God is a wonderful challenge wherever one lives, but teaching and living in Nigeria makes life a constant adventure. After eighteen years of working with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, marrying a Nigerian pastor, starting a family and more recently being a part of the LCCN Guesthouse in Jos as well as teaching at Hillcrest School I find I would like to share my challenges and experiences with more people.

That is why I am starting this blog. I hope you will enjoy being part of my adventure and that we can grow and reflect together as God takes us where he will.

Dorthea