This is day six of the most recent crisis in Jos. This is my second time around so I don't feel the stress quite as much and yet our life has been turned upside down a bit.
This was our second day at a new residence. My husband is concerned that we live so far away from the school where all the kids attend and where I teach so we have moved to a different Lutheran compound and may be here awhile. When we drove here yesterday the drive that usually takes under 25 minutes took about three times that.
There were many security checks as we passed through the areas where the crisis began. As we drove through the check points most passengers had to get out of their cars and walk, with their hands above their heads, until the got to the other side of the check point. Our police escort and the military we passed allowed us to stay in our car.
This new compound is just across the street from the school so I feel like Amson is quite relieved that we are here but the kids miss their friends and it's an adjustment to be uprooted. One nice thing is that my sisters-in-law came with us and the two other families on the compound have kids the similar ages to our kids so they can connect.
The other changes we're dealing with are that is that the flat we are staying in doesn't have light so by 7:00 pm it's dark. We are fortunate that the upstairs' neighbors are open to us charging laptops, cell phones and hanging out at their house.
There is still no news about when school will start. The first few days there was a 24 hour curfew and now it's from 5:00 pm to 10:00 am so it's a little hard to start school between those hours, though I suppose we could get creative if the curfew doesn't change soon!
Even though it's not easy on our family to be spread out between two compounds, our main concern is that peace can be maintained and that those who have been completely displaced and are left with only the clothes on their back, literally, can have their needs met and can heal from the terror they experienced.
I also reiterate what I said in my previous blog, in spite of all the craziness in the world I still believe that God is in control. I think it was during the second day of the crisis when one colleague called to see how we were and asked if I felt safe. I replied, "I feel safe in God's hand, but not man's." Perhaps those who have lived through a natural disaster have another impression, but I pray that they too can look to God for hope.
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Family
Family is on my mind a lot these days. November is an important month for my family as both Nat and Annette were born in this month. Today is Annette's birthday and Nat's was two weeks ago. Both had parties the day before with their friends and classmates.
This month I've been thinking of my parents and siblings too as my mom is preparing to sell the home I grew up in and called home for forty years. When I was in the house last January, after my father died, I "said goodbye" and knew I would not return.
Goodbyes are never easy; losing loved ones, seeing ones children growing up and losing their innocence (Nat becomes a teenager next year!), constantly seeing students graduating or returning to their home countries, and the list goes on. I've never been so social that I quickly make friends, and yet these past years in Nigeria seeing so many come and go has made it even harder to connect when I know that I might have to say goodbye in a relively short time.
It's a good thing I deal more with the here and now or I'd suffer from homesickness much more often than I do. Though I guess I am feeling more homesick than usual this past week. There was a group of Lutherans from the US here at the guesthouse for a few days, and I really missed not having time to connect more with them. It wasn't until they left that I realized how nice it was to connect with people from the church I grew up in; my Lutheran roots run pretty deep.
I guess that's one of the reasons why my faith is so important to me. In Luke 7:11-17, we read how Jesus reached out and physically touched a widow's dead son in an effort to bring the boy back to life and relieve the mother's suffering. In verse 13 Jesus spoke to the widow-mother and said, "Don't cry!" He reached out to her, not in pity or because he was uncomfortable or annoyed by her tears, but because Jesus stands for life. Anything related to death greives him deeply.
Jesus constantly and consistently showed compassion for those that came to him. I know for myself that His compassion and never-ending love is something that I need greatly.
I grew up in a family that hugged a lot, but that form of expression is not common in traditional Nigeria so I am fortunate that my kids are good huggers; Daniel and Annette are very affectionate and now and then I can still get a hug out of Nat and my husband has learned that sometimes I just need a hug.
Over the years there have been times when I have just had to reach up and claim a hug from my Father God and amazingly, I have always felt his overwelming love be returned. May you too claim and be touched by His love!
This month I've been thinking of my parents and siblings too as my mom is preparing to sell the home I grew up in and called home for forty years. When I was in the house last January, after my father died, I "said goodbye" and knew I would not return.
Goodbyes are never easy; losing loved ones, seeing ones children growing up and losing their innocence (Nat becomes a teenager next year!), constantly seeing students graduating or returning to their home countries, and the list goes on. I've never been so social that I quickly make friends, and yet these past years in Nigeria seeing so many come and go has made it even harder to connect when I know that I might have to say goodbye in a relively short time.
It's a good thing I deal more with the here and now or I'd suffer from homesickness much more often than I do. Though I guess I am feeling more homesick than usual this past week. There was a group of Lutherans from the US here at the guesthouse for a few days, and I really missed not having time to connect more with them. It wasn't until they left that I realized how nice it was to connect with people from the church I grew up in; my Lutheran roots run pretty deep.
I guess that's one of the reasons why my faith is so important to me. In Luke 7:11-17, we read how Jesus reached out and physically touched a widow's dead son in an effort to bring the boy back to life and relieve the mother's suffering. In verse 13 Jesus spoke to the widow-mother and said, "Don't cry!" He reached out to her, not in pity or because he was uncomfortable or annoyed by her tears, but because Jesus stands for life. Anything related to death greives him deeply.
Jesus constantly and consistently showed compassion for those that came to him. I know for myself that His compassion and never-ending love is something that I need greatly.
I grew up in a family that hugged a lot, but that form of expression is not common in traditional Nigeria so I am fortunate that my kids are good huggers; Daniel and Annette are very affectionate and now and then I can still get a hug out of Nat and my husband has learned that sometimes I just need a hug.
Over the years there have been times when I have just had to reach up and claim a hug from my Father God and amazingly, I have always felt his overwelming love be returned. May you too claim and be touched by His love!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It has been several weeks since I've written due to computer connection problems, but several times I have thought, "oh, that would make an interesting blog"!
During our recent mid-term break I often found myself playing referee with my kids fighting. It's not a position I like, but it rarely works to let them settle it between themselves. Sometimes I feel my main role is to be a listening ear when they are ready to vent their frustrations.
It finally hit me the other day, that they main reason they sometimes struggle to get along is because they expect everyone else, including their siblings, parents, aunties and uncles living in the house and so on, to understand them fully, respect where they are coming from and basically to never disappoint them! Those are hard demands to meet...actually just impossible! Yet that is what so many of us continue to expect as we grow into adulthood and enter into the workforce, marriage, relate to neighbors, etc.
You'd think that as we grow and mature we would learn that such expectations will only lead to disappointment, but few learn to lower their sights. In fact, there is only one who can meet those expectations...God.
At some point in life we should realize that no one in this world is perfect; not me, not you, not our spouse, parent, sibling, neighbor, boss...not even our pastor! If we can learn and accept that as fact, and rest knowing that God alone fully knows and understands us then we can go to him each day and be filled by his unconditional love.
As each day wears on we often share that love and sometimes, by the end of the day, we may even be running on empty. But even when that happens we can trust that our return to God will fill us again. Along the way we often meet others that remind us of God's love. Sometimes it is our child's hug, a word of thanks from a spouse, co-worker or student, a stranger's willingness to let us enter a lane of traffic, or even our ability to laugh at our own mistakes. Whatever it is, the point is that we don't have to stay on empty.
If you are filling empty as you read this, then know that God's love is real and that His Word is true! God knows our heart and wants to fill us with his presence. Even though no one can claim to be perfect, God is perfect and God is ALWAYS waiting with open arms to hold us like only a loving parent can. If you are seeking for peace and truth like I am, then start with Him today! Let Him fill you up and then go out to share that love with those you meet today. Who knows, you may even get home with an over-flow!
Luv ya!
Dorthea
During our recent mid-term break I often found myself playing referee with my kids fighting. It's not a position I like, but it rarely works to let them settle it between themselves. Sometimes I feel my main role is to be a listening ear when they are ready to vent their frustrations.
It finally hit me the other day, that they main reason they sometimes struggle to get along is because they expect everyone else, including their siblings, parents, aunties and uncles living in the house and so on, to understand them fully, respect where they are coming from and basically to never disappoint them! Those are hard demands to meet...actually just impossible! Yet that is what so many of us continue to expect as we grow into adulthood and enter into the workforce, marriage, relate to neighbors, etc.
You'd think that as we grow and mature we would learn that such expectations will only lead to disappointment, but few learn to lower their sights. In fact, there is only one who can meet those expectations...God.
At some point in life we should realize that no one in this world is perfect; not me, not you, not our spouse, parent, sibling, neighbor, boss...not even our pastor! If we can learn and accept that as fact, and rest knowing that God alone fully knows and understands us then we can go to him each day and be filled by his unconditional love.
As each day wears on we often share that love and sometimes, by the end of the day, we may even be running on empty. But even when that happens we can trust that our return to God will fill us again. Along the way we often meet others that remind us of God's love. Sometimes it is our child's hug, a word of thanks from a spouse, co-worker or student, a stranger's willingness to let us enter a lane of traffic, or even our ability to laugh at our own mistakes. Whatever it is, the point is that we don't have to stay on empty.
If you are filling empty as you read this, then know that God's love is real and that His Word is true! God knows our heart and wants to fill us with his presence. Even though no one can claim to be perfect, God is perfect and God is ALWAYS waiting with open arms to hold us like only a loving parent can. If you are seeking for peace and truth like I am, then start with Him today! Let Him fill you up and then go out to share that love with those you meet today. Who knows, you may even get home with an over-flow!
Luv ya!
Dorthea
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