Rainey Days

I have a commute to work every day. Until our office moves in a few weeks, I continue to drive thirty minutes to work and thirty minutes back. I spend that time either deep in thought—once I even missed my exit—or singing at the top of my lungs. I suppose it depends on my mood. I try to redeem the time by listening to French music, learning through musical osmosis, if you will. But sometimes I take a break and this week I am listening to Switchfoot ’s second album, Nothing is Sound . My brother and I are both fans of Switchfoot, and we spent some time over my vacation discussing the merits of our various favorite songs. Until this week, I wouldn’t have said much about the song, “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine.” It’s got a fairly singable melody, but it wasn’t one that jumped out at me. However, this past week, I was reading Psalm 22, which starts with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” One of the most famous quotes of Jesus as he was dying on the cross, this reference stayed ...

As it happens folks, I remembered that I have a picture of some "subjects" for identification. Whether "hillbillies" or "rednecks" is for you to decide--they seem to be very happy in their natural habitat--that's all I know! In other news, Mom is going to be very embarrassed that I posted this family heirloom photo!

Don’t ask me why, but this twangy country song got in my head today. And of course, once in there, it didn’t want to leave. So I was humming it all day. It reminded me of a conversation I once had with a Jordanian man about my dad. I was trying to explain that my dad was a “redneck” which doesn’t really translate in Arabic (or French—we only grow ‘em in the Good Ole US of A, folks!). He couldn’t get the concept. The closest thing I could think of was “fellahi” in Arabic, which means peasant or farmer, not redneck. But my former students used to say it with the same look-down-your-nose disdain. They would insult each other’s clothes as something a “fellahi” would wear. If I went shopping and commented on something I liked in a store window, the girls would burst out giggling and say, “Oh, miss, that’s so fellahi!” I would then keep my apparently backwoods opinions to myself. So, in talking with the Jordanian, I used the “fellahi” word, but tried to add some paint to the word pi...

I mentioned in a previous post about the French National Convention that a German pastor was our keynote speaker for the two days of pastoral meetings. I never did say much about his sermons, but they certainly caused quite a stir among the French pastors. The first morning, Pastor Ingoll Ellson preached on the healing of God. He said that he has been Pentecostal all of his adult life, always believing in the supernatural healing of God, However, as much as he preached and prayed, he never really saw results. One Sunday night, he asked those who had been supernaturally healed during the five years of his ministry to stand up. Only five stood. He told us that he was so disappointed that he actually became angry with God. He thought, “God, I have done everything exactly as You command. We preach healing, we anoint with oil, we pray in faith. What more do You want? If people aren’t being healed, the problem must lie with You.” And in his anger, he resolved not to preach on healin...

Saturdays are the only days I can sleep in, so I feel like I should allow myself that luxury. However, I have noticed that if I sleep in, I just drift slowly from one thing to another for the rest of the day, wrapped in a shroud of laziness that keeps me from getting my work done. But, if I make myself get up early and get right to some task, I have energy all day long. Having learned this, I spend most Saturday mornings going to the outdoor market in the center of my town. It’s a truly French experience! Early while the morning is still cool, I walk 20 minutes to the town center, which shuts down the main road for several hours to make a pedestrian area, filled with tents and stands selling all sorts of things. Though at times it is nothing more than getting sprayed in the face by some unseen sprinkler system, I always have some new experience as I walk through my neighborhood. I live across the street from un collége (junior high) and une école primaire (elementary school), so my r...

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Have you ever seen that extremely clever ad campaign for Walmart, typically shown in mid-August as people prepare for school starting again? Parents dance around the aisles to a Christmas song, basking in the thought that their kiddies will be back in school before too long. In France, “the most wonderful time of the year” refers neither to Christmas, nor to la rentrée (the return) to school. It refers to la periode des soldes. The time of the clearance sales only comes twice a year: in January and July. Strict laws control stores from having clearance sales at any other time. Sure, they have “promotions” where certain canned goods are a few cents cheaper, or you can get half-off one book if you buy another. But that is about as far as “sales” go in France, until July and January. Then, even merchandise as large and expensive as furniture can be bought for 50% off. If you wait until the last week, you might be able to get 70% off ...

I got these spider bites on Monday night during my sleep, but fortunately with ice and anti-itch cream, they have faded. Of course, now they look like hickeys, which is just perfect for a young single missionary! I haven't seen any more spiders, though they seem to have had the last word in our fight.

Job 23:10 “He knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” In the past year I have done an informal study on suffering, not because I particularly wanted to, but because I am continually reminded in the Word of God that suffering is not optional. Having just read Job in my read-through-the-Bible program, suffering is really on my mind. What do you suppose would have happened if Job had given up, cursed God, and died? I can’t imagine his suffering, having lost all his children, his home, his wife, his health. I can’t imagine his humiliation as friend after so-called friend told him that he deserved what he got for some sin he hadn’t confessed. Why on earth didn’t he end it all? How did he not perdre la tête (lose his mind)? I’m not sure that if I were in Job’s boil-infested shoes that I could be as full of faith as Job was. I get overwhelmed by small, ridiculous things, like bills that are overdue, the unbearable heat in my apartment, or friends...

Years ago, when I traveled with 3-D (a drama ministry) I stayed in the home of a military family on the Dover Air Force Base. Directly inside the door, a large picture was dominant on the wall, done in a beautiful calligraphy script, which read, “I have learned whatever state I am in, therein to be content.” I smiled when I read it, because I could imagine that poor military wife schlepping her boxes and cartons from one base to another every few years. The Lord had obviously made that verse real to her, in all its applications (Phil.4:11). Last night I read Psalm 16, and this verse leapt out at me: “Oh Lord you have assigned my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have falled for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance (Ps. 16:5).” It leapt out at me for two reasons. For one, it’s circled in red, leftover from another time when God spoke to me through this verse. But yesterday, it grabbed my attention because I had been thinking abo...

I am not afraid of spiders. Never really have been. I regard them as helpers in my personal war against mosquitoes and flies, both of which really annoy me. When I moved into this apartment, I noticed that it attracts spiders for some reason, and in the past six months, I’ve seen about one a week. In my appreciation for their work against far worse insects, I generously let them live. Unless they are right above my bed as I get ready to sleep. Then I feel that killing the spider is merely a matter of self-defense. (I once read this statistic that the average person swallows approximately seven spiders in their sleep during their lifetime. But here’s the thing: How can scientists possibly know that?!?) Unfortunately, during my three weeks of vacation, the spiders have taken over the apartment. Brown, black, tiny, large, hairy—spiders of all types seem to have banded together in their coup d’etat (overthrow) of my home. I have taken to killing them just to prove my supremacy; after all,...

On the first day of kindergarten, a teacher stands before her class of wriggling, giggling children. She explains that in school, there are certain rules that they need to learn. Most importantly, if one has something to say, one should raise their hands first. A little girl in the third row shoots her hand up, and before the teacher can hardly call on her, announces brightly, “ I have a lot to say!” Well, folks, that’s me (both literally and figuratively). There are about a million things I could say about my vacation at home, my sister’s wedding, my niece Sydney (who reigns currently as the world’s cutest child), or even the Fourth of July I got to spend with my extended family. Instead I will just sum it up: it was all formidable (wonderful). Yeah, I know that’s one French word that doesn’t seem to translate well. I am raising the bar on your French education, people. I really loved being able to spend time with my family. My niece is at an age where she knows just how cute she ...