This morning I woke up to a text from my mom, who is currently in Africa. She and my dad left four days ago and its safe to say that I have worried more about her than I worry about my own trip in two months. My moms health problems have always held her back from doing things like this. Migraines aren’t really what you want in a mud hut in Africa with no running water but she went and from her text this morning she sounds more alive than ever. Its amazing what God can challenge you to do in the midst of heartache. Leaps of faith are always easier to make when you have only your faith to cling to.
Recently we thought we had the long awaited answer to her ever pressing health issues but once again the end result was more questions. Frustrated and upset my mom had to come to the conclusion that this might be something that goes on for the rest of her life. She might never know the feeling of being healthy and she might always have to hold onto her plans loosely wondering what tomorrow holds. But then again we all do. After a few months of anger our family had to move on with life and it seemed that just when we got our feet on the ground the devil slipped his slimy finger through our doors. More pain and disappointment but in the midst of it all God showed up. He taught us the true meaning of forgiveness and redemption and by the grace of his mighty hands we found a way to be our family once again. We were all teetering on the edge of our faith and my mom being the center held on for dear life. We held on to each other, each of us dealing in our own way with what life had brought us. I always said my mom and I were best friends but to be fair I always thought I was stronger than her then in the midst of tragedy I saw my mom for what she was, the rock of our family.
Then this trip with young life Africa came up and in prayerful petition they realized God was calling them to this trip. So they went, health problems and all. The night before they left my mom and I were on the phone as she divided up her 15 vitamins a day into individual bags, she would be prepared at all cost. Their flight left at 6:00 am and anyone who knows my mom can attest that she is not a morning person but she survived. Courtesy of the Young life Africa blog I learned that part of their trip was to Legho village which has no running water or electricity. My praying knees got weak as I worried and worried about my mom’s health. The blog said they were looking forward to a “simple life” and in my air conditioned house that sounds all fine and great but in a mud hut I have to say I wouldn’t be so willing to agree.
As normal I had forgot something though, God prevails, through no running water and no electricity God prevails. He wasn’t going to call my mom to a trip where he didn’t have greater plans. My mom’s text this morning said she is feeling better than she has in her entire life. Praise Jesus was all I could think. The simple life had cured her, a life dependent on all of Gods promises and a life serving something greater than ourselves. Who knows what will happen when my mom returns to the US but for now she gets to taste a little piece of heaven.
