1 Corinthians 16:9

“for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

This is in the last chapter of the first letter Paul writes to the church of Corinth. As he is closing off the letter, he informs the people of his plans and what to prepare for. Paul tells them of his travel plans and the beginning tooth’s sentence, he speaks of staying in the place where he is at until Pentecost because work has opened up for him. When I read this, I though of the season here in Uganda we are jumping into, after break, school is in full swing and there are so many ministry opportunities placed before all of us. This work is effective and from the Lord, He is going to put us all in places we never thought we would be and where it doesn’t look how we think it should, all to grow us and mold us more into His image, dependent upon Him alone. Because of this fact, the enemy is going to try and tear us down and get us all to focus on ourselves and circumstance rather than the Lord because it will tear us down and keep us from what the Lord has for us in that place.

For me, I am a teacher’s assistant in the Kindergarten Baby class. This means that from 8 am until 12 and sometimes 1 in the afternoon I am in the classroom with a Ugandan teacher and 32 children mostly 3 years old who don’t speak English and some who have never been to school before. Thankfully, they are potty trained for the most part, so I can just escort them to the bathroom and back to the classroom. I have learned what I need to go to the bathroom is in Luganda (the native language here), so that is helpful. Anyway, as we began this week in the classroom, immediately I was overwhelmed with the amount of children and how unqualified I was to do this job. The Lord has placed such a gift before me and a wonderful open door of ministry and I immediately and hit with a wave of things I can’t handle and am discouraged and questioning why the Lord put me here. Seeing as it has been most of the kids first time at school, we’ve had a lot of crying children who just want to go home, there has also been many trips to the bathroom (about every 5 minutes one of them has to go),many kids who want to just run wild outside on the playground, which means going after them to bring them back to the classroom and making sure they don’t leave, and lots of fighting over toys and who should get to play with it. I have developed a much greater appreciation for teachers now that I am in the position of one. As I step back and look at all of these things, I am also reminded of the smiles on the children’s faces, the way they run up and yes “Teacher! Teacher!” in their little accents and tiny voices that make me smile, and how wonderful it is that they go to a safe school and get to not only learn normal subjects but also about Jesus as they grow up. When I think of that classroom and what it holds and how the Lord is using it, He snaps me out of my flesh and selfishness and points me back to the fact that he put me there to be a light and to love these children and show them the love of Christ. I get to be in a classroom with these kids for two whole months as they learn to read and write. While it may not be easy, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because I desire for the Lord to grow me and challenge me even though I fight against it when it comes. I still remember who my kindergarten teacher was and even have talked to her about life as I’ve gotten older, she had a great impact on my life and the Lord is giving me the opportunity to do the same thing. When I came across this verse in Paul’s letter, I immediately knew that there are many adversaries coming against me and they have nothing on the Lord. With Him alone can I help with this class and give it my all and be faithful in where He has put me. In Him alone can I fight against these adversaries and be a joy and a light. In myself, I will never be able to do this, but in the Lord I can do all things, because it isn’t me, its Him in me. I am continuing to learn what that means and know that as this first week of classes ends, I won’t focus on the bad or the hard things, but I will choose to focus on the Lord and His goodness and joy that I get to have no matter the chaos going on around me. When my flesh can’t do it anymore, I have to cling to the Lord and remember that only He can.

My application is to not let my tiredness or frustration take over, but to remain in the joy of the Lord by lifting it up in prayer in that very moment and having Caroline keep me accountable to giving it to God each day.