Tuesday, March 24, 2009

the rains are coming

Nigeria has two seasons from what I hear... rainy season and dry season.  When we arrived and currently we are in the end of the dry season.  It is about October through March and it literally does not rain outside of brief 20 minute relapses maybe twice during these 6 months.  It is fun to hear people talking about rainy season is upon us or it smells like it is about ready to rain, or even people preparing their homes, their crops, their lifestyles to prepare for this upcoming season.  There is an excitement in the air, I, too, am excited just because it is so highly talked about.  I even hear everything turns green and lush and it looks like two different countries.  I will let you know in a couple of months.....
I was thinking about how excited I was that it might rain soon and it took me back to the New Testament and how people were talking about the return of Christ and the coming back of the Lord, it is upon us,  the urgency and excitement in the disciples conversations and lifestyles, the choices made because of the proximity of the return...  
Now it is many generations later, and I have personally lost the true excitement of it,  I didn't plan on losing the excitement, but I did.  I don't even think it will happen in my lifetime (my mom would disagree).   I wonder how I can regain a different perspective of how I live if my mindset was full of that excitement and desire for the Lord to return and for as many people to hear about Christ before it happens, because it will happen, and it is urgent that people know the truth.  I think my overall decisions would remain the same as John and I believe we are following the Lord's calling on our lives, but I wonder if my attitude or perspective on people would be different.  My dad told me not too long ago, "Corrie, we live in exciting times!"  He even had a slight grin, and I thought he lives in that moment.  I want to live in that moment and I want to live out, "We live in exciting times" or at least the rains are coming......  
God Bless,

P.S.  I just wanted to comment that I appreciated people's opinions on my last blog entry.  I enjoy them so keep it coming....

5 comments:

  1. Hi Corrie...I just started reading your blog and began blogging myself. You really indpire me...check me out at christymcmurry.blogspot.com. Keep it coming and you and John and your family are in my prayers!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Corrie and John (kids too). I can totally hear you mom saying that you are wrong about Christ's return and see your dad's smile when he said "we live in exciting times". I love the smell of rain, just before it comes and the skies look like they are swelled up. I bet it smells like that there for weeks before the rain comes. You are the first missionaries I have had contact with in any fashion and I am excited to read and know about your fearlessly living. Theresa Valliant

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey there---I need to hook you up with some Misty Edwards songs - she sings about the rain and Jesus coming back (obviously that is not all she sings about...but a couple of her songs). I will take them with me when I come see you! YAY! Love your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My mom keeps telling me as she works on "cleaning out" the house, the closets, etc that she wants everything in order for the Rapture to be a good testimony to the unbelieving world.

    While my head knows that HE could come at any minute, I don't think I have her mindset. Personally, I think God is set to allow some persecution to come to the church in the U.S. b/c we are too comfortable in our Christianity. I could be wrong - HE could come in the air before I finish this.

    I remember my g'parents thinking the rapture was very imminent. I wonder if as we get older and see how much society continues to spiral downward we begin to think more about Christ's return? I'm not sure . . . but it's worth thinking about.

    In any case, we need to be DOING what God calls us to do (just as you currently are) - not just sitting and waiting for Him to return - Paul cautioned against that. So press on, dear ones!

    In the meantime, if persecution is on the horizon, we need to be preparing ourselves for that as we have no idea (we being Christians in America) what the Church around the world has endured. But the TRUE Church always thrives under persecution.

    Rain is coming here today as well - and as usual we need it!

    Love to all!

    ReplyDelete
  5. We're excited about joining you in the rainy season. What grows then that doesn't in the dry season. My excitement will be on what is growing under your ministry. Of course Jesus will come, but in the meantime we're left to tend the garden.

    ReplyDelete