A Season of Firsts

In the past two weeks I have experienced several things for the first time.  For example, I had crocodile meat for lunch for the first time (I've had crocodile before, but never for lunch).  I taught Daniel and Revelation (Biblical Apocalyptic Literature) in French for the first time.  I've taught this course before, but never in French. I had three days to do so.  What long, full days they were!

 I cooked my first gluten free pizza using almond flour, red rice flour, white rice flour, agar-agar, and manioc flour. It turned out really delicious in case you are wondering.  Inspired by my success with the pizza I proceeded to make peanut-butter from scratch for the first time.  I then tried my hand at Almond milk with vanilla. Yes, I am a health nerd.

I cooked lunch, dinner, and breakfast for a tanzanian missionary living here in Madagascar who needed a place to stay for the night.  This was a first to host a Tanzanian at my house here in Madagascar.

 I ran 7.5 km for the first time in my life. That's almost 5 miles. Maybe not a huge achievement for some, but a major milestone for me considering I couldn't hardly get out of bed one year ago.

 I also survived my first Malagasy coup- it lasted for about 12 hours with plenty of machine gun exchanges just a few kilometers from the house.  Yes, I have lived through many similar ones in Burundi, but this was the first time to experience the Malagasy version.  

I started learning how to use Final Cut Pro X for the first time in order to make teaching videos for the MAG.  This forced me to use a movie camera that operates off HDSD cards- also a first for me.  I really like the reverse effect by the way.  It seems like a really neat program, but I still like Adobe better.

I carried on my first ten minute conversation in Malagasy about gardening, firewood, church, and exercise. This was a major step forward linguistically after studying for all these months.   Yes, it is a season of firsts.  All of these things happened while being in Madagascar and being engaged to lovely Ms. Bailey Seng.  Yes, firsts are fun. They keep life exciting and the mind stimulated.  

Among the firsts, there is none more important than keeping our spiritual passion and fervor alive.  For me this revolves around one idea: "seek first the Kingdom".  I find that as long as the first first  among my list of firsts and lasts in any given day is to seek HIM first as the King of my life then all the other firsts find their proper place.  A surrender to His Kingdom (the rule and influence of the King) in my life  aligns my daily perspective giving me a first or predominating desire and a singular ambition: to know Him and make Him known. This must always be FIRST and FOREMOST.

Without a yearning for this  FIRST, I become FIRST. And for those who know me when I am FIRST you well know that it's not a pretty picture.  However, when He is FIRST, the fragrance and sweetness of heaven fills my heart giving me joy and enthusiasm to keep enjoying firsts as I seek to continue making Him FIRST.

Problems at the Post Office

       In the not too distant past I received a slip in the mail notifying me of the arrival of a package.  After asking my team leader about how one normally clears a  package in Madagascar, I headed off to the post office. As an after-thought, I decided to bring my language tutor along. Off we went with high hopes of collecting some wonderful care package from concerned friends in the USA loaded with delicious goodies! 

      Entering the post office we saw 3 postal employees busily talking with each other.  As I waited to be serviced, I imagined what treats might be in my parcel. Almonds? Flax seeds? Rice chips? (Yes, I am a health food nut.)   After several minutes, I realized that no one was moving in our direction. "Azafady" (excuse me) I said sure that the clerks simply hadn't noticed the 6 foot 2  white guy standing in the rather minuscule post office looking at them from close proximity. 

"How can I help you?" one of the women asked somewhat annoyed.  I turned to Manny my language tutor indicating that he should continue the conversation.  As Manny delved into the explanation for our presence, I was sure that were on the right track. A few moments later, the lady asked for the parcel slip.  I gladly turned it over to her expecting a package to be placed into my hands momentarily.  She looked at it from every possible angle before showing it to her two colleagues.  'Hmm... the package  awaiting me must be extra special...requiring several people's input.' This is going to be a good one well worth the wait! 

Surprisingly, the woman turned back to Manny and rattled off something in Malagasy for several moments.  In a very sheepish voice Manny started translating, "errr...ummm....she wants to know what this is?"  

"What do you mean?" I asked.  "It's a parcel slip." 

What kind of crazy question is that I thought to myself. Surely she must be joking. Malagasy humor or something maybe? 

"Err...she wants to know what  a parcel slip is.."Manny continued

"What?" I asked in disbelief.  What kind of post office is this I thought to myself? 

"Alright, Manny please translate for me." 

"So I received this parcel slip in our mailbox indicating that the is package waiting for me elsewhere in the post office.  And now I'm here to pick  it up." Manny translated.   The woman listened impatiently before responding. 

"We don't handle packages in the post office," came her curt response. 

"Umm..listen...I just want to pick up my package...and this is a post office" I replied.  

"That's not our postal slip. And we don't have your package......"  Her tone of voice had changed and she almost sounded belligerent. I didn't understand much of what she was saying, but I could tell it wasn't very nice.   

 "We should go now," Manny whispered as the woman continued berating us for wanting to pick up a postal package at a post office with a postal slip. 

All my hopes of some delicious treasures from a health food store in America vanished as I followed Manny out of the post office. 

I thought about how easily hope can be misplaced.  

When hope is misplaced disappointment sets in leading to any number of nasty conditions: bitterness, cynicism, trust issues, fear, worry, etc...  

Thankfully, there is one sure person who never betrays our hope.  Man will disappoint us. Organizations will fail.  Leaders will waffle. Economies will reel.  And Post Offices will ignore their mandates.  But the great news is that  Jesus never fails. He never waffles.  He is steadfast and faithful. He keeps His Word. He fulfills His promises.  He can be trusted entirely.  

Isaiah 40:31 "Those who HOPE in the LORD will renew their strength."