Remember. Learn. Grow.

After our water fight!!

The boys were a bit cold afterwards! 

Alright. Before we get into the "deep stuff," I'd like to give you a run down of the week. Okay, actually, how about a run down of the highlights of this week? On Saturday, we were invited to a Scripture Union "Handover Party" (when new students are placed in leadership roles in the Scripture Union of a school). It was a blessing to go and fellowship with the high school students and make a small presentation to them. Of course, Sunday was great as always. Tuesday was Uganda's Independence Day, and it actually marked 50 years of independence, making it their Jubilee! In light of the occasion, everyone at Empower A Child had the day off. It was a blast! The girls and I had American food for every meal (yes, that's how we decided to celebrate Uganda! haha). I was also super blessed by a water balloon fight with two of the other girls and the neighborhood kids; they're SO fun! On Wednesday we were able to go to a secondary school, City Side High School, and pray for the students who were preparing to take their National Exams. Thursday I was able to teach my class at Victory again, and today (Friday), I was able to go and just play some games with my class at New Brainstorm Primary School. So, yes, a very busy week, but good overall.

Now, something I feel like God has been laying on my heart this week is remembering what He has done, honoring Him for that, learning from it, and using that knowledge to grow in our relationship with Him and grow the Kingdom. So many times in the Bible the authors remind us of what God has done in the past. In Psalms it seems like the writer always points out God's deeds:

 "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." 

(Psalm 73:28)

Eating out at "I Feel Like Chicken Tonight..."
(Yep... a pretty brilliant name for a restaurant!)

"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears." 

(Psalm 18:6)

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy..." 

(Psalm 30:11)

Remembering what God has done in our lives is huge, as well as remembering what He did in the lives of people in the past. That's why the stories in both the Old Testament and New Testament are told over and over again. Through them and seeing what He's done in our lives, we can see His characteristics lived out; we can learn of His faithfulness, love, mercy, power, justice, and grace. Through remembering what He has done, we learn. Through learning who He truly is, we grow in our relationship with Him, and we are given the ability to grow the Kingdom of God. 

My Sunday School Class in Zirobwe! 

It's one thing to be able to remember, learn, and grow from something awesome God has done in your life. You know what I'm talking about - those spiritual highs that you get at camp or when life seems great. But when you can remember a struggle, a dark period of your life, and look at it as something you learned and grew from - that puts a whole new level of depth in your spiritual walk. I love the way Psalm 71 puts it, "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more." He also says in Isaiah 48:10, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." In that we can find hope: when you're going through the "furnace of affliction," take heart! God desires for you to learn through it. He wants to grow you, and the fact that He's allowed for this struggle in your life just goes to show that God's preparing you for a new level of intimacy with Him and new growth in you and His Kingdom. 

I'd like to issue you a challenge this week: take some time to simply write down what God has done for you. You can pick a time frame of your life to look at (I chose from the time my current journal started and easily had over a page full). Look at the things He's done for you through both the good and bad times in your life, the things He's taught you that brought a new outlook into your day to day life, how He's provided, answered prayers, and remained faithful. Don't allow yourself to forget all that He's done for you. Remember, learn, and grow! 

Blessings!