Unwavering

UNWAVERING

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:14

Halfway across the world in West Africa, there is a small village of a few hundred people by the name of Kadazaki. It is several miles away from the next closest village. There is no electricity. There is no running water. There is just scorching heat and long, hard days of work for community survival.

I spent a summer in Kadazaki building relationships and sharing the gospel with the people there, some of whom had never even heard the name of Jesus. I labored in the field with the men. I drew water from a well in the center of the village. I ate with them. I lived their life with them in hopes that they might be willing to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

That summer was the most physically, emotionally, and mentally draining experience of my life. It was indescribably difficult. I was all alone, in a foreign land and foreign culture. The days were long. The sun was unrelenting. The comforts of home that I had forever taken for granted seemed to be a lifetime away.

But in the midst of that great physical and mental trial, there was one thing that always brought comfort. Inexplicably, in the middle of the desert, a tree stands firmly planted at the heart of the village.

In a world where everything else seemed foreign, the tree remained constant. Secure. Resolute. Unwavering.

When the sun scorched down for hours on end, the tree provided much-needed shade. When the storms rolled in during the short rainy season, the tree offered protection from the windy downpours. When traveling back from work in the fields miles and miles away, the tree could be spotted from a distance, offering hope and solace otherwise nonexistent.

The tree was the central gathering spot for the men in the city. And it offered a small sense of stability in a world filled with uncertainty.

No matter what my new world threw at me, the tree was always firmly planted. Even though I felt rattled, the tree was unwavering.

From time to time, I find myself thinking about that tree. About its thick, firmly planted roots. About its resolute stand against all the odds. About how it is unwavering in the face of adversity.

And while it may not be perfect, it is still thriving despite its circumstances.

It reminds me of my mom.

For years, my mother has battled chronic and severe complications from Lyme disease. She has faced extreme pain, physical limitations, and discouraging and uncertain prognoses. She has experienced more bad days than good days, but she fights through the barrage of pain to continue to live her life.

Through it all, there she stands. Firmly planted. Resolute. Unwavering.

Regardless of what the disease does to her body, she continues to fight. To press on, day by day.

When I look at my mother, I am reminded of the call to endure to the end. To finish the race. To keep the faith. She may be in constant pain and seeing her health decline more rapidly than it should for her age, but she still proclaims the goodness of her God. Her circumstances do not destroy her faith. She stands firm. Resolute. Unwavering.

She does not complain of her pain or advertise her disease to others. She does not sulk in self-pity or question the sovereignty of the One seated on the throne. Instead, she longingly awaits the day when her pain will be removed. When tears will be no more. When she will bow in awe in the presence of the Savior to worship.

I learned a lot from the tree in Kadazaki. I learned to value the scorching hot sun, because without it I would never be able to truly appreciate the shade. I learned of the necessity to plant roots firmly in the ground in order to withstand the onslaught of the world.

But I have learned so much more from my mom.

May we all press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. May we face adversity and challenges and struggles firmly planted on the promises of Scripture, turning to the cross rather than to our own strength.

May the truth of the gospel determine our hope, not our circumstances.

May we fight the good fight. Finish the race. Keep the faith.

So that through it all, we may stand firm in the Lord. Resolute. Unwavering.