The distance from Texas to where I live in Southeast Asia is ten thousand miles. Like many other cross-cultural workers, we sold everything, quit our jobs, withdrew our kids from school, and waved goodbye to our family. “We won’t be coming home for Christmas this year, Mom and Dad. We’ll be in our new home.” TEN. THOUSAND. MILES. AWAY. It’s…
I drive to the hospital…again. And as I do, I ponder the question: Have I crossed a line? “Enough, Jana. Enough drama with this family.” But something compels me. Is it You, Lord? Am I doing this for the right reasons? Or do I get some sort of twisted joy from continuing my relationship with this problem-riddled family? I don’t…
Bang! Thump! Bang! Thump! Noah hammers the last of the nails to finish the ark. God told him to build the ark and in spite of the people mocking him (for until now it had never rained, so why build a boat?) he finished the work. Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives, all entered the ark,…
I sit in a hospital room in Asia. The elderly Indonesian man has just been transferred there from ICU. I try to move a chair next to the bed so his wife can sit next to him. It is hard for him to move his foot over to make space for her. But he does it anyway and tells me…
I sit on large stones overlooking the sea. I came to the beach to pray, but I’m not the only one praying, and God is not the only one being worshiped here. A South Asian Hindu couple beat me here and they are in the middle of a ritual, so I sit on the rocks and wait before walking along…
Ever surprised to find out someone else has the same struggle you do? I am still finding my footing on this whole “parenting older/adult children” thing. The other day I discovered I’m not alone. While talking with a friend who is in the same season, I realized there are more of “us” out there than I’d known. My friend gave…
House, children, family, food, the latest gossip. These are the things that matter most to a particular group of ladies whom I call my neighbor friends. Yes, they will engage in conversation about abstract things like religion, sin, and heaven. But this doesn’t really get them on a deep level. That’s surface and irrelevant (to them). For sure these topics…
I am free! I don’t know when he last brushed his teeth, or if he remembered to floss. My son is growing up. I used to know every little detail of his day and was an active participant of everything from washing his ears to wiping his tears. Now we sit across the table from each other, sipping coffee…paid for…
Today I take courage from Martha’s unsteady faith. Martha and Mary, dear friends of Jesus (Jn. 11:5) sent word to him that their brother Lazarus was ill (11:3). If you are familiar with this story, you’ll know Jesus did not come right away. In fact, by the time he arrived at their home in Bethany, Lazarus had already died and…
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15 Song of Solomon is a poem of love between a man and woman. But we know also that marriage is a reflection of Christ and the church…Christ and us. So perhaps there is spiritual application within the lines…
