It’s 4am here in Kyrgyzstan. I’m awake. Yes, it’s the jetlag. If I want to feel a little better, it’s 5pm at home. It would be time for supper, a little football on television. The bad news? I’m not at home. I’m here for the week. The good news? I’ve had a good night’s sleep that I so needed.
I’ll sleep more certainly during the nights to come.
So what should a person do when this happens? Well, I’ve been through this dozens of times so I’m writing this blog and accepting this short time of disruption. Lately I’ve been filming video versions, vlogs, but I’m not sure if I can pull that off at least at my current temporary location.
I hope to film one of those later in the week so for now, I hope you’ll listen to a few of my in-the-middle-of-the-night ramblings.
Election Day is basically here, isn’t it? All of the arguing, debating, exaggerations, name-calling, heckling, insane comments echo in the mind everywhere. And that was just with your teenager last night at dinner.
No, we’ve seen it all in the current races, some good, some bad. And now the final choices will be made from local government leaders to President. The outcomes will no doubt make a difference, maybe in big ways.
But again, my thoughts “tonight” aren’t really on the election though I’m praying for the wisest and best choices to prevail. Who wins matters and it’s possible that times will get worse not get better. Our choices count for something.
However, being on the other side of the world makes me once again think about deeper, more important, long-term, even eternal things, things worth pondering no matter our surrounding circumstances. That’s happened almost every trip this direction, well over twenty of them.
So here are a few of those impressions, in no particular order. They might encourage you. I hope so.
One, God is still in control. Yesterday, some new friends gave me a driving/walking tour of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Of course, I saw a blend of the new and the old, the modern and the dated, the pessimism and the optimism.
But as we drove down a long street, I suddenly noticed through the treed canopy ahead us a huge snow-covered mountain. It was breath-taking and I remembered that Sasha, the conference leader who picked me up at the airport, said these mountains were at one end of the Himalayan range. I’ve always wanted to see those mountains in person.
While this wasn’t where Everest and K2 are, the lesson still stuck.
What a reminder that the God who created all of that and more still oversees everything that goes on in our crazy, often chaotic and out of order world, including election cycles.
Second, the nice, orderly existence that most of us have or try to maintain isn’t the norm for much of the world. But people in other, less advantaged places survive and are often actually happy, maybe happier than us.
We love having controllable, multiple options for everything we do and experience from snacks in the pantry to entertainment choices to churches to attend to ways to learn something new. We hope to have everything (and enough of it) at our disposal whenever we need it.
But we can get irritated when Uber Eats comes late, our favorite TV drama gets preempted or we don’t have the clothes we wanted for a special event. But when we lose the order for a while, those complaintss start to start a bit silly.
I’ve been reminded that our things of advantage, while wonderful aren’t where life and fulfillment are found. I can live and often live deeper, more meaningfully, when those blessings aren’t always right there. Order isn’t necessarily godliness.
Disruption of our comfort isn’t always a bad thing, it fact it may be a life-saving blessing that keeps us from one day looking back and realizing that so much of what we did, talked about and cherished didn’t matter that much. We don’t need to even travel far to get the lesson, but we might need to be a little more intentional about letting go of our comfort for a time.
Third, I’ve been overwhelmed again at God’s loving surprises that I got again in my first 24 hours here. I had my first day to rest, see the area a little and get mentally and physically prepared for the conference.
However, I’d just gotten off a 27-hour journey with little sleep, was going to try to stay up through the day, needed to eat and would meet some new people in a very unfamiliar location. And didn’t have much that was familiar to work with to do all that.
I first found myself praying and worrying a little about having to speak in Russian particularly with a jet-lagged mind.. And I was told that there was a breakfast at 9am that a couple of the women make each morning. I knew they didn’t speak any English so my limited Russian might take a hit as well.
I got to breakfast and yes met the two women again and saw an incredible layout of food. I asked how many would be there and they said five. And shortly in walked four Americans, two couples, who were part of the conference team. We had a great time getting acquainted and extended Russian wasn’t needed. One fear addressed.
But they were also leaving for the conference so what would happen the rest of the day? I had no car but received tentative directions to get to the town square area to look around. I knew I could do that and got ready for a walk.
However, I’d heard that there was going to be a meeting in one of the guest house’s bigger rooms so I asked about it and they invited me in. It was a group of Youth For Christ leaders. That may not mean much to many of you, but I used to work for YFC! We were immediate friends and I was invited to sit down, drink coffee and eventually have a pizza lunch while answering lots of questions.
And oh, one couple with a sweet little baby offered to be my guides to see the town square by car and walking. I got to treat and thank them with something they liked at a local coffee shop and my day (and heart) were full.
Yes, another of God’s loving surprises in the middle of my disorder. Does God do that at home? Of course, but my experience is that it’s more impacting, obvious and maybe more needed when life is disrupted.
I’ve already been challenged again to not put so much worth in my orderly life, but to try to see God in the times when I don’t have it all together but He does.
And does any of this have to do with the election. Yeah, I think it does.
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