Meet Ms. Joanie, missionary to Puerto Rico.
When I went to Puerto Rico this past summer, I met a wonderful missionary lady named Joanie. She has been on the mission field for many years working in several BIMI churches starting schools, teaching, playing the piano, etc. My co-worker (Laura) and I noticed right away that Joanie never STOPPED. She awakened early with us, went soulwinning for hours on end with us, stayed up late with all of us and the teenagers, and never complained. She gave of herself that two weeks like she has given of herself for the past 40 years.
One day I started picking at her brain as we were trekking through one of the relatively wealthy neighborhoods to pass out tracts, and I asked her, "Ms. Joanie, what do you do when you've just 'had it' and you need a day off?" She never even looked up as she replied, "Stephanie, I just encourage myself in the Lord like David did." That was not the reply that I was hunting for, so I reworded my question. "Ms. Joanie, I know that you must get tired and just need a day for yourself every now and then. I have noticed how much you do around here." She "harumphed" a laugh in the typical way that we had come to know her to respond and said, "I don't know. I don't take days off." I stopped my probing as I realized I was hunting for an answer that didn't exist in Ms. Joanie's mind. She was happy in the Lord. Laura and I knew firsthand that week that everything INDEED was not so happy-go-lucky for her, and that there were definite hardships and circumstances she faced. However, she was oblivious to the negative because she focused so much on the positive. I hope that this makes sense.
Sometimes in life we can focus just a little too much on the negative and it totally blinds us from seeing the positive side of anything. Ms. Joanie answered me right the first time: she encouraged herself in the Lord.
We never know who is watching us: our responses, our facial expressions, our words. They completely tell everyone what is going on inside us. When someone is real, it shows on the outside, and everyone knows it. Thinking about Ms. Joanie today has reminded me to
be a thankful, satisfied Christian who trusts in her Lord. I hope she encourages you too. =)
2 comments:
That is definitely encouraging. Wow. I am a whimp sometimes I guess. lol It's because she has obviously learned to put the Lord and OTHERS first, not just in word, but in deed . =)
learned a lot
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