A Wing And A Prayer

"My soul is in the sky"
 

 William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

 

 

A series of seemingly unrelated events this past week have come together to teach me an important lesson.

 

Early one morning, I was suddenly awakened by a strange noise coming from the kitchen.  I crawled out from underneath the mosquito net over our bed, unlocked the bedroom door, and cautiously made my way down the hallway.  The noise grew louder.  When I opened the door to the kitchen, I was startled to see the window blanketed by flying termites.  There were thousands of them.  A considerable number had been able to find their way into our home (our windows are a bit, well, porous), so I grabbed our trusty fly swatter and, with a few well-timed swipes, introduced a number of them to their maker.  I fought the good fight for about ten minutes, but somehow, Ken slept through the whole thing.

 

When Ken did get up, I proudly related my little adventure.  At first, he thought I was exaggerating, but once he opened the back door and found a large pile of termite wings on the ground, he became a believer.

 

 

At daylight, I was surprised to see two of our groundsmen arrive to collect the termites, which are apparently something of a delicacy here.  Then, once they departed, our garden was descended upon by various species of birds, including one magnificent eagle.  They feasted on the leftovers for hours.

As we drove through Kakamega later that day, we marvelled at the local public transport system.  The picture below gives you some idea of what's available, and how jammed the vehicles can become.  In fact, you will often see passengers sitting on top of or hanging onto the side of moving vehicles.  One way or the other, Kenyans are determined to get to their destination.

 

 On Saturday, Ken and I had the privilege of visiting the Madzuu District.  As we drove into the market, we found a group of Salvationists waiting for us.  Apparently the District band had asked for permission to escort us to headquarters, but recognizing how far they would have to march, they simply climbed into available vehicles.  Despite the potholes, they played their hearts out, and all the way there, Ken and I prayed that no one would lose a tooth.

 Finally, the Territory's budget for the next three fiscal years was due at International Headquarters on Friday.  When I looked at the funds we have (or, more accurately, don't have), I was amazed at what our people can accomplish.  Ken and I constantly search for ways to fund such basics as officer allowances and medical expenses, but our people never seem to worry about it.  They just keep serving, working miracles with what they have.

 

All of this came together when I heard a World War II song yesterday that had been inspired by the old John Wayne movie, "Flying Tigers."  The song was entitled, "On a Wing and a Prayer," and it told the story of a badly damaged aircraft successfully making its way back to base.  Yet the song also reminded me of Isaiah 40:31:

 

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not be faint.

 

The circumstances of this week have coalesced to teach me that mounting up like an eagle requires more than an ability to rise above difficulties.  It also requires a victorious attitude, a keen eye for the work that needs to be done, and a complete reliance on the God whose strength is immeasurably greater than our own.  If we can do that, anything is possible.

 

Oh, and yes, the Kenya West Territory is soaring!