Insha'allah

Insha'allah, is a phrase used by people who speak Arabic to express "hopefully" or "if God wills". It is similar to some Christian usage of "if Jesus tarries". It essentially acknowledges that God is God and only He knows the future, so we hope in Him. It takes some of the pressure off those who are involved in the circumstances and releases us to trust God more. A funny example of this is when I was away and a merchant at the market was pressuring me to buy carpets that I wanted to think about, he tried to tell me that they wouldn't last long and that if I liked them I should jump at the chance. My response was "Insha'allah".... if it is meant to be it will be. I found this response effective, especially when accompanied by a very Eastern shrug of one shoulder. It not only expressed to him that I was above being pressured, but it sealed in my heart that truly if it was meant to be it would be and I was free to make a wise purchase.

Obviously, the God that I serve and the god of the Muslim faith are 2 different realities, however, the heart attitude is still the same.

On the eve of the elections in Afghanistan, this mindset is so important. I cannot imagine what it would be like to weigh the opportunity to cast a vote, with the possibility that casting that vote could get you hurt or killed! How do you even begin to make that decision? I have been following the lead up to this election very closely! I am excited to see that the NATO forces are taking the Taliban threats so seriously. It is my prayer that the people of Afghanistan will feel the nations of the world standing up in protection as they enter polling stations. That their view of the ability of the Afghan police and Army to protect them will change. As they see others risking their lives to vote, I pray that they will feel how much we have invested in them. It is amazing that this is all happening on one day. The same day that NATO will halt its operations and focus on the safety of those who choose to invest in the political process.

Tyranny and oppression wants people isolated, uneducated and scared. But this day, this election-insha'allah- will provide an opportunity to for EACH afghan citizen to take back this moment of their lives. I pray with everything in me, that this day will be the beginning of a groundswell of national pride, and a renewed resolve to see thier nation healed and rebuilt.

There are so many complexities to this situation, and by no means do I seek to naively wade into the noise and offer trite solutions. I am, however, passionate about seeing the people of Afghanistan rise above all those who would oppress them. To find home-grown solutions to these major issues, to get fed up of being the punching bag of those who would exploit them. I have a vision of once again walking streets but this time, instead of a flack vest, I am carrying my child or my grand-child, showing where I have been. I want to freely explore the heritage and beauty of this nation that has so completely captured my heart! Like with anything that we love, I want the BEST!

So tonight our time, as people venture out into the uncertainty, my prayer is for safety, and for eyes that are open to all those who are sacrificing so much to assist, and it will renew in them a sense of nationhood and purpose.

PSALM 46 says:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

So... Insha'allah... this will be a day that changes the nation of Afghanistan!

Moving in Opposition

There are many times as Christans that we are called to do things opposite to what seems intuitive. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.... if you have a need, give. The last shall be first. If you want to gain your life, you must lose it. Forgive those who hate you, turn the other cheek

There are many things in our Christian walks that seem to be contrary to what makes any sense, and so over time I have come to look beyond the details and see the bigger picture and see what else might be at stake. This principle was illustrated to me very clearly this week. I have been running. I have some goals and I have blogged about what my running has meant to me. 2 weeks ago, as we were achieving our biggest goal, just as we hit that mark, my knee started to twinge. Granted, I am not the youngest person around, and I work on my feet, so a twinge-y knee isn't that big of a surprise. But what happened next was.... I decided (wisely, I think) to take it easy on the knee. To give it some time to recover. Keep in mind that there was no injury or explainable event. For 2 weeks I have been icing it, and carefully walking on it-and missing my runs! I never thought I would be THAT person who was itching to get out running! But I didn't want to permanently damage anything.

I voiced my concerns to a friend who is no stranger to pain, and to working through that pain physically. He suggested-as a 'testosterone based life form' would-to power through the pain, "it's just a little wear and tear".

Having nothing to lose (and the last class of my running clinic being tonight) I decided to put this advice to the test. I was a little nervous about running for only the 2nd time in 2 weeks. I was worried about getting out on our run and then having to bail out, and walk home. And worse... as I drove to meet my running group my knee, which previously had been sore only in one spot, began to twinge in others, and then the other knee began to twinge, and then my wrist..... it was then that I realized that this was not what it seemed. I was sure that this was an attack. That the enemy was attempting to derail my progress. That in his desperate need to keep me from reaching my destiny, he had targeted the place of my biggest potential victory. As I was making this 'discovery' I realized that the last 2 weeks have been a quagmire of insecurities, and backward steps. That I was feeling defeated. I cannot do what God is calling me to without being able to run. Period. There is a vocational requirement to run, so I was being targeted for destruction.

As I sat contemplating this possibility, I knew that I had to take a gamble. I am tenacious enough to be able to power through the pain, yet I know that to run on an injury can make it worse. So I prayed. I declared that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, I declared that the lies I was getting bombarded with were not the truth, and I urgently prayed that God-the great Physician- would fix/protect/heal my knee if there was anything actually wrong with it. I know that He is big enough for all those things!

Long story short, I ran tonight, it was hard because I hadn't run that distance in a while, but the whole time I was running, my knee didn't hurt at all!

Sometimes the greatest struggle is just before the breakthrough.