Journal Entries
Here are a few of my personal journal entries.
January 7, 2022
I wish I could say that I was feeling better, but last night was a rough night of sleep. The evening remained hot longer than usual. Local dogs were barking for what seemed like hours. Ellis was equally restless in his own sleep, occasionally calling out in a sleep-induced stupor. Caroline woke early, and being as quiet as she could be, it was still not enough in our close quarters.
By the time Ellis did wake, it was on the wrong side of the bed. A traditional 5-year-old power struggle ensued, pumping enough parental adrenaline into my system to make falling back asleep nearly impossible. My cough has worsened, and so starts quarantine day two.
All the while God remains good. He is more glorious than ever in times of adversity. He is who He is and will never change. The resolve I have in my heart that Jesus is Lord is solidified even more (though I thought such a case would not be possible). Proclaiming these things now adds truth upon truth. To grumble is easy. Deep wells of gratitude, with mindful meditation of the character of God produces joy, dare I say, peace.
Jesus is the reason we are here, and He is with us. It is a new day. Whatever may come in this life, may it all be for the glory of God.
January 9, 2022.
Our time here is slowly turning into a Divine Comedy; a true Shakespearean tale of woe and unexpected joy. The night was hot yet again. Ellis threw-up in his bed and had diarrhea all night, a symptom now being referred to as “The Double Dragon.” As you may conclude, we had little when it came to quality sleep (never mind our mystery haunt: the forever unseen but alway heard mosquito; the ventriloquist of the night with wings sounding in your ears no matter his trajectory).
As if the night were not enough to consider, the water has stopped working in our building. I have concluded that this utility is now in cahoots with our electricity which has been spotty at best.
And yet God remains on His throne, and these minor sufferings remind us that our flesh must always submit to the Spirit. Our loss is gain in the Kingdom. Truly, what is “comfort” but a gift that we must be willing to joyfully sacrifice so that Christ may be our true and glorious gain. What is comfort but something that soothes our mind but stagnates our souls; the sometimes insidious parallel to peace, comfort is a cheap substitute to the lasting joy found only in adversity.
January 14, 2022
Somehow I forgot to mention that while on lockdown we had 5 or 6 pairs of shoes stollen. It’s pretty funny (unfortunate, for sure, but still funny). This has been a crazy stay here in Uganda.
