Inspire, Summer 2008

R ecently I went to the grocery store near our home in Papua New Guinea to do a little shopping. Stopping by the flour section, I picked up a 20-pound bag of whole wheat flour. Now, I knew from past experience that if you pull apart the top of the bag just a little, you can judge approximately how many bugs are likely to be inside. I definitely did not want the first bag I opened. I tried another. And another. Hmmm ... I had a dilemma. White flour doesn’t have bugs since, apparently, bugs are smart enough to know there’s nothing in it worth eating. How important was it that my family not eat white flour? Important enough to me that, with a sigh, I resigned myself to the task of having to sift the wheat flour later. At home, I placed the bag in our freezer, which would prevent the horrid critters from multiplying. A week later, I began sifting the flour, deciding which bugs were small enough to ignore and which were big enough to remove. As I sifted, I started complaining to myself, asking, “Why does something that should be so simple end up being so complicated?” As time went by, my attitude continued to plummet. That’s when God reminded me that this situation was one of the “trials of many kinds” in which James exhorts me to rejoice. Would I fail another test by wallowing in self-pity? Or would I, with God’s strength, come one step closer to learning to be content in all situations? Tired of failing, I thanked God for speaking to me. Next, I fought my complaining attitude with praise. I thanked God that flour was available at our store and that we had enough to eat every day. I praised Him that my children didn’t mind the small bugs since they hadn’t been raised with the same inhibitions I had and that I had a haus meri — a woman who assisted with housework and willingly helped me knead the huge wad of dough. Lastly, I gave thanks that the Spirit of God dwells in me and is turning this poor, weak, cracked vessel into something beautiful for His use. I returned to the task at hand — making tomato herb bread. After sifting the flour, I added the other ingredients, including a tablespoon of basil and oregano. I paused, realizing that the dough again looked like it was full of bugs. Maybe I should have added those spices earlier and saved myself a heap of trouble! Dianne (Noggle) Lord ’88, her husband, Colin ’85, and their seven children serve withWycliffe BibleTranslators, teaching music to missionary kids at the Ukarumpa International School in Papua New Guinea. You may contact Dianne at c-d.lord@sil.org.pg . SiftingWheat HeartSong Lifeline Players The Master’s Puppets Music. Drama. Heart. Joy. A passion for God. Just a few of the things the Cedarville University Touring Teams can bring to your next event! Let us partner with you in 2009 as you plan your ... •Worship Service •Youth Event • Community Concert • Conference •Youth Camp • Summer VBS www.cedarville.edu/touringteams Visit our website to book a team! Touring Teams