It was not only a hard day at the office it was a hard week.The week started in the midst of an unscheduled trip to one of the far-flung mission stations.This was the culmination of what had already been a long and complicated process.Now we were bringing news that people didn't want to hear.There were tense meetings with individuals and larger groups.The repercussions will last for a long time to come.Did we say and do the right things?
Returning to Chiang Mai, we were in the midst of a property purchase involving several of our partners.It should have been a simple and straightforward process, but it wasn't.A distrustful landowner, government red tape, and a territorial worker combined to somehow make everything complicated.It really didn't have much to do with us yet people were getting upset with each other and somehow with us as well.A meeting was coming up and it was looking like a mole hill would become a mountain.It was another diplomatic minefield where what we said and did could affect a network of relationships for a long time to come.
In the midst of these things, a key project worker was stricken with a sudden and severe illness.Within a couple days she had died.Not only leaving the project in distress, she was young, a wife and the mother of two small children.We left for another unscheduled trip to her home village for the funeral.Once again we were searching for the right words in the right languages.
Meanwhile, as we dealt with these things the regular work was piling up as was the pressure to deal with it.
That was a couple weeks ago and now we're celebrating Christ's birth.In the midst of that difficult week it was clear that these problems were all bigger than us.In this position we deal a lot with people from multiple cultures and that speak a number of languages.At best, we try to read the signals they give us and then take a guess at what we think they are really thinking and feeling. Christ though, knows their hearts and knows our hearts.He doesn't have to guess.What a comfort it is to have Christ, as close as a prayer away.Without Him there so readily, I'm sure I wouldn't survive this job.When in these difficult situations we try to turn it over to Christ and let Him be our guide.I'm sure we still let our own feelings get in the way more than we should, but I am also sure it is only through Him that any good comes from our work at all.
Time will tell how it all will work out at the mission station but things seem to be doing well at the moment.As for the complicated property deal, another missionary noticed the tension and prayed for us.Within a day, the complications had all unraveled themselves.At the meeting where we were concerned there would be a "battle" the matter was barely raised.
At the funeral, it was plain that many people were in pain.It was also plain, that they were taking much comfort in knowing this person was now with Jesus and that they would be seeing her again.Their pain was because of the hole the absence of this person left in their own lives.There was also a lot of comfort offered and felt because of faith in Jesus.
In Matthew 28, in the "Great Commission" Jesus tells us to go and gives us assurance that he is with us always.No matter the difficulty we face, Jesus is already there if we can let go of it ourselves and let Him take over.At this Christmas I am so very grateful that God sent Christ into this world for us.Christ's coming enacted God's plan for salvation and opened the door for Him to be in our hearts to lead us each step of our lives.Thank you God and Merry Christmas to all!
Duane & Marcia Binkley