Once Upon a Time...

Tomorrow is the day we leave for Tanzania!  If you told me a year ago that I would be taking 2 weeks off of work in the summer to go to Africa to treat children with albinism, I would have thought you were crazy!  First of all, I never take 2 weeks off of work (not even for my wedding) and especially not during the busiest time in our office (when all the kids are on summer break).  I have to admit that Africa was the last continent I wanted to step foot on!  But when God calls, I'd be crazy not to answer right?  I wish it was that simple...I really wrestled with with idea of going to Tanzania... who was I to go there?  I'm no expert...in fact, I've never even met a person with albinism in my life.  I didn't know much about albinism...don't remember hearing about it oral pathology class in dental school.  What could I possibly bring to the table?  As I packed for the trip, getting all the dental supplies together, buying clothes, making sure our bags were under 50lbs, going through our checklist, I realized that I was missing the big picture.  My friend, Nancy, sent this to me from the devotional by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest:

The Worship of the Work

"Labourers together with God." — 1 Corinthians 3:9

Beware of any work for God which enables you to evade concentration on Him. A great many Christian workers worship their work. The one concern of a worker should be concentration on God, and this will mean that all the other margins of life, mental, moral and spiritual, are free with the freedom of a child, a worshipping child, not a wayward child. A worker without this solemn dominant note of concentration on God is apt to get his work on his neck; there is no margin of body, mind or spirit free, consequently he becomes spent out and crushed. There is no freedom, no delight in life; nerves, mind and heart are so crushingly burdened that God’s blessing cannot rest. But the other side is just as true – when once the concentration is on God, all the margins of life are free and under the dominance of God alone. There is no responsibility on you for the work; the only responsibility you have is to keep in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your co-operation with Him. The freedom after sanctification is the freedom of a child, the things that used to keep the life pinned down are gone. But be careful to remember that you are freed for one thing only – to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker.We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

The more I tried to control the situation, getting the logistical things in order, the more worried I became.  Then I realized that it's not about the dentistry...it's not about stressing over if we will have enough instruments and anti mosquito bite products...nor is it about how much I know.  It's about allowing God to use me as an instrument to do His work.  To trust that He is in control of everything.  And that He should be my focus.  Now that's sweet simplicity...