“Why didn’t you tell us it would be so cold?!”  

This year’s interns, like so many others arriving from North American summer, had not expected Southern African winter to be, well, wintry. 

“I did! I told you to pack wool socks, gloves, hats, heavy sweaters…” Our packing list always includes these essentials. 

“Yeah, but I didn’t believe you!” 

I understand. It’s hard to explain that 40–50 degree weather here can feel colder than a Vermont snowstorm. It’s a damp cold that soaks into your bones and cools your tea before it’s finished steeping. It’s an unrelenting cold, with no insulation or indoor heating to help you escape. But still, much of their discomfort could have been avoided if they had only listened to our instructions! 

As I write, the world is in a time of great upheaval and uncertainty–maybe this is true of your life right now, whether because of the pandemic or simply because it’s baked into the job description of a global worker. Every day, even multiple times a day, I’m crying out to God for wisdom. How do I help my children through this difficult season? What should we do about our canceled sabbatical plans? What will our team do while most of our usual ministry activities aren’t allowed? How do we support our parents through illness from across the ocean? 

If I’m honest, I spend a lot more time asking questions than listening for answers. I realize that even as God promises to give wisdom when we ask (James 1:5), the first way He fulfills that promise is by giving us access to the wisdom of His word, the Bible. The Psalmist puts it this way: 

“Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors… I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding… Teach me knowledge and good judgement, for I trust your commands… Your word is a lamp for my feet a light for my path.” Psalm 119:24,32,66,105 

Just like my interns disregarded the packing list, I’m failing to take hold of the guidance God has already prepared for me. I am asking God to speak, but I am spending very little time listening to His eternal word.  

I will continue to ask God for the details, the specifics for my unique situation–He is a loving Father who knows me inside and out–but I will discipline myself to start in Scripture. I want to learn all I can from what He has been saying for generations past and will continue to say to generations to come.