What's the Deal with Kaleidoscopes?

KALEIDOSCOPE: "Observation of beautiful forms"  -- taken from the words "kalos" (beaultiful), "eidos" (that which is seen), and "skoped" (to look).

So spoiled to live with girls that love to bake!

Okay, to be honest, Jenny and I picked the title because I just love alliteration. But we did stop to think about it too: sometimes things don't make sense here and the view looks all jumbled together, but it's still beautiful. Life here is messy, but it's filled with beautiful landscape, people, and the love of God.

Ruth making bead necklaces to sell

The beautiful thing about a kaleidoscope is that light has to enter to reflect the beauty. In the same way, my life here would be drab and depressing if the light of Christ did not flow into all that's said and done. I see poverty, starvation, sickness, abuse, deformities, and death. However, the light of Christ shines through my view and I see hope, love, peace, and joy! I could be overwhelmed, internalize everything, and sit and cry every night, but I don't. With a kaleidoscope, you don't have to look at something beautiful to begin, but the way that the light reflects the mirrors creates an image of vibrant colors and patterns. I know God loves these people exceedingly more than I do, and His light creates something beautiful.

The view leaving Buzika

I've been thinking often of the persecuted church lately, as I'm currently reading Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (if you haven't noticed, I do a lot of reading here!). This book of fiction introduces the Church in China, and it's really broken my heart. It's very easy to be a Christian in Uganda, much like America, because "everyone" is. Sure, there are a vast number of Muslims and even now some Hindu, but even amongst those, there is often a mixture of beliefs that may even include God and Jesus. There are pagans and witch-doctors, but even the "Christians" go there. Lines are blurred so that being a born-again in Jinja is relatively easy. But that being said, sometimes I find it difficult for that very reason.

Posho (right) and eggplant (left). Surprisingly very delicious!

What is beautiful in persecution? What is lovely in the Boxer martyrs of China, when more than thirty-two thousand Chinese and two hundred missions were murdered? Where is the joy in house churches still in hiding and a shortage of Bibles and people in jail for honoring Christ more than the government? Looking through a kaleidoscope with the light of Christ, I see beauty.




It pains me to think of such things, and in a sense, guilty because being a missionary in Uganda is relatively easy. However, I do see beauty. I am honored to call those men and women my brothers and sisters. Even though I'm not currently struggling, I can join them in their trials through prayer. I am grateful that God calls people to suffer for His name's sake so that they would grow closer to Him and He would be glorified to all because of their witness. While I am thankful for my freedom and ability to witness so openly here, I am even more thankful that He has called so many men and women to the hard places where following Him is more than a sinner's prayer.

LOVE this girl so much! Rebekah at her house in Buzika 

So I will choose to look through my kaleidoscope with the light of Christ to shine through the depressing images to create beauty. I will cling to Him in the midst of the hurting, sorrow, and death here. I will look to Him on behalf of my brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world currently persecuted for their faith. I will plead for Him to give me eyes to see the beauty that He is creating.

 Friends, this is not just Africa. My prayer for this week is that God would give us new vision to see the beauty that He is working all around. Even when the brush strokes may not make sense, the mural is a masterpiece. Remember, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Even beauty from ashes. 

A glimpse into Ambassador Institute -- Nate teaching about the 12 spies

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor." -- Isaiah 61:1-3. Love this!!