Obedience

"A note from the Editors" caught my attention in Rafiki 2010 Calendar

I’ve gone off track, attempting to study social media, marketing, and improve my blog links, instead of writing the book. It has brought me into a sort of “dark night of the soul”*, without pleasure and certainly no delight to my readers. I’ve begged a few friends and family to “follow” me. Thank you to those who have. But all this is not as important as what a friend in Africa writes:

Yeen Lan 2/11/02 I am learning that what God demands of me is obedience, no matter what; single-minded obedience in faith no matter what the circumstances,no matter how unknown the outcome. It has always been this way. God is calling His people to obedience and giving them at best a glimpse of the outcome of their effort. Some think this divine pattern cruel, but I am
convinced there is a sovereign wisdom to it. Knowing how susceptible we are to success’ siren call,God does not allow us to see, and therefore glory in, what is done through us.The very nature of obedience He demands is that it be given without regard to circumstances or results.”

Yeen-Lan is Rafiki Village Director, Muiki Kenya

Last week I received the 2010 Rafiki calendar in the mail as a donor to the Rafiki Foundation. I randomly opened it to “July”, featuring Nigeria where we sponsor an orphan. The photo of a newsletter in the corner, published by the older “budding journalist” orphans, caught my attention.

“…However, it (the newsletter) is not written simply for gossip and giggles, but to enlighten,delight, and make you laugh out loud. The Roman theorist Horace, writes in his critical work Ars Poetica: “The man who combines pleasure with usefulness wins every suffrage, delighting the reader and also giving him advice.” To say it more plainly, borrowing the words of an Englishman, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All play and no work makes Jack a stupid boy.” (my Dad’s saying as well)

"Lighten up," my husband says. I do think I am too serious. The pleasure of gathering at our December jam session this Friday night will feed my soul. You can pray I will be obedient this coming week to what God is calling me to do whether it is through the soul of the dark night or pleasure and delight. Thank you for following me on this journey. Let me know how I can pray for you.

*Notes on the Dark Night of the Soul from Tozer, "I Talk Back to the Devil", p. 80-81

How long will you forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will thou hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1 “Some of you know something of that which is called ‘the dark night of the soul.” Some of you have spiritual desire and deep longing for victory but it seems to you that your efforts to go on with God have only brought you more bumps and more testings and more discouragement. You are tempted to ask, “How long can this go on?”... Yes, there is a dark night of the soul. There are few Christians willing to go into this dark night and that is why there are so few who enter into the light. It is impossible for them ever to know the morning because they do not endure the night.”