Dear Team Members, Dec 8th, 2008
When looking at the biography of an individual, you see that each biography is made up of stories or events that have molded a specific person into who they were, or who they are now. And as you look back over your years, if you were to write an autobiography of your life, you would most likely gather the events that impacted you in some form or another. As you consider the moments in your history that you can recall, they tend to consist of a variety of things such as; a particular birthday or Christmas, a move to a new city, a grand adventure that you may have taken part in where God changed you, the day you faced a certain challenge in your life, maybe that of losing a loved one, or maybe you yourself were very sick at one time in your life. The point is, each and every one of those moments impacted you in such a manner, that they have stuck with you over the years.
So why am I talking about this in my update to you. Well, the truth is, leading up to writing this, I had been wrestling with the question, what about the moments in between those events? What happened then, what happens then? Does God stop moving during those times? Does He stop teaching us things, and speaking to us? Doesn’t God provide each month with a moment worthy of biography status, so that come newsletter time for those such as myself, I might have something to tell you back home?
Well, as I have been back here in Spain for the month of November, after returning from my African adventure, life has carried on. I have continued to coach the youth team, play on our local men’s team, and carry on the work we have been doing in the prison. Yet as I looked back over the month of November, with regard to what happened, I couldn’t pinpoint one specific event that stood out from the others. I couldn’t name the one event that my biographer (if I really had one) would categorize as this months “moment”. So what am I to share with you today?
Well, today what I want to share with you is simple; life. Something that regardless of how we package it, is real to us all. For me during this month, from simple conversations with the guys on the soccer team, to coaching each week and seeing small changes in the guys on the youth team, I have been challenged to see God’s hand in the small things, I have been challenged to see God’s hand in “life”. The fact of the matter is, that while we may see and categorize certain moments as less significant than others, Christ continues to move even when everything appears to stand still. God doesn’t stop working, as it is He who prepares us prior to those standout moments in our lives. So while we often categorize certain moments as less significant, by doing so, we may be missing what God is doing. This month, the challenge that I have faced, I want to also share with you, it is this; during the moments where you see little happening visibly, search God’s heart and find out what He is doing, seek to discover what amazing work he is up to during the “TV timeout”, in the midst of the moments that seem less significant.
In Him,
Matt Hama
P.S With Christmas around the corner, I have the privilege of being able to come back for a visit during the holiday season. I will be back in Williams Lake on the 21st of December hope to see you soon.
Merry Christmas!
