F
ive years passed before
power came to my home
in rural Kenya. That's a
short period of how time
when you think of many people
live a lifetime without electricity.
Life without electricity takes on a
different rhythm. You plan your day
around doing as much as possible
while the sun is out.
Once the sun sets, it
gets harder to find
things you're looking
for. You go to sleep
early so that you can
wake up at first light.
Those five years
taught me several les-
sons. First, the light
source is critical. If
you are far from that
source, you may catch a glimpse
of light in the distance but it is not
strong enough to help you do any-
thing. The source has to be close
enough that you can tap into it.
Even then, you need the right
connections to make the power
useful. When power began to come
into the community where I lived
in Kenya, there were many fam-
ily meetings to discuss how funds
would be raised for the connection
from the main line to our homes.
For a while we watched as, one by
one, neigh-
bors received
power and
light. When
you see light
so near, it is
really hard not
to want it for
yourself!
Because of
that experience,
I know what is
involved when
I turn a switch
and lights come
on. I don't take
light for granted.
I don't want to
take spiritual light for granted either.
We are wired, knit together in our
mother's womb, for connection to
the source of power and light, God.
Many of us spend far too long look-
ing from a distance at a glimpse of
light, when the source is right near
us, longing for that connection.
Jesus told His disciples, "You are
the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).
As a light-bearer, I don't want to settle
for a 40-watt bulb when I can be filled
with the power of God to brighten up
the part of the world where I live.
In Focus
............
Wonder-Working Power
(T
HIRD IN THE
S
ERIES
)
39
The War Cry | OCTOBER 2015
Walk
Far
by
APRIL JOY FOSTER
"If you want to walk fast,
walk alone.
If you want to walk far,
walk with others"
--AFRICAN PROVERB
APRIL FOSTER
is director of Others � Trade for Hope
(www.tradeforhope.com). In this series she shares
lessons learned from her 29 years in overseas ministry.
RESOURCES
�
CHRISTIAN LIVING
LEADERSHIP
�
HISTORY
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