Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Random Musings
1) There is a God, and He cares about details in your life and in my life, such as marriage licenses. This was a detail that kind of fell through the cracks in our wedding planning, and recently it got put back on the front burner where it belongs. After talking to 3 different pastors in Jamaica we finally felt clear about the direction we needed to take. So on Monday afternoon I went to the Ministry of Justice and picked up the blank forms. The lady was kind and showed me what I needed to do. I then left and went to the Tax/Stamp Office in downtown Kingston where I paid $4,000 to have a fading red stamp placed on the blank license. Then I contacted Tashi to see if she knew of any Justice of the Peace's, because we needed to sign the application document in the presence of a JP. She said, well a co-worker of mine is a JP, let me ask if we can do it tonight. Her friend was very gracious and let us come over later that evening. Tashi's mom had also just arrived in town for a workshop, so she was able to be our 3rd party witness who will also be present at the wedding. Tuesday morning I dropped the papers off at the Ministry of Justice and they were ready to pick up by noon, processed and ready to go! In less than 24 hours I went from nothing to a stamped, notarized, processed marriage license! Good job Jamaica!
2) My family, church and personal preference/conviction is to not partake of communion when I have not had an opportunity to examine myself (1 Cor 11:28) and so far I have always simply participated when at my home church. This is what is comfortable for me and so when I have been in churches in Jamaica (only once or twice) when Communion was shared, I simply passed the plate. But these situations were always in a large, hearing church and I never felt I was offending anyone. However, if this happened when I was with a more intimate group I could see where my decision to not partake could be offensive. This Sunday I had planned to attend Calabar Deaf Church here in Kingston, but last minute I was asked to help carry a visitor to our school to the airport. We were also delayed on the way back to buy some fish at the market. As I watched the time slip by I started to fret and get stressed, but the Holy Spirit reminded me that it wouldn't help, and rather I should simply let go and take this in stride. My friend buying fished thanked me for my patience as we got back on the road and I thought, this is all ok. When I got back to school I jumped in my vehicle and took off for church, but the result was that I was nearly 2 hours late to church. As I walked in they were just closing the service, and I noticed that a Communion tray was covered in cloth up front. I had to stop for a moment and thank God, for He is in control. Even in details like helping me to avoid a conflict in convictions, which He has placed in me anyways, God is there. Now I know why I was asked to go last minute, and why fish needed to be purchased. God was blessing me, and teaching me, and showing me that sometimes, or always, worrying doesn't matter when you serve a God as big as my God.
3rd thought: One of my blind students got a summer job working at the Salvation Army Rehab Center. For those of you with summer jobs or kids with summer jobs, maybe this will help them put their blessings in perspective. She earns 4,500 Jamaican dollars each week. This is a little over $50 USD, so about $10 per day. She works 8-3 everyday, so that's less than $2 per hour. She spends $400 J on taxi and food everyday, so in a week that is $2,000, leaving her with $2,500 from the week. She will work for 8 weeks, totaling $20,000 in earnings. However, she is paying rent to the family she is staying with, which totals $12,500 for the 2 months, so her post-cost earnings for the summer will be $7,500, a grand total of less than $100 USD. This is a best case scenario, not including the other things that will pop up, such as snacks, phone credit or anything for herself. Would you or any of your kids work for 2 months to earn less than $100?? But yet I thank God for this experience for her, because she is certainly learning and getting a taste of the real world in Jamaica.
2) My family, church and personal preference/conviction is to not partake of communion when I have not had an opportunity to examine myself (1 Cor 11:28) and so far I have always simply participated when at my home church. This is what is comfortable for me and so when I have been in churches in Jamaica (only once or twice) when Communion was shared, I simply passed the plate. But these situations were always in a large, hearing church and I never felt I was offending anyone. However, if this happened when I was with a more intimate group I could see where my decision to not partake could be offensive. This Sunday I had planned to attend Calabar Deaf Church here in Kingston, but last minute I was asked to help carry a visitor to our school to the airport. We were also delayed on the way back to buy some fish at the market. As I watched the time slip by I started to fret and get stressed, but the Holy Spirit reminded me that it wouldn't help, and rather I should simply let go and take this in stride. My friend buying fished thanked me for my patience as we got back on the road and I thought, this is all ok. When I got back to school I jumped in my vehicle and took off for church, but the result was that I was nearly 2 hours late to church. As I walked in they were just closing the service, and I noticed that a Communion tray was covered in cloth up front. I had to stop for a moment and thank God, for He is in control. Even in details like helping me to avoid a conflict in convictions, which He has placed in me anyways, God is there. Now I know why I was asked to go last minute, and why fish needed to be purchased. God was blessing me, and teaching me, and showing me that sometimes, or always, worrying doesn't matter when you serve a God as big as my God.
3rd thought: One of my blind students got a summer job working at the Salvation Army Rehab Center. For those of you with summer jobs or kids with summer jobs, maybe this will help them put their blessings in perspective. She earns 4,500 Jamaican dollars each week. This is a little over $50 USD, so about $10 per day. She works 8-3 everyday, so that's less than $2 per hour. She spends $400 J on taxi and food everyday, so in a week that is $2,000, leaving her with $2,500 from the week. She will work for 8 weeks, totaling $20,000 in earnings. However, she is paying rent to the family she is staying with, which totals $12,500 for the 2 months, so her post-cost earnings for the summer will be $7,500, a grand total of less than $100 USD. This is a best case scenario, not including the other things that will pop up, such as snacks, phone credit or anything for herself. Would you or any of your kids work for 2 months to earn less than $100?? But yet I thank God for this experience for her, because she is certainly learning and getting a taste of the real world in Jamaica.
# posted by Blake @ 8:42 AM 
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