Nonsense = Distractions

I don’t like giving nonsense attention. Nonsense becomes a distraction from what really ACTUALLY matters: a distraction from the truth, a distraction from what God desires for us to spend our energy and time on.  However, I think the world likes nonsense. Every time I get on the Internet, there is some kind of nonsense distraction: 10 ways to make blah blah blah better; some semi-famous someone showed up to some awards show wearing next to nothing; some giant coffee company (with terrible coffee) offends the world with a red cup, etc. 

I admit I am more than guilty for reading sleazy celebrity gossip or reading about the 10 ways I’m not doing enough for my husband or the 10-ways-I’m-ruining-my-child–who-will-need-therapy-for-the-rest-of-his-life. I like to be distracted sometimes because it means I don’t have to focus on what I really should be doing. But that’s the problem – the nonsense distracts me from what I should really be doing, from what I should be thinking about.

Here is why nonsense is soooooo detrimental to our culture today: it becomes our focus. Being distracted isn’t really the problem; the issue is that we begin to see the distraction as our main focus, leaving behind the most important values we claim to hold on to as believers. One of the values that is slowly slipping away is community.

I love to say the word “community.” I can’t say it without smiling or thinking about times in my life when I had amazing community. The best time of my life, when I had amazing community, has gone. Yes, I said it, gone. And, mostly because it’s my own fault. We’ve moved a few times in the last 2 years, and it takes a toll. I’ve always loved being engaged in my community and church, and in the last 2 years, I’ve really withdrawn myself. I have no idea why, other than I was nervous. I wasn’t sure we could find people to mesh with – people who could understand how crazy our lives are and understand how we don’t have a lot of time for much other than work and family. Of course, we wanted God at the center of everything, but we weren’t prioritizing Him well. We put Him at the back of our minds instead of at the front.

When we began to feel God tugging at our hearts and minds at the beginning of the year, pulling distractions from us little by little, I personally felt a lot of disconnect with God. I had been working, on average, 60+ hours a week in child protection, which is a very rewarding job. However, it took the life out of me. I enjoyed every minute of it, but that career is a very traumatizing one, with countless hours spent without pay, and without your family. It was flexible at times, so I enjoyed the flexibility, but in the end, it took as much energy from me as working 2 full time jobs. I didn’t have my priorities straight, and I fell out of sync in my relationship with God. He knew that by drawing me closer to this project I would naturally draw back to Him, which is exactly what happened.

I now look around me and see that even in Mozambique, I can easily become distracted again. I have to refocus myself at times when I feel anxious or worried. We are also slowly growing a community around ourselves again, full of people both near and far, who love us, help guide us spiritually, and help us to grow in our relationship with the Lord.

Moving back to Mozambique has definitely grown my relationship with God over the last year and trusting Him to provide guidance, financial means and support. I trust Him for every need, and I no longer worry about ANY T-H-I-N-G. Honestly. For example, we need $30,000 to start building our orphanage. We need a large dump truck for building the orphanage, which will cost around $10,000. Countless other needs and small obstacles, not to mention our own personal financial needs. At this stage in my life, I trust God to meet each need. NONE of these things make me even bat an eye. I have not a single doubt in my mind that God will meet every need.

Don’t get me wrong – we don’t wake up every morning and say, “Okay, God! Work your magic,” and then sit around and do nothing. While we’re waiting for our building approval, we are as productive as possible. We apply for private grants, public grants, any grant that has money to give to an organization that cares for children. We build relationships within our community here, while continuing to build relationships in the U.S. We work as hard as we can doing the things we know how to do, and we try to learn the things we don’t yet understand or know. God promises to see us through, but God expects us to use the skills He has given us to do whatever we can to make the process move forward. God has blessed each of us with skills to do more than sit by and wait.

So, my dear friend, if you are distracted or out of sync in your relationship with God, sit down and look at your priorities. Make a plan of how to get them back into shape. Make a list of what you want your priorities to be, and then work backwards from there. I know my life has been forever changed because God comes first now. This doesn’t guarantee that life will be any easier, however, it does guarantee an amazing sense of peace in the midst of it all. And, never under estimate the power of a community of people who will love you, lift you up when you feel like you can’t go on, and help you to grow in your relationship with God. We were created for community so don’t neglect it!

If you think of us in the coming weeks, please pray for us and our financial needs. We know that God is great and He will work all of this out in His timing, and better than we ever imagined. We would be honored to pray for you as well, whatever you are walking through. Email us at heartfortheneedy@gmail.com, or comment below and we’ll add you to our prayer list.

With lots of love,

Phil & Laura, and Jadon, too