Cold Showers

Here is Mexico, you have to purchase gas tanks in order to heat your water and cook on the stove. Just before bed last night, my gas ran out. Normally, this isn’t a big deal, but at 5:00am, when you climb in the shower and the water is cold enough to produce goose-bumps and chattering teeth, it quickly moves up your “to-do” list. Needless to say, my reaction wasn’t exactly, “Praise the Lord!” but more like, “Please God, get me through this!”

This afternoon the gas guy was supposed to come with my new tanks, but the company called and said that they will not be coming until tomorrow morning. I explained, whined, pleaded, and even called other companies, but they all insisted they could not come until the morning. I’m ashamed to admit it, but my emotions cracked after the last call. I had a “moment.” But, because God loves me so much, He didn’t allow me to wallow for long without correcting me. God reminded me of Jonah.

Jonah had his issues. He didn’t want to go when or where God called him. He ran away, but God caught up with him and turned him around. After being thrown up from a whale, Jonah finally obeyed God and delivered His warning to the Ninevites. Then, Jonah went up on a hill to wait for God to destroy them. When the people of Nineveh repented and God had compassion on them, Jonah got mad and basically pouted. In order to teach Jonah a lesson, God provided a vine that produced shade for him and then God provided a worm to kill the vine, causing it to dry up and wither. This was frustrating to Jonah and caused him to want to die. The story concludes with God saying, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:10-11)

I won’t have hot water tomorrow morning when I wake up, but I will have Jesus. How many thousands of people here in the city of Oaxaca can say that? May God break my heart with what breaks His. May He give me compassion for the lost and a heart to intercede for them. That is what is really important.