As Thanksgiving approaches, I am
reminded of the first celebration between the Pilgrims and the Indians as they
rejoiced over the harvest and gave thanks to God for his provision in the New
World. The first settlers had suffered extreme hardship, hunger, cold, and
death in their first year as colonists. But they chose to give praise to the
author of creation, thanking him amidst their trials.
Living here
in Paraguay, my heart often becomes discontent as I sweep my house continuously,
never getting rid of the endless bugs and dirt. With large cracks in the cement
floor, leaks in the roof, and the spiders happily residing in every corner, I
easily get drawn into wishing I had something better.
As is the
custom in many Paraguayan homes, I have hired a young woman to help me around
the house several days a week. She is a fairly new follower of Christ, and she
is a joy to be around. She is also
helping me a great deal in learning Guarani. Our conversations have taught me
much about her life. When asked what she likes to do, her reply was simple: “cook,
clean, wash clothes, and work in my garden.” I probed a little more to find out
which was her favorite or least favorite, yet her reply was the same. “I enjoy
it all.” I saw in her response an honest contentment and joy in her simple
tasks of daily living.
Having been
to her house, I know that her life is not physically easy. Her home is made of
wood planks with a thatch roof and dirt floor. There is one room enclosed, and
a “kitchen” with walls on three sides. She cooks over a fire and gets water
from a well about 300 meters from her house.
The bathroom is a roughly built outhouse with a hole in the ground. Needless
to say, there is no shower or bathtub. And the majority of her food comes from
either her garden or the animals they raise. Laundry is washed by hand with a
bucket and a bar of soap, and then hung out to dry. (After observing her work,
it seems so ridiculous to say I washed clothes today, when all I really did was
throw them in a machine and turn it on.) All this and she says in response to
my question, “I enjoy all my work.” I
don’t see that kind of attitude in myself, and it made a deep impression on me.
When I
start thinking about my beautiful home in Minnesota and longing to live
somewhere without exotic bugs and never-ending dirt, I have only to reflect on
the reality of life for my sweet friend Mariza, to remind me of God's goodness in my own life.
Thank you,
Lord, for the honor it is to live and work among these people. Cultivate in me
a heart of gratitude in this home or wherever you call me to live!
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