Tuesdays at the Feria…

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Tuesday is easily becoming my favorite day of the week! Just half a block from our apartment, they close off the street to traffic and it becomes a “feria” – an outdoor market with vendors of all kinds. You can purchase eggs or a plunger, fresh cilantro and ginger or the newest product to whiten your sneakers.

For instance, today I went out with my “carrito” and spent about an hour shopping on the street.  There were moms and big sisters with little kids weaving between shoppers on their trikes.  There were fathers and uncles looking for the best prices on veggies and fruits for their families.  The sounds of hawkers advertising their products and the street entertainer with his out-of-tune guitar hoping for the jingle of coins in a plastic cup hanging off the neck of his instrument, mixed with the laughter of market day.

I had to agree with a little boy walking with his mother in front of me – the air was filled with the smell of “frutilla” – strawberry, which is at the peak of its season. But that was interrupted when I came up to the fish stand and purchased today’s lunch – fresh “reineta” (my dictionary says it’s Pomfret??!!)  But soon I found my favorite herb stalls and breathed in as much basil as possible!

By the time the sun was at its hottest, my cart was overflowing – watermelon, grapefruit, beets, a new laundry basket, an electrical adapter, corn-on-the-cob, fragrant nectarines, juicy strawberries and cherries…and even a new blouse to wear to church Sunday!  All for about $30!

A New Endeavor

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I am SO nervous! My husband, Jim Tino, is about to speak on the radio here in Santiago, Chile!

He spoke! Ay – que emoción!
Last week he was invited by the director of the “Lutheran Hour Ministry” in Santiago to be interviewed on a local radio station.
They discovered his “radio voice” and now he’s got a side job!
It is definitely a thrill to put yourself at God’s disposition. You never know where He will take you.

Tur(n)key Day?

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Two things that I have noticed: Each year, more and more people comment to me that they feel that God is distant and irrelevant to their lives; and each year, more people are calling Thanksgiving, “Turkey Day” instead of “Thanksgiving Day”. I wonder – could these two observations be related?

Most schoolchildren learn that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the pilgrims and the native American Indians, to give thanks to God for food, health, harvest, and divine protection in the New World. Historical records indicate that just such a Thanksgiving feast was held in the fall of 1621 by the colonists of the Plymouth Plantation.

In October 1789, President Washington issued the first Thanksgiving Day proclamation: “A Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer”. Washington’s proclamation sets aside Thursday, November 26th as the holiday. Over time, Thanksgiving came to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November rather than on the 26th of November. (A copy of the original proclamation can be viewed here.)

The early colonists and settlers understood something that we seem to have forgotten – it is good to give thanks to God! How would you feel if you gave someone an expensive present, and they never said “thank you”? That person probably would not be your friend for very long! An attitude of ingratitude breaks down friendships and can destroy relationships. An attitude of gratitude, however, builds up friendships and relationships. Gratitude is a key – a key that unlocks the heart of another.

When we give thanks to God, we are turning the key of gratitude. It unlocks the door of communication between us and God. Thanksgiving isn’t about turkey, but it is about turning a key – the key of gratitude to God for all of His blessings to us! As we give thanks to God, we will find that the relationship between us and God can be renewed and restored! Remember – if God seems far away, He’s not the one who moved!

Make this Thanksgiving a Turn-key Day!

The best made plans of mice and men…

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…you know the rest.  Why is it then that we put so much stock in planning?

As a youngster, I observed my mom faithfully go a day or two early to her Sunday School classroom to organize all her materials and leave an awesome chalk drawing on the board.  As an education major I was required to turn in  lesson plan upon lesson plan.   Even to this day, I over prepare for every class I teach, presentation I lead, activity I direct …and for good reason!  When my “bag of tricks” is empty, the students take over!

BUT, scripture tells us “Do not worry about tomorrow…” (Matt. 6)  We try to do what Jesus says and focus on the birds of the air and the lilies of the field so we can be like them.   But it’s a lot harder for us human beings.   Dates and times and places need to be a little more specific.  So, we struggle and push and do our best and then read “Unless the Lord builds…. In vain you rise up early…” (Ps 127).

Fortunately for us, God has a sense of humor.  He seems to delight in seeing us whirling away as He calmly places answers at our feet (or sometimes at our noses if we happen to fall in exhaustion!)  Slowly we learn that He’s in charge, but don’t quite get how to let Him do the planning.  It must be that it’s an exercise in walking by faith.

When I quiet the organizing voices in my head, I can hear His voice.  I don’t stop moving.  That’s not me.  God’s given me energy and ability, so I use them. But energetically I need to seek Him.  With eyes wide open I notice what He wants me to see.

The Lord has called my husband and I to Chile.  That’s a clear plan.  In the meantime struggles, stress, and even disaster happen on all sides, clouding the view.  Walking by faith allows us to anticipate God’s surprise.  Sometimes it’s a simple phone call or email providing financial support; or at other times an introduction to a stranger who exactly fits the missing piece of our puzzle.  Then there are situations like the devastating wildfires and earthquakes in Chile which become new opportunities to share the life-changing news of the Gospel.

So, we continue to plan, but remind each other that in our uncertainties and insecurities God will surely act.  Then we can be sure we’re following The Plan.  As I contemplated the age-old saying, an on-line dictionary expanded my thinking with this:  “If a little rain can ruin the best-laid plans of mice and men, think what an earthquake might do!”