Uncategorized – Page 2

Deer in the Headlights

May 13, 2020July 1, 2020https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“We often miss hearing God’s voice simply because we aren’t paying attention.” – Rick Warren

Morgan Freeman, George Burns, James Earl Jones. The voice of each of these men, probably because they have played the role in movies, is how I envision the audible voice of God. Strong. Calm. Authoritative. Peaceful.

In the book of Psalm (29:3-9), the Bible describes God’s voice like this:

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion[a] like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

Wow! Can you imagine experiencing the triumphant voice of the Lord in such a way? Powerful. Majestic. Thunderous.

I have always wanted to hear God’s voice out loud. I mean a true audible voice. Someone sitting right there having a conversation with me. Unmistakeable. Abraham, Noah, Moses, David and a few lucky others got to experience this long ago.

When I hear God speak, it is usually through scripture, nature, a song, someone else or a thought in my head. Never a loud audible voice from God. Maybe that’s good. It would probably freak me out.

The problem is that I don’t always recognize that He is speaking to me. I question and doubt what I’m seeing, hearing or thinking. Leading me sometimes to brush it off.

But other times I am intrigued. He gets my attention. And I listen.

No time has ever been more evident than a few years ago when I was traveling down Robious Road at night. It was pitch dark, no street lights and no other cars in front of me.

I tend to have a little bit of a heavy foot when it comes to driving. And that night was no exception. It was late. I had just left a meeting. I wanted to get home.

What better reason to drive just a little bit faster than the speed limit?

While minding my own business and cruising along, I heard a voice in my head say, “Slow down, Tracy”.

The funny thing is, I actually responded. I asked, “Why?”

“Slow down Tracy”, I heard again. No reason. No explanation. Just a command.

Intrigued. I joined in the conversation. “God, why are you telling me to slow down? There is nobody else on the road. I am almost home.” Ok, some may call this justifying my actions, not having a conversation.

But then I found myself asking, “Is this going to be like what happened in Florida?”

Hmmm. Why did I just ask that? What triggered that question? That was so many years ago.

Kurt and I were living down in South Florida at the time. I was driving home late one night from a meeting. As I sat at a red light waiting to turn left I realized that the light had been green for several seconds before I made the turn. That was very unusual for me. Unusual enough for me to notice. As I mentioned earlier, I tend to have a heavy foot. When I finally turned, I thought that it was so strange that I sat there for a few seconds. There were no other cars around to delay my left turn. What was that all about?

As I drove down the dark 2-lane road, I didn’t think any more about my hesitation at the light. Then about 10 minutes later, it happened. I saw headlights coming straight at me in my lane. Seconds before the oncoming car reached me, it fishtailed off the road. Seconds, before hitting me! I know God stalled me at the traffic light. Had I moved as soon as the light turned green, I would have been hit head on ten minutes later..

That incident came flooding back in that instant. It caused me to slow down immediately.

Just then, I turned the blind bend on Robious Road, almost reaching my neighborhood, and there it was. A deer in my headlights. A large, majestic 8-point buck. His body was across my entire lane. Had I not listened and slowed down a few minutes earlier, I would not have been able to stop in time to avoid the collision.

3d rendered illustration of a deer infront of a car

We all have the privilege of hearing God’s voice.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27

NASB)

He speaks to us in so many different ways… a voice, a thought, a friend, a scripture verse, a song, nature, a circumstance, a dream… the opportunities are endless. Maybe you have even been fortunate enough to hear Him speak to you out loud. If so, I’d love to know if He sounded like any of the voices I mentioned earlier.

Do you hear him? Are you listening? He is speaking to you today.

Recalculating

May 13, 2020https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“I get by with a little help from my friends.” – John Lennon

When riding in the car with my husband, Kurt, there was nothing that stressed me out more than when he would say, “Hurry up and pull out the map. See if I need to get off at this exit.” What? Seriously? As though I could figure that out quickly and under pressure! Or… figure it out at all for that matter. Not a chance.

map

I am terrible at reading maps. I’m a person who needs to rotate the map to the direction I am facing. This usually means upside down or sideways. That is the only way I can figure out where I am and where I’m going. Unlike some people, I do not have the ability to use mental rotation. And because of that, I am so thankful for the invention of GPS and smartphones!

I have come to accept that my spacial abilities or “lack there of” make it difficult for me to read maps. I do best when someone tells me directions, especially if they use landmarks as the directionals. I will always remember the landmarks!

That leads me to one summer day several years ago. I knew I was lost. As I traveled along, I was not seeing the same landmarks I had seen on the way there. Unfortunately, GPS and smartphones were not yet around to help recalculate my route.

I decided to squeeze in one more little vacation before the kids went back to school. We had recently moved to Richmond and I wanted to show them Philadelphia, the city where my parents grew up. I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother there.

Kurt was unable to go with us, but I decided I could do this 3-day trip on my own. Our 4 young kids (ages 6-11) and I were excited. I made hotel reservations, planned our itinerary and mapped our route. (OK, maybe Kurt mapped my route). None the less, I felt confident in this little excursion.

It turned out to be a fun trip. We saw a lot of historical sites in the short time there.

On the final day, the kids and I packed everything up and loaded the van. I spent a couple of minutes patting myself on the back for a successful trip and then we headed home.

As we left the city, I realized too late that we were crossing the wrong bridge. This one had a $10 toll! And if that wasn’t bad enough, it dumped us right on to an expressway in New Jersey. Now, I have nothing against New Jersey, but I definitely knew we did not travel through New Jersey on our way to Philadelphia.

I had no choice but to keep driving. No exits were in site. The panic set in. What do I do? Where am I? How do I get back on the right route?

My children could tell I was upset when the tears started to flow down my face. I felt alone as I told the kids that we were lost.

In response, my 9-year old son, Ross, touched my hand and compassionately said, “We’re not lost mom, because we are all together.”

Wow. What a concept. We are not lost, because we are all together. It truly is harder to get lost when we are together then when we are alone.

I have learned over the years, how important it is to do life together with other believers. When I feel lost or alone, I have people in my life who lead me back. Pray with me. Encourage me. Guide me. Hold me accountable. Laugh with me. Cry with me. Do life with me.

“Discover creative ways to encourage others[a] and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect[b] meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.” Hebrews 10:24-25 The Passion Translation (TPT)

After a lot more tears, a few stops for directions and a trip back over the $10 toll bridge, we were finally headed home in the right direction.

Are you feeling lost? Headed in the wrong direction? Can’t seem to find your way back?

First, Trust God. “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)

Second, be sure you are doing life with other believers. Jesus tells us… “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20

There are times in our lives that we all feel lost and heading in the wrong direction. When we have a small group of friends that we are doing life with, they can help “recalculate our route” and guide us back to Jesus.

Who are you doing life with?

Laying Out a Fleece

May 13, 2020https://gingersnaps.wordpress.comLeave a comment

Have you ever felt so ill-equipped to do the task God has laid before you, that you actually lay out a fleece before God?

“Gideon said to God, “If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you’ve said, then look: I’m placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.” Judges 6:36-40 The Message (MSG)

20190309_122615

Gideon was willing to do what God was calling him to do, but because of his feelings of inadequacy, he wanted confirmation.

There was a time when God called me so far out of my comfort zone, that I wasn’t really sure I was hearing Him correctly. How could he possibly think I was capable of doing that job?

Have you ever felt that way? How could God possibly be calling me to… confront that person?… complete that task? … handle this situation?… move my family?… change jobs?

Well, that was what I thought. I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom when our children were young. A job I loved. I always knew that was the job for which I was created. So when I started to feel restless, 15 years into the gig, I wasn’t quite sure why. Why would I consider doing anything different than what I have been doing? I am comfortable here. My family needs me in this role.

Yet, I was being nudged to do something new. Something that might take time away from my family. Was I ready for that? I didn’t know what it was, but the nudge was real.

The struggle started to take place just before Lent in 2004. Lent, a time to reflect on the life of Christ. A time to dig deeper spiritually and to self-reflect.

Many of us use this time to sacrifice something we love. This gives us time to reflect and pray whenever we are craving that “thing”.

Others of us choose to add something to our day. Daily Bible reading, devotions, acts of kindness. Anything that helps us draw closer to Christ.

I decided to “add” to my day and read through “The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?” by Rick Warren. A 40-day study. Perfect.

As I went through the study, the nudge grew stronger. It was definitely time to do something new. And what I was hearing was it was time for me to do some work outside of the house.

Well, that is a scary thought. I haven’t worked in the professional world for 15-years. What could I possibly do now? And besides, I love being a stay-at-home mom.

So, it was time to lay out my fleece. Lord, if I am hearing you right and I am to go back to work, then you must meet these conditions. Yes, that is exactly how I said it… snarky and all.

I will work only during the hours my children are in school.
I must have all holidays and summers off with my children.
Although teaching is probably the only job that fits into these conditions, I cannot be a teacher!

I needed to know if it was just me feeling restless because my children were much more independent (10 yrs. – 15 yrs at the time); or if it was God putting this restlessness in my heart. Hence, the fleece.

Well, God accepted the challenge. He immediately dropped an opportunity right into my lap. New Life Church was looking for a new weekday Preschool Director and asked me if I’d consider the position. The thing is, my degree and experience were not in education. I knew that I knew nothing about being a preschool director (except that I was a preschool mom for many, many years).

Ok, let’s check the fleece. Surely it won’t pass the test. (1) √, (2) √, (3) √.

But wait God, I forgot to add one more condition. (4) It must be something I know how to do. God has such a sense of humor!

I knew His answer, “I have fulfilled all of your conditions. Now you must trust that I will equip you for the job.” Wow. How do you argue with that?

I accepted the job and learned that I needed to hire a new staff and purchase a curriculum. Did I mention I was not an educator? Hiring teachers and choosing a curriculum were completely out of my comfort zone. “Trust me,” I heard.

God supplied the preschool with amazing, qualified teachers and an awesome curriculum that year. And I knew that He was in control!

I was blessed to be in that role for 10 years. And I was amazed that God used me in a position I never imagined I was capable of doing. And I wasn’t. But He equipped me, guided me and provided me with everything I needed because I trusted Him.

Are you being called out of your comfort zone? Have you laid out a fleece, yet still don’t trust that God will equip you? I encourage you not to miss the opportunity God is calling you to. Trust him. If He is calling you, He will equip you!

We serve an awesome God. ~Tracy Cooper

Knysna, South Africa – Year Five

January 15, 2019March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”– Walter Winchell

Thank you for joining me on our journey again this year! Many of you may have followed along last year and learned about why Kurt and I travel to South Africa (annually since 2014). However, some of you may be reading this blog for the first time. So let me start by reposting our story of how we got here from the blog The Journey Begins…

“Why are you in South Africa?”, you may ask. Well it is a story only God could write…

For many years, I would always joke with people saying that when Kurt retires, he will probably “drag” me to some 3rd World country to be in ministry. Fast forward, here we are in Knysna, South Africa. It isn’t 3rd World, but it is definitely 2nd World.

So how did we get here? After Kurt retired in January 2014, he began to meet with the University of Virginia to learn about their water purification “system” (local potters make porous pots lined with silver), in Limpopo, South Africa. After meeting with those involved with this project a couple of times, they recommended he go visit the site in order to understand the site work that needed to be designed. Since he and I decided I would go with him, we thought we would make a vacation out of the trip down (as it would probably be the ONLY time we would ever come to Africa).

One problem, we knew nothing about Africa. I certainly did not realize how big the continent is compared to North America. Africa is bigger than China, India, the contiguous U.S. and most of Europe—combined! So, how do I begin to plan a trip? I would tap into my resources or as many would call, FRIENDS.

I happened to know only one couple that had ever been to Africa and their trip was to Kenya, not South Africa. But as God would have it, this couple had just recently met a man who was born and raised in South Africa, but now lives in Augusta, Georgia. My friend recommended I email his friend to see if he could help me plan an itinerary. After several emails back and forth with this man I had never met, Kurt decided that this project with UVA was not a good fit. Wow, disappointment. This man in Georgia has spent so much of his time helping me plan a vacation and now I needed to tell him we were not going to go. I felt bad to have wasted his time.

God had other plans! It was now August or so and instead of my new email friend saying oh well, so sorry for you; he said that he was taking a mission team to Knysna, South Africa at the beginning of November and invited us to come with him. I promptly said “Thank you” but “No Thank You”, we have already allocated that money to be used for something else… that may or may not have been completely true.

My new friend did not take “no” for an answer. Instead he told me to talk to Kurt and pray about it. Ugh, why did he have to bring God into this? I know that if I pray about it, I may have to say “yes”. Dilemma, do I tell Kurt we’ve been invited?

Yes, I did. And after much prayer, we decided to join the team.

Now, it is January 2019 and we have returned to Knysna 6 times over the past 5 years. We love the people here and have made forever friends.

Last year, we were able to transition the program I launched in 2016 called Girls Talk into the ministry of the local Youth for Christ. This was a dream come true. I knew from the start that the program would not be sustainable unless a local organization could oversee it and provide the necessary resources. At the same time, this provided a full-time professional job for my friend Thokozile, God-size Dreams.

Kurt spent his time teaching basic carpentry skills to young men who did not complete the 9th grade. To learn about their final project, please read Opening Their Hearts and Home ). He will do this again this year with a new group of guys.

So, with all of that said, and just arriving back here 2 days ago, I am not sure what this trip will bring. Kurt and I made a trip up to the township this morning to meet with some friends. We both left a little discouraged to see the circumstances of some of their households.

I hope to spend time getting to know the stories of more people here again. I plan to share them with you and give you updates on those you met last year.

As you have seen in the past, however sad or tragic these stories can be, many are so inspirational. Through it all, our God remains faithful. ~Tracy Cooper

Opening Their Hearts and Home

March 31, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“It’s not the size of your house that makes a home… It’s the size of your heart.” ~Jane Lee Logan

In June 2017, Maria and her husband Freddy opened their hearts and home, doubling the size of their family overnight. They have six children of their own. Yet in June, they agreed to take in six of Maria’s cousin’s children who became orphaned.

unnamed-6 — The orphaned siblings with Maria and Ella. Frederick, the oldest did not move to Knysna.

Maria grew up in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. At the age of 20 years old, she had her first daughter with a man to whom she was not married. Then 3 years later, she had her second daughter. Maria is a strong woman and began raising these girls on her own.

At the age of 26, she met Freddy, the man of her dreams. They fell in love and were married. They just celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary! Freddy is a good man. He has always worked hard to take care of Maria and their children. For years, the only work he could find was in Knysna, two hours away from his family. He moved there to work and traveled home when he could to see his family. This is so typical of families. If the father is still involved with the family, he may have to live in another town to work, only seeing his family on occasion.

While he worked in Knysna, Freddy stayed with Maria’s sister. She lived in an area of the township that was very underdeveloped at the time. No roads. No concrete block homes. No water. No electricity. This was now Freddy’s home away from home. He would work all day long and often help neighbors at night and on the weekends. He is a handy man. Someone who can fix almost anything. And he is always willing to help. One neighbor took notice of his kindness to the community. She starting talking with him about his work, his family and his plans. She wanted to know if he planned to move his family to Knysna.

Of course Freddy would love to do that, but where would they live? He and his wife had six children! The woman was full of compassion. She told Freddy that she wanted to give her land to him so that he could move his family to Knysna. A piece of land full of brush and vegetation. No buildings. So much potential. Wow.

Freddy couldn’t wait to tell Maria. But she held back her excitement. She had concerns. She didn’t know this woman. What if they accepted the offer, built a home on the property, and then the woman turned around and took the land back. Valid concern.

Freddy returned to Knysna a few days later and addressed Maria’s concern with the woman. She so wanted to give them this gift. She insisted Freddy go with her to the magistrate where she signed the land over to him. It was now legal. No strings attached. A priceless gift. Maria and I both agree… a true blessing from God.

Freddy got to work building his family a wooden house. Actually one that feels large inside because he designed it with high ceilings. When it was finished, the 8 of them moved in. The home had a kitchen and two bedrooms. No bathroom.

unnamed-5 — Maria standing in front of the Wooden home Freddy built 13 years ago. The blue RDP house is in the back.

Life was good. Not easy. But good. They were surrounded by bush. No roads. No running water. No electricity. No sanitation. But they were all together again! Within a couple of years, that part of the township (Dam Se Bos) began to develop. The government brought roads, water lines, sanitation and electricity to that area. RDP homes (Reconstruction and Development Programme) were being built. A few years ago, Maria and Freddy qualified for their small government home (2 bedrooms / 1 bathroom). This now stands directly behind the wooden house.

Side note: The RDP program was initiated by the ANC Party under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. Poverty is the single greatest burden of South Africa’s people, and is the direct result of the apartheid. As part of this program, people in poverty have the opportunity to receive a free home. Those eligible must meet these qualifications: Must be a South African citizen; over the age of 21; married or living with a partner OR single with dependants; earn less than R3,500 ($295 U.S.) per household per month. The problem is that it can take years before your home is built. I know some people that have been waiting 15-20 years.

This brings us to June 2017. Maria got a call from family members telling her that her cousin had been murdered. She was stabbed in front of her home, in front of her children. She was an alcoholic and apparently got into an altercation with another woman, leading to her death. Six children were now orphaned. Their mother was dead and their alcoholic father had been murdered (stabbed) a year earlier. It is so hard to imagine what these children went through in that household.

Maria, who didn’t really even know the children, was begged by relatives to take them in. If Maria did not take them, they would be separated and put into foster care. She did what came naturally. She prayed.

Maria felt God tugging on her heart. She must give these orphans a chance. So off she and Freddy went to pick up 6 more children to join their family.

unnamed — The youngest sisters recently orphaned.

Maria’s two oldest daughters had already moved away. One lives in Capetown and one lives in Johannesburg. However, they each have one child a 4-year old girl and a 2-year old boy that live with Maria and Freddy.

If you are trying to keep a head count, here it is… In the household resides: Freddy, Maria, 4 of their children (3 in high school and a 25-year old who just had a baby), 3 grandchildren and 6 of her cousin’s children. A total of 15 people. 4 bedrooms. 1 bathroom. Yes, 1 bathroom. Things are a little crowded, to say the least.

Maria and her newest grandson, Favian.

Maria’s grandson, Davian.

Not only that, the financial struggle is very real. Freddy has a maintenance job (actually in the neighborhood where we rent a house). He works hard all week long and then pastors a church in his community on Sundays. I don’t know Freddy’s salary, but it would be typical for him to make around $17 U.S. per day. He is the only bread-winner in the home.

Praise God my friends Penny and Ella (Emzini Tours), who I mentioned in the blog posts “Unprotected-Part 1” and “Unprotected – Part 2”, have partnered with Freddy and Maria to help provide for the orphans. They pay for school uniforms, transport to school, school fees and some food expenses. It is a necessary blessing for the family.

To help Maria and Freddy with space, Kurt and our friend Don have been teaching a group of 8 guys basic carpentry skills. These boys did not complete high school, some cannot read. This was an opportunity to teach them some basic skills to hopefully make them a little bit more employable. Their final project was to build a 12 X 12 sleeping room onto Freddy and Maria’s home. This gives the family space to move 4 -6 of the children into a room of bunk beds.

unnamed-28 — The finished sleeping room.

The project was amazing. Not only did it give Maria’s family more sleeping space, it was such an exciting accomplishment for the young boys in the class.

Freddy and Maria are Christians. Maria praises our Savior all day long. It gives me such joy to visit and see her love for our Lord. Together this couple teaches their children kindness, compassion, love, grace and mercy. They instill in them the importance of an education. Maria told me that in her house, nobody is allowed to drop out of school. They are raising these children to be good productive members of society.

Because Freddy and Maria opened their hearts and their home, six children have a new lease on life. I am thankful that they obeyed God’s call on their lives. Well done good and faithful servants! ~Tracy Cooper