A Sacrifice of Praise

Back home, my favourite week of all at church is not Easter, not Christmas, but missions conference week. I love seeing the church decorated with flags of the world, reuniting with some of my favourite people who serve God around the world, and meeting people who are passionate about their faith, fulfilling the Great Commission, and in love with Jesus.

I was excited because THIS week, it was missions week at the local church we attend in Pretoria. We walked into church to see flags of the world hanging everywhere. I noticed the United States flag hanging next to Greece, and I suddenly got a lump in my throat. Seeing my home country's flag, feeling the absence of the happy reunion with those we know and love... I didn't expect this but I cried all through worship.

It is lonely, sometimes, to be the ones half a world away, to need encouragement and fellowship from people who know what it's like (and who know us), and to not get that. We sang songs in church about the nations bowing down before the Lord and I cried. I cried because I am happy to sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and I cried because I got this sudden wave of homesickness.

A verse popped into my head - "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name." - Hebrews 13:15. Sometimes praising God is a sacrifice, when our minds want to dwell on what is "wrong". But if there's one thing I've learned since moving to Africa, it's that when you walk into church, you leave your troubles at the door. The next few hours belong to God. And I have found, that God is sufficient for all that I need.