What's Good News?

A friend of ours here in America shared a story with us this past week.  He was talking to a small group of Americans who would claim the good news is life-changing and central to what they believe.  So our friend challenged them with the question:

Our youngest turned 10!

How is ‘the good news’ good news for you today?  It seems like a simple question, and yet, the group struggled to answer.  

The truth is that for many of us the good news can become old news.  Somewhere along the line, it stops feeling important or powerful.  It becomes life as usual. It becomes status quo.  It stops feeling both good or new.  

And let’s face it, a lot of good news is like that.  After the initial euphoria wears off, after the celebration, life goes on.  There’s always the next thing. “Congratulations, you passed the exam!  There will be another one in 6 months.”  “You won the Super Bowl!  But who will win next year?”  Good news becomes old news and old news is unfulfilling.

Whale watching on family reunion

But some good news has on-going effects.  For example, the good news may start with making a good friend.  Then a good friend, becomes a good spouse, becomes a good parent, becomes a good grand-parent, becomes a 50 year wedding anniversary, becomes a life full of meaning and faithfulness.  (We just had a celebration this week celebrating Tom’s parents’ 50+ years of marriage.) Or, the good news of a friend joining an alcohol recovery program leads to a new lease on life, leads to a healed family, leads to reconciliation with co-workers, leads to lives and relationships redeemed, leads to other lives impacted and saved from alcohol abuse.  Some good news keeps on giving.

We know that the good news that we hold as being so central has that ongoing power. But do we have eyes to see it?

One of the benefits in living on the islands is contrast.  In a place where hope, redemption and peace are little known, the good news stands out in sharp contrast.  It keeps on giving.  Like the recent story of a colleague who told us about an island brother who had to make a big decision.  So he prayed about it and got an answer.  Quoting our colleague:  “He laughed aloud as he exclaimed ‘[before] I didn’t know that I could talk to God and he would answer me!’, there was a beautiful level of awe and wonder in his voice and face.”

This brother is daily discovering the on-going effects of the good news. But what about us?  Our friends’ question is ringing in our ears.  How is it good news today? As we head into a season of transition, we feel some of the weight of added expectations as we change roles. We feel the heaviness of saying goodbye to our daughter and wondering what parenting looks like from here on out. But the good news tells us that it isn’t about us. The weight is not on our shoulders. We can cast all our cares on One who has both the power, control and wisdom that we lack and who promises to go with us. That is good news!

Our wonderful kids

If we start to lack some of that awe and wonder,  please remind us—the good news is ongoing and continuing. It is good and new everyday!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are thankful for some encouraging stories from the islands— including islanders sharing boldly and islanders having meaningful dreams. A while ago we asked for prayer for an island sister that was upset and needed to confront others about something— she finally did it. It sounds like it was difficult—now pray for some honest discussion and for any needed repentance and reconciliation that needs to happen. We are thankful for a nice family reunion celebrating Tom’s parents’ 50 years together.  Our daughter has fully recovered from her fall and Megan’s back is feeling much less touchy.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Clove Island is having another surge of COVID cases (including two of our colleagues), but it doesn’t sound like most islanders are taking many precautions. Pray for quick recoveries and for cases to remain mild. One of our teammates is heading back to Africa after time at home— pray for safe travels and a smooth transition. Pray for an island family on the small island that is experiencing some bizarre and dark things that has them very scared— it has led to the opportunity for our colleague to share and study with them— pray for the light to shine brightly, for the dark things to stop and for the family to be forever changed. We are in our final week in the US— pray that we’d get through the long to-do list posted on our wall. Pray also as we are starting to feel the weight of our impending separation from our daughter as she will be at boarding school— pray for sweet times together. We’ve been able to talk to two sets of friends that are looking to start teams of overseas workers- pray for them as they enter into leadership and recruiting teammates.