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7:00pm
Brush Sienna’s teeth.
Change nappy.
Clean face and hands.
Change into PJs.
Story time.
Whether we are in England, or Nairobi, or soon to be in Antananarivo, this 7:00pm ritual is always the same. We may have to change the type of water that we use for our daughter’s teeth, face and hands. Or we might have to use different nappies, or even reusable nappies. And the stories that we may read her may change from English to French and Malagasy. But the tasks themselves do not change from country to country.
As we have moved to Kenya, countless things have changed in the life of our family and this will increase as we move to Madagascar in February. I mentioned in my last post that losing one’s geographical foundations is an extraordinary feeling, like a boat that has become uncoupled from its moorings, drifting along the currents of the river. Our family was comfortable with our life in England, very settled in our natural habitat. But a three-week intensive training course in Nairobi is already enough to completely uproot our routines, disturb our relationships and frustrate our usual way of life. The food is different; there is no way to travel; we speak to our families through fuzzy, pixelated, muffled screens; our daughter placed in child-care for the first time. Although we are well served here by our organisation and they have softened the blow for us, it is a blow nonetheless. Soon we will also be living in a temporary Malagasy guesthouse, and thrown into the flux of a new culture and language. What will be our comfort?
I find that even in the most dramatic of changes, there are constants in life that God has provided for us. The Bible speaks of Jesus as the “radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3 ESV). Interestingly the NIV translates the word uphold as sustain. Amidst great instability, Jesus is the Almighty Sustainer. The sky will always be blue and the trees will bear green leaves, whether in England or Kenya or Madagascar. And even though the stars in the Southern Hemisphere are different to those I am used to, they still “declare the glory of God” and “proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
Amidst great instability, Jesus is the Almighty Sustainer
I have taken great comfort of engaging in my daughter’s bedtime routine, because it has been a constant for us since she came into our lives one year ago. Even during the nappy change, looking into her eyes and knowing that my role as her father remains regardless of our context or circumstance helps to keep my feet on the ground. Or as I endure a hot, sleepless night in the stuffiness of a bed with a mosquito net draped around it, my wife’s face is the constant that I hold to. Sometimes, these constants are hidden among the hustle and bustle of the changes we experience and they have to be sought out. Other times, you are surprised by a constant that has always been there, but you took for granted previously.
But there are also constants to fight for as well because of the benefit they bring. God is constant in our lives, He is always there. But my heart’s disposition to seek him daily through prayer and the Word of God can waver unless I act to give it esteem in my life. It has been difficult to force times in the day to spend with the Lord amidst a hectic programme, but it has been crucial for me to do this so that my feet don’t slip. Above all else, holding onto to God as the eternal, immutable Constant will sustain you through any change of life you face.
Further reading: John Piper - Fight for Delight by Planning Your Devotions