Danette Childs

I have lived in a foreign country for nearly 15 years. The beautiful desert country of Niger.

I’ve learned how to cook almost anything from scratch, tie a head tie on my head and appreciate lizards in my house. I can drive on rutted roads while dodging children & motorcycles, bicycles carrying refrigerators, loaded camels, donkeys & carts, goats, sheep, rusted out vans carrying cattle & people on top and a myriad of other things that may or may not be appropriate on a road together with motorized vehicles.

I speak an African language and I’m able to withstand prolonged temperatures of 120+ degrees and live to tell about it. I’ve learned many of the cultural “do’s” and “don’ts” of this land.  I am comfortable with my children roaming a town or village and entering a stranger’s house by themselves because really no one is a stranger. I enjoy 3 hour long church services with intense sweat pouring off everyone (literally) and meeting under a tree for church is not uncommon. I frequently host large ministry teams in my home providing meals and clean, cold water (not a simple task when it’s 120 degrees!). I teach classes in our Bible School. With my family I’ve started and led children’s ministry, children’s camps and trained children’s workers. I’ve even directed the church choir and been the ‘keyboardist’. But most amazing of all…I have had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard the name of Jesus.

But… I’m not always confident. In fact often I’m not.

Not too long ago we were ministering in a village with a drama team. As we walked around inviting people to come, we arrived at the village well.

I began speaking with the ladies that were drawing water. One lady in particular seemed quite interested in talking with me. I began telling her the story of the woman at the well.

This is the woman I was talking with.  Isn’t she lovely?

I got to the ‘punch-line’ and asked if she was interested in receiving this living water. But instead of leading her in a prayer of salvation, I began to feel very intimidated by my lack of Hausa language skills.  She was very gracious and didn’t appear to be bothered at all by my many mistakes. At that point however I decided that it would be better if she went to the church. Surely the prayer of salvation would be more effective if it was prayed grammatically correct by a true Hausa speaker! We have a church in the village and I asked if she knew the pastor and his wife. She said she did and that she would go and find him. Then I invited her to the drama production that would soon begin in the center of the village. She agreed to come.

By this time everyone had already moved to the village center so I quickly went to join them. When I got there I was kicking myself – almost literally. What was I thinking? What I thought was my lack of ability was in fact pride that had prevented me from ‘closing the deal’. I didn’t want to look/sound stupid (I have always felt very incompetent praying in Hausa). I looked around for my new friend, hoping that she had in fact come. Nope. Repenting, I turned around and went back to the well to see if I could find her.  Not there either. She had finished drawing her water and had returned to her home.

At that point, all I could do was pray that the Holy Spirit would minister to her and she would in fact go to the church. I told the pastor and his wife about her and asked them to pray and expect her to come as well.

Though I can’t report that she did go and see the pastor, I learned something. My lack of confidence and feeling unable to do something is often a pride issue. I don’t want to look bad in front of others. So I refuse to do what I know I should do.

Often we think that pride is when we boast of all the things we can do.  But when we recognize that anything we accomplish is because of the Lord working in our lives, it’s not pride at all. It’s simply obeying Him at His Word. It’s not extraordinary. It’s simply being available.  And look at what He says to us.

And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  2 Corinthians 12:9

Wow!  We give him our weaknesses and he turns them into strength. We make ourselves available and He gives us His ability. His power! Isn’t that so like God? I love how unconventional He is sometimes.

Here’s me being very unconventional and using my abilities – or lack thereof – to help this lady get her water.  It’s hard work!  I wasn’t much help but I did provide some comic relief.

Where the world looks for the best or the greatest or the prettiest or the  most educated, God is simply looking for willing hearts.  Hearts that say ‘yes’ when He calls.  And you can be sure He is calling.

Young people making themselves available…