A Full Water Tank

It’s been almost a month since I posted.

I didn’t mean for it to be that long.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say...

Today it poured rain.

The sky opened up and buckets of water dropped.

There was even hail.

The gutter system Carson put in poured a little over 2000 liters of water into our tank.

It’s a wonderful system for water collection during rainy season, but it didn’t come into existence without a little struggle. We didn’t know we needed it until, well, we NEEDED IT.

It’s been almost a year since I was soaking dishes in rain water on the back steps. We were watching that beautiful liquid fall from the sky, but had no way to get it into the tank that feeds our sinks, showers, toilets.

“What every artist must learn is that even the failed pieces are essential.”

This is a quote from Rob Bell’s book Drops Like Stars.

What I must learn is that even the failed days are essential.

There are a lot of days here that feel like failures. In fact most of last week. Carson was sick and despite my many plans it seemed the only thing I accomplished was getting dinner on the table. The failed days are essential though. 

On the failed days we learn about culture. 

We get the motivation to study Swahili so that next time we’ll understand better, be able to speak better.

We get the inspiration for the things that will succeed. 

We remember we have to rest sometimes to regain momentum. 

On the failed days we remember that we are human and it is only by the grace of God that anything will come of our being here.

This is a truth that is perhaps illuminated in some ways by living in Tanzania, but it is a truth wherever you live.