Banku, Pho and Fried Spiders: "Do good. Love well."

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galations 6:9

The past few weeks have been busy ones. Most of my free hours have been spent with the Eban Project Team, promoting the 100/4/200 Campaign. This is the campaign I mentioned previously, wherein we pray that 100 people across the globe will feel led to donate or fundraise $200 for Eban House Rehabilitation Center. Eban House, when it opens and with the Lord's blessing, is set to change many lives in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

100 people. $200. Equals $20,000. It sounds so easy. It sounds so doable. Except it is only easy and doable if 100 hearts are led to give. If 100 hearts are tender towards the massive needs in Upper West Ghana. If we have the ability to REACH those 100 would-be hearts that are out there in the huge mass of cyberspace and in our communities.

We also "unveiled" Eban Project t-shirts this past week. Oh, if I could tell you all the hours behind the scenes that went into these t-shirts! It's ridiculous how many, really! And of course, in my mind, they are super cool. Based on Helen Keller's quote, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something." We want to encourage people that everybody can do something to change the world. Truly. None of us are powerless to do good. But....so far we haven't even sold enough t-shirts to make a minimum order.

I'm very thankful that at the same time things haven't been going well with Eban Project, I was reading a book called "The Colors of Hope: Becoming People of Mercy, Justice, and Hope." [Got it for free a while back!] This book was encouraging to me as I faced day after day of inaction. The book is saying that all Christians should be "artists," painting the colors of mercy, justice, and hope across the earth. Last night one passage in particular spoke to me.

The good artists, though, have learned to be less concerned with seeing the fruits of their sowing and more concerned with the sowing itself. They’ve become people who take delight in doing what they do, rather than in the rewards that may or may not come from doing what they do. Good artists enjoy each brushstroke even though few of them will ever create masterpieces. Good teachers enjoy each interaction with students even though few of them will be indelibly life-changing. For others the joy comes in providing hospitality, or throwing a party, or doing heart surgery. But regardless, for the real artists, the joy comes in the craft itself, rather than worrying about the fruit that will come from the craft.

Today, as I sat through another day of disappointing "results" with Eban Project, I have tried to remind myself to find joy in sowing the seeds of hope and love rather than with watching those seeds blossom. I think it's very much against human nature to do that. We like a job well done. We like to do work, and then enjoy stepping back to see what we've accomplished. Oh, it's so very hard to simply find joy in the "ask" and the "info" with very little return.

I don't volunteer for EP because I want glory for myself. But I *SO* want attention on those children and vulnerable families in Ghana. I *SO* want everybody to know about the needs there. I *SO*--more than anything I think--want every single American to know that each one of us CAN DO SOMETHING!!! I digress...

So it's hard. Find joy in sowing instead of reaping. Don't be concerned with the fruit. Just as I'm typing this I hear an inner voice say, "Let God be concerned with the fruit." Amen. The fruit, the harvest, it will come when He decides it will. And maybe that won't be UNTIL we can find joy in the art of simply sharing about the situation of Ghana, and praying others will care with us.

My friend Chris Field (who also runs a great non-profit) said, "One thing in life is certain: we each have a thousand chances each day to make the world a better place. ... Do good, love well." Oh, how that blessed me yesterday. He gets it. Or at least, he gets my heart. THAT is the message I need to get out to everybody I can as I live on this earth.

For info on Eban House and the 100/4/200 Campaign, GO HERE. We have a DOUBLE matching donor for the next 10 to say "I am One." (Your $200 turns to $600.)