It Really Does Not Come Naturally...

Duke ThM Students and their Scholar Leaders Friends

“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop
from the earth, being patient until it receives the early and late rains. You also must be patient….
You have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”  James 5:7-8, 11

I (Lisa) have never listed patience as a top strength. It does not come naturally to me. I do not willingly enter into slow processes like lengthy board games. But many of you can relate to the feeling that much has been stripped away that we used to count on for swift and unimpeded journeys to our chosen destinations, whether by fires or changing political landscapes, the loss of robust health or the loss of a loved one. We find ourselves only able to pray and wait. The book of James seems designed to form a people capable of receiving their lives rather than achieving them, a people who count life as a gift and look in hope to the giver of wisdom and of “precious crops,” the fruit born of patience. Patience is funded by deep confidence that the Lord is merciful and kind.
My current circumstances (a primary caregiver, living in an unfamiliar city, and working within three new-to-me organizations) have caused me to ponder often the virtue of patience and the value of waiting. The farmer here is presumably not passive as he or she waits; animals need feeding, weeds and pests need removing, and soil can be improved. But for that key big-ticket item, rain, the farmer can only wait. It will come as gift--or not at all.  James writes to people who are enduring suffering, in part as they work out how to live together as a socioeconomically diverse community sprinkled with folks who prefer boastful speech to humble listening. He encourages them that by choosing the path of patience, they will receive two incredible gifts from their generous God: wisdom and endurance. What is more, they will see the purposes of the Lord and experience his compassion and mercy. I don’t see all God’s purposes for this season yet, but I am getting early glimpses, and we have seen the Lord’s abundant mercy towards us in so many ways.
One of the biggest challenges of this season for me has been navigating new territory and tools. I have had to learn many new pathways to access aid for my mom and have had to learn new acronyms and organizational cultures within Scholar Leaders, the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE), and Duke Divinity School (where I’ll teach a course this spring). I had not anticipated being so stretched vocationally while being challenged physically and emotionally as a caregiver. But the work that I knew how to do, teaching preaching, has not been readily available to me, so I have tried to plow a new field, and am eager to see what this crop will look and taste like. Rain is beginning to come, and buds are appearing:

•       I have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming the three female students who have come from India (2) and Guatemala to study at Duke Divinity School. This is part of my work with Scholar Leaders, which has funded their studies in partnership with Duke. They are gifted, articulate, and kind, and we have enjoyed taking them on outings, hosting them in our home, and studying the fine new book, Growing Women in Ministry, by Anna Morgan, together.
•       I am hopeful for the value of the Impact Team I’ll be leading for ICETE’s gathering in Albania in early March. This conference gathers 600 leaders in theological education from around the world, and this year’s emphasis is on teams working together on key topics more than on plenary sessions. My team, Women Thriving, looks at how women in the majority world are doing at every level of the seminary experience, from being students to moving into faculty and senior leadership positions. I’m so pleased with the leaders I’ve been able to gather from Brazil, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc. to bring their voices to the conversation.  You can learn more here.
•       My third new organization is Duke Divinity School, and I am grateful to be a guest professor there starting in May, teaching Cross-cultural Preaching.  I will also teach Christology for a Christian college in Malaysia this spring. 

How to Pray for Us:

• We join with you in deep sorrow at the lives and homes lost in Southern California, and we know that you are praying with us for comfort, healing, and renewal in the face of that tragedy. 
• We ask your prayers as we continue to care for Lisa's mom, Nancy--for wisdom, kindness, and patience, and for her well-being in the coming months. 
• We are both traveling (separately) in the month of March more than we have since relocating to Durham. We will send more specifics soon about Rich's trip to India and Bangladesh, and for now would ask your prayers for Lisa's travels to Albania (March 3-7) for the ICETE conference. 

We are always glad when you hit reply and send a quick update on your lives and how we may pray for you! 
(Below) Lisa and I join our son Mark in London, our first in-person visit with our son for 1.5 years. It has been great to see him this week! (We arrive back in North Carolina on Sunday.)