"The Lord said to [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’" (Exodus 4:2).
I have recently remembered a wonderful proverb in Kiswahili, a pearl of wisdom from East Africa. "Nilikuonyesha nyota na uliangalia kidole tu." I learned the proverb some while ago.
"Nilikuonyesha" is a compound verb meaning "I caused you to see," or "I pointed out." "Nyota" is a plural noun – "the stars." "Uliangalia" is a verb in the second person singular – "you noticed," preceded by a disjunction of astonishment, "na." "Kidole tu" may be translated "the tips of my fingers only."
"I pointed you to the stars; but you noticed only the tips of my fingers."
The proverb presents a perfectly ridiculous picture: a pair of friends admire the night sky; one points heavenward, drawing attention to a spectacular canopy of stars; but his unappreciative friend notices only his companion’s fingers.
I find myself in this same ridiculous situation from time to time. When I "lose the forest for the trees" – when I am overwhelmed with pressing details, and lose sight of the greater design – I am guilty of noticing "fingers" while ignoring the "stars" beyond. When I become discouraged by the many mundane tasks that fill my day – when I tire of simple, steady obedience – I am, as it were, distracted by mere "fingers." But there are stars beyond.
What busy lives we lead! If your home and office are like my home and office, you are likely to find very much busy detail: meetings upon meetings, mountains of email, lawns to mow, gardens to tend, automobiles to service and clean, etc. This very day I have met with a returning missionary, struggled with a broken computer, consulted with a visiting pastor, planned coursework for a group of international students, prayed for our missionary colleagues, met with a research anthropologist, supervised a volunteer, consulted with a Prayer League committee, and reported to the Chairman of our Board – catching a sandwich at my desk at 3 pm. At 6, I sat down to finish this month’s Newsletter. I will admit: I was exhausted. And then I remembered this Swahili proverb. There are stars beyond.
Our small, sometimes mundane daily activities – our puny, hurried prayers and our small acts of obedience – point to something beyond themselves, really. In Christ’s hands they become fish and loaves, ready for multiplication. They become Moses’ staff, ready for a miracle. Indeed, the Kingdom of God is built of just such a stream of simple, mundane activities: a letter answered, a gift given, a prayer offered, a visit undertaken. If we yield them to the Savior, investing them in his mission in the world, they become something more than they appear. God is building a forest with these trees. Beyond our fingertips, yes, God has made the stars.
"The Way I See It", July 2003
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