A view from here

Wow, so many things to think and write about....
I am in Francistown finally and I think it will take me a while to settle. Currently, i am staying with an American Lutheran couple while my house is being repaired. There was quite a bit of work to do and I still have to buy appliances. I will wait because we are putting in tile and ripping out carpet. There is little sense down here to having carpeting. The house is really nice and I look forward to being in it and also I do not want to wear out my welcome here.
I have already met several women from various countries in a Bible study here. There are a lot of activities here and I am enjoying getting to stretch out a bit.
There is a bit of tension in Botswana as we wait for the election in Zimbabwe. I am praying that what is done will be best for the people but it is hard to tell. The inflation is very high, violence is high and there is very little food. It is hard to see people go through this.
Yesterday Bible study was Mark 10:13-31. The rich man asks what can he do, after all, he has followed what he was taught to do by the Ten Commandments. Jesus tells him basically to give it all up.All his riches, which of course is the man's entire identity.
Today I have thought a lot about self esteem and our own identity. We really do not usually know I think how God looks at us unless we pursue our identity in Him. Regardless of our self titles, and what we think is important, it all becomes nothing if we do not follow Him on His path-as opposed to OUR path. When I became a believe, I remembered His eye is on the sparrow. It does not say His eye is on the big fancy multicolored bird, His eye is on that cute little plain brown sparrow. Our identity in Christ is what is important, not what we or the world thinks. I pray that I learn not to be so hard on my failings or anyone else's....I pray that I learn God uses us all in spite of these flaws. Most of all, He loves us--He created us to be who we are and who we can be in Him.