Mana is a small tropical island in Fiji. Beautiful one day and amazing the next.
Mana is every bit the picture-perfect postcard destination. It’s where our young family of myself, my husband and our 18-month-old twins went for our first ever overseas adventure.
It was a week to remember. #soblessed quickly turned to #twinswithgastro. Our poor little twins caught a very nasty tummy bug and our time in Fiji became more about sleepless nights and worry and less about hammocks and lazy days by the pool.
On the last day we were standing at the jetty, waiting to board the ferry which would take us back to mainland Fiji, to the airport, to our flight to Melbourne and, 18 hours later, to our home. I have a very clear memory of turning to Glenn, my husband, and saying with full conviction:
I cannot do this. I cannot face this journey home with such sick and unhappy kids.
Glenn’s response? It wasn’t what I was expecting.
He looked at me, at my vomit-soaked clothing, the bags under my eyes and the crying, grumpy toddlers who were both languidly hanging off me and said…
You have to. You don’t have a choice. We’re doing this together.
He was right. I didn’t have a choice. So, we boarded the ferry and commenced our long journey home, which didn’t end until midnight where one of our girls vomited in the cab at Melbourne Airport (dear cab driver, I am STILL so sorry!)
Years on, we still talk about this holiday (and we can laugh about it now!) We still talk about the Mana Moment – that time on the jetty where there was no great motivational speech, no ingenious solution to make life easier. It was just yes, this is hard. We’ve got to do it. Let’s stick together and get it done.
There are times in life where we can find a work-around, a way to make life easier, a way to avoid the tough stuff. But other times, we’ve just got to push through. It’s hard, and we’ve got to do it anyway. We’ve all got to face our Mana Moments.
I think that Joshua in the Bible had his Mana Moment. On the edge of the Jordan River, facing the Promised Land, Joshua saw enemies, trials and problems at every point. But God said to him, over and over
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9b)
In the Mana Moment, in that time or place where you just have to do the hard thing, what do we always need to remember? Take heart. God is with you, wherever you go.
I remember the trip home from Fiji pretty vividly. It was tough. But I also remember the beautiful Indian lady on the plane, who held one of the girls for half an hour and let her play with all of her bangles. I remember the other lady on the boat, who offered us an orange to let the girls eat. And years on, I surely remember the kindness and goodness of a God who brought us home and brought us through a tough time.
If you are facing a Mana Moment, please take heart. It is tough. Sometimes we have to face our challenges head on. But we never, ever face them alone.
Stelle Carmichael — Head of Students