Once, on a hot July day, I preached at a church comprised of mostly South Pacific Islanders. Lovely people. The air conditioner had gone out, and it was hot! Maybe 90 degrees in the building.

About ten minutes into my sermon, I shed my suit jacket, and that’s when it happened. Nearly the entire congregation folded their arms, closed their eyes, and took a nap. Literally!

Later, I learned that a South Pacific preacher never takes off his jacket during a sermon, regardless of how hot it is. Well, I’m not from the South Pacific; how was I to know? That’s the point. I wouldn’t know. It was cultural knowledge I hadn’t learned.

Since moving onto the Native American reservation, I have been invited to go fishing, go on bike rides, visit buffalo jumps, go on arrowhead hunting excursions, join in on family barbecues, shoot games of pool, go hunting and even visit distant casinos. I’ve cleared my schedule to make time for some of these things, aired up the tires on my old bike, dressed for subzero weather, and even bought a fishing pole. Yet oddly, these events rarely, if ever, occurred.

I’m haunted by the question: Why? What am I doing wrong? Did I misunderstand something? Was there some social clue I missed? Was there a next step I failed to take? Or were these invites insincere? Anticipating what never happens sucks the life out of you! “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).

Prayer points: Please pray for our contacts, our food and clothes ministry, safety while traveling this summer, and God’s wisdom to learn what I don’t even know I don’t know!

Thank you!

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