Inshallah

in·shal·lah
Pronunciation:
\ˌin-shä-ˈlä\
Function:
foreign term
Etymology:
Arabic in shā' Allāh
: if Allah wills : God willing

Preparing to return to Sudan, the phrase "Inshallah" comes to the front of my mind, to the tip of my tongue. Inshallah = God willing. As I remember, in Sudan, nearly every statement is followed by this expression. It hints at the unpredictability of how things will go. It reminds us that planning is just that: planning and not necessarily how things will go. We say what we want: how we intend things to go. But in the end it is in God's hands. "The plane will leave at 2:00. God willing." "We will have rice for dinner. God willing." "We will meet with the elders in an hour. God willing." You know, that's not a bad approach. An audible, automatic recognition that we are in the hands of God.


While we have plans for this trip, God has his own. And it is good to remind ourselves, as things go according to plan, or not, that God's got our back. That things are going as He has willed. This week, as we finish up all the details of our preparations; as we struggle over decisions as to what fits in and what gets left behind; as we do our best to get our work lives buttoned up and projects covered; as we make leave of our families and friends and do our best to take care of their needs while we are gone: let's not forget that things will be OK, as God has willed, not necessarily as we have planned. Here's to our final week of preparation. May it go smoothly. Inshallah!