It’s Saturday…one of my favorite days of the week. It’s a noiseless morning. No little’s running up and down our little red dirt road heading to school. Void of tiny voices, laughter and screams, today we slept in a bit. I miss it some, but the cow chimed in so I am not too lonely as I sip my 1st cup of coffee and rejoice in the words of Psalm 65… “You answer our prayers with amazing wonders and with awe-inspiring displays of power.”
It's hard here, but not every place we go is poor. Some of our friends have enough to share, though it looks different than in America. More often than not, there are many needs that are not met. You can’t compare with the U.S. because there is just too much dichotomy – but even without comparison there are necessities you could never fathom until you joined in their life. Just to fulfill Maslow’s hierarchy of need is a struggle in most areas.
There are poor everywhere. I get that. But poor here is different than poor in America; not that either is good. Both are unacceptable and not God’s heart. For the enemy came to lie, steal and destroy while Jesus came to give life and that in abundance. He is not a respecter of person. He didn’t decide that a few of us live extravagantly while others have nothing. It breaks our hearts & we often wish we could fix it all.
But, I don’t know that our job is to fix it. We can provide what we have to offer in the way of practical things such as food, clothing, school supplies, grooming items etc… but we are limited in our giving. God is not! I have found the greatest thing I can offer here is hope. The Hope of Glory that we as believers in Christ carry with us. The promise of "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." The assurance that “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” The confidence “of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
It is not all sad either. There is great joy in the faces of those who know the Lord! I have been touched by the exuberant love of so many, reminding me that 'things' don't bring happiness; Christ's love does. And, OH my goodness, no matter where you go, even the poorest open their homes and there is chai tea awaiting along with a slice (or 5) of bread and maybe even a chicken. Friendship, prayer, sharing life & the Living Word all bind the hearts together.
So, in this very quiet of the morning hours, I rest in the knowledge that 'we have this treasure in earthen vessel, that the excellence of the power is of God and not of us.', We have love enough to pour out on each person we meet. We have arms wide enough to hug each child with the love of a mama or a papa. We have enough laughter to impart into the saddest of hearts. We have the authority to heal, deliver and raise the dead. Because of our Father. That is what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." We live naturally supernatural.
Psalm 65… “You answer our prayers with amazing wonders and with awe-inspiring displays of power.” Thank you Lord!
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