(Bad punctuation follows)
In March
of this year, our team went to visit Nasir, and I had the opportunity to see
the place where I would be moving to for the first time. What I saw was not a
shock to me, Although the people were even more beautiful than I had imagined.
Everything else looked exactly like the pictures. A dry, desolate land,
far away from anything this world would consider as valuable. The heat however,
was worse than I could have imagined. It was brutal.
Because
of my childhood, I tend to view myself as someone who can take on any
challenge, someone who can make the most of an awful situation. So I felt
equipped for anything that might come my way in Nasir. But after 24 hours of
being there, as the heat was relentless and I could literally look in certain
directions and see absolutely nothing, the reality set in that this was an
impossible task. That despite my own strength, despite my history of overcoming
so much, that this was too big for me. Discouragement almost overtook me in
that moment, but God in a beautiful and tender way, said "It is too big
for you. But not for me. Because My power is made perfect in your
weakness." And then I remembered… that little girl, who fought so
hard to overcome abuse, didn't do it on her own. It was Christ IN me, the Hope
of Glory. It was Him at work in my church, the body of Christ, loving me and
supporting me. How great is our God!
After
that tear filled moment where I saw my complete weakness, and I saw the Lords
beautiful grace towards me, I was able to see Nasir differently. I had a Hope
rising up inside of me. That the power of the living God was here. That he
desires the hearts of the people in South Sudan. For years the enemy has had a
grip on this place and on these people. And our prayer is that a great
awakening will come to South Sudan. And then, that He will restore the years
that the locust have eaten.
Upon my
return to Houston, I started the difficult logistics of preparing for an
overseas move. Letting my sons Blue Ribbon school know that someone else can
have his place next year. Putting cheap price tags on pretty much everything in
our house as we prepare for a series of garage sales, so that we can take as
little with us to Nasir as possible. Adjusting to the pay cut and saying
good-bye to dearly loved friends and family. I have often felt that I have to
give up so much! And then God shows me the deception in that. The women leaving
their homes at 8 at night to pray together on my family’s behalf….A complete
stranger, asking the Lord to give her scripture to pray for each
individual on our team…including my kids,
and then giving each of us a token of her commitment to pray. The costly
sacrifice that many of our supporters are surrendering. Bag after bag of
clothes for my daughter so that we don’t have to worry about another expense.
Surprise phone calls from people in the church who “just want to help”. I think I’m giving up so much and yet that
just isn’t true. I’m gaining more than I ever could have imagined, and I haven’t
even left. His power is made perfect in my weakness. Christ IN me the Hope of Glory. Him at work
in the body of Christ!
Praise
His name!
If I
could end by just blessing you with scripture that the Lord has laid on my
heart. Maybe you feel like I did as I looked across that barren land. Maybe you’re
facing a seemingly impossible situation:
One
thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may DWELL in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to
seek him in his temple.
And
because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts
crying, "Abba, Father!", so you are no longer a slave but a son, and
if a son then an heir through God. Nothing can separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The boundary lines have
fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 10
"My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"
Therefore I will gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults,
catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am
weak, then I am strong Do not be afraid or discouraged, for
the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind,
be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray
also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will
fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for
which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it
fearlessly, as I should.
Not
to us O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and
faithfulness!
-KP
No comments:
Post a Comment