*written Saturday, 10/9/10; posted Tuesday, 10/12/10... so goes my life*
I have a “free” Saturday… okay, well a couple free hours. We have a church youth group from Austin out riding horses and throwing tomahawks right now. Deborah and I spent the morning cleaning over in the guest house and we’re gonna be leaving in a few hours to sing at a Music Festival in Fischer. But right now, I’m going to blog my thoughts. Cause they’ve been many and need sorting.
It all is still coming from the verses in James and in Isaiah that I listed in my previous post: Caring for Widows and Orphans. Sharing your food with the hungry. Providing the poor with Shelter. Clothing the naked…
We sang a song the other night at a Concert that we sing all the time. “The Broken Ones”. I love the message of the song. I always take the opportunity in introducing it to share what the Church should be all about. About people. About serving, caring, sharing… as in the Isaiah and James verses. And so at this particular concert, I said a few things in introducing, same as always. But after we had finished, I felt compelled to say something different. Because every single time we sing that song, people nod their heads in agreement, some raise their hands, some close their eyes, some cry… but does anyone really do anything with it after the music fades? I told the audience that “The Broken Ones” is a great song… we really love it. But that’s all it is. Just a song. Just good lyrics and harmonies. Until we decide to act and do something with it. Are we just going to let Jesus’ words penetrate our ears? – or our hearts? Are we going to just pray and wish the world could be changed, or are we going to try to do something about it? I mentioned in my last post, “to give till it hurts…” Not just our money, but ourselves. Are we merely trying to survive, or are we ever trying to revive those we come in contact with?
The other day, I was browsing some of the blogs I follow. One in particular that I love is www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com and is titled “The Journey”. Katie is a girl younger than I who has left everything she knew and loved to follow the Lord’s call. Going to Uganda to serve and has adopted at least 12 Ugandan children as her own. A single mom in a foreign place among different people, in a different culture. But never am I so encouraged than when I read her postings. And yet I am so pained by the hurt that is so real.
While I was browsing “The Journey”, I found a blog titled “Be the hands and feet” www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com. As I read the stories and saw the pictures, tears welled up in my eyes. Pain and poverty… starvation… is so real. How many of us understand? I know I don’t. I can’t. I am so blessed. As I read these stories (and I so encourage you to do so as well) I was not only humbled by how much I have, but ashamed at how little I let myself be satisfied by it. I am rich and yet how often do I see it?! And it’s not just in money… but in food, clothes, shoes. We have multiple computers, cell phones, cars… If these people in Uganda… and other places around the world… had only a fraction of what I have, they would feel blessed and exceeding grateful. If they had only half of one of our meals every day, they wouldn’t be starving. The pain they face every single day is not fair! But it’s real. They are real people with real needs. Real pain. Real hunger. I want to be the eyes, seeing needs. The heart, loving and caring for those. I want to be the hands… reaching out to show hope. Or the feet, carrying the news of the gospel. Christ told us what to do. He said “Go into all the world.” He said to clothe the naked, feed the hungry. He told us when we do something for the least of these, we’re doing it unto Him. Maybe we can’t all sponsor. Maybe we can’t all go. But we can all pray. And we can encourage and support others who do go. Who do sponsor.
I have a “free” Saturday… okay, well a couple free hours. We have a church youth group from Austin out riding horses and throwing tomahawks right now. Deborah and I spent the morning cleaning over in the guest house and we’re gonna be leaving in a few hours to sing at a Music Festival in Fischer. But right now, I’m going to blog my thoughts. Cause they’ve been many and need sorting.
It all is still coming from the verses in James and in Isaiah that I listed in my previous post: Caring for Widows and Orphans. Sharing your food with the hungry. Providing the poor with Shelter. Clothing the naked…
We sang a song the other night at a Concert that we sing all the time. “The Broken Ones”. I love the message of the song. I always take the opportunity in introducing it to share what the Church should be all about. About people. About serving, caring, sharing… as in the Isaiah and James verses. And so at this particular concert, I said a few things in introducing, same as always. But after we had finished, I felt compelled to say something different. Because every single time we sing that song, people nod their heads in agreement, some raise their hands, some close their eyes, some cry… but does anyone really do anything with it after the music fades? I told the audience that “The Broken Ones” is a great song… we really love it. But that’s all it is. Just a song. Just good lyrics and harmonies. Until we decide to act and do something with it. Are we just going to let Jesus’ words penetrate our ears? – or our hearts? Are we going to just pray and wish the world could be changed, or are we going to try to do something about it? I mentioned in my last post, “to give till it hurts…” Not just our money, but ourselves. Are we merely trying to survive, or are we ever trying to revive those we come in contact with?
The other day, I was browsing some of the blogs I follow. One in particular that I love is www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com and is titled “The Journey”. Katie is a girl younger than I who has left everything she knew and loved to follow the Lord’s call. Going to Uganda to serve and has adopted at least 12 Ugandan children as her own. A single mom in a foreign place among different people, in a different culture. But never am I so encouraged than when I read her postings. And yet I am so pained by the hurt that is so real.
While I was browsing “The Journey”, I found a blog titled “Be the hands and feet” www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com. As I read the stories and saw the pictures, tears welled up in my eyes. Pain and poverty… starvation… is so real. How many of us understand? I know I don’t. I can’t. I am so blessed. As I read these stories (and I so encourage you to do so as well) I was not only humbled by how much I have, but ashamed at how little I let myself be satisfied by it. I am rich and yet how often do I see it?! And it’s not just in money… but in food, clothes, shoes. We have multiple computers, cell phones, cars… If these people in Uganda… and other places around the world… had only a fraction of what I have, they would feel blessed and exceeding grateful. If they had only half of one of our meals every day, they wouldn’t be starving. The pain they face every single day is not fair! But it’s real. They are real people with real needs. Real pain. Real hunger. I want to be the eyes, seeing needs. The heart, loving and caring for those. I want to be the hands… reaching out to show hope. Or the feet, carrying the news of the gospel. Christ told us what to do. He said “Go into all the world.” He said to clothe the naked, feed the hungry. He told us when we do something for the least of these, we’re doing it unto Him. Maybe we can’t all sponsor. Maybe we can’t all go. But we can all pray. And we can encourage and support others who do go. Who do sponsor.
The other part of this is goes back to what I started on; because it’s not only the lost, the broken in poverty, the fatherless and homeless that need Christ and that need hope. It may be someone who visits your church regularly. Who sits beside you in class. Maybe who is teaching you, for crying out loud! You may be the heart of Christ used to make a difference, to encourage and offer hope to someone who’s lost theirs. Pray about ways you can share Christ’s love and hope to anyone around you. There’s nothing important on this earth than His people. Show them you care.
Hannah
http://www.hannahseale.blogspot.com/
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteThat's a great word! Thanks for sharing....the Lord used you to bless and challenge my life today! -Sue