They assigned us various houses to go and help out after the hurricane. We were a part of the volunteers for the day. I personally knew that the hurricane had done a lot of damage, because people said it had but for some reason i had not even watched it on TV or the internet. Pulling up on what was a drive way and seeing the TRASH that was coming out of peoples house, waiting to be thrown away or recycled., I instantly knew that the hurricane had affected people beyond what I could ever imagine.
Notice my use of the word TRASH.! We found an old man and woman infront of the house and we asked where they could use our help. I was told to help the woman sort through the "trash" and see what we could save. We started searching through the piles of mud, standing on mud because the grounds had not dried yet, mixed with newspapers, 3 weeks old flood water because it had not dried off yet, broken glass, kitchen utensils, wood, plastics, I mean literally everything that made this house a house(a home), from property to building was all muddled up in this pile , the pile I had simply seen and labelled "trash".
I thought it was nasty even though I was touching it through thick gloves, and some of the muddy water was seeping through my boots, but my mindset drastically changed to guilt and sympathy. In this my so called trash, we found pieces of treasured China, pearls, kitchen utensils, cellphones, dollar notes, trophies, certificates and diplomas, photographs, and yes, while it looked like trash , it was full of treasured stuff. To me it was trash, but when I saw the look on their faces when we saved a picture or a book I realised it was treasured. To them this was a life time of memories. Losing this, was losing a home, losing their connections to history of friends, relatives, places, losing memories and after this, it was a start of a new life. It all looked like "trash", but it was "treasured".
However going through this pile, I found wooden carving and I asked.,
"would you love to keep this?"
she said, "Oh! Buddha".
You can just imagine the look on my face. I found another one and she was so exubilant and then i asked, "are you Buddhists?"
she said, "No! well yeah! something along that same philosophy".
I started thinking maybe God wanted me to start evangelising but I couldn't come up with a starting line or anything like that, I was putting on a shirt that said "helping in Jesus Name". I found solace in knowing that however many years down the line, these people will look back at the hurricane, remember and share how some people who believed in Jesus helped them after the hurricane.
I just stayed silent and kept working hard, praying my hardwork portrays my relationship with Christ and then a thought came up to me. That piece of Buddha she treasured, that Idol was TRASH, as I went through the pile, I saw some more trash they treasured and God reminded me of the "trash" I treasure. Relationships I hold on to that I need not, hatred, the small idols I worship (money, fame, beauty), pride, my phone, the list goes on and on. I do not treasure Buddha, or the little wooden Idols I came across in that pile but I have my own little, worthless stuff I treasure and I need to throw away.
As I went through the day,helping different people in different locations, I was just amazed at how the hurricane affected everyone, Christians, Non Christians, rich and poor, diverse races and was amazed at how each of these needed our help regardless of who we are and where we came from. They prayed with us, cried with us and laughed with us. The Scripture that popped out of my head was Luke 12:15" Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions., and 33,34 says, "prepare a treasure in Heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys, for where your treasure is , there, your heart will be also".
Where are you storing your treasure? And what kind of trash are you treasuring? Is it worth it? As for me I think it is better for people to look at my pile and see trash when it is treasure, than to show off what I think is treasure, when it is trash.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
MY PROVIDERS PROVIDENCE
Stranded at the airport, tired and weary, a new place, lots of technological stuff I had never experienced, missing home, language barriers or maybe I should call it accent barriers, cancelled flight, no money, hopeless. A woman we do not know, comforts us, gives us food, takes us to the right place and gives us hope. In that instant when I was about to lose it, she says, "if my daughter was in this situation, I wouldn't want her to suffer." Really would I call that a coincedence?
I choose to call it Gods providence. Since I got here he has done it over and over and over again, that if I just slacked in thought I would think its normal and forget Its God who controls everything. A family offering to buy me a phone and cover all bills so that I have easy communication with my friends and family, is that a coincedence or luck? Are the people who donate jackets , shoes, and just whatever is necessary to keep me warm for a winter I have never experienced in my entire life a coincedence? People who take me shopping when I miss Malawian food, and they take me to the nearest place possible that offers fresh food and stuff thats nearly Malawian just a coincedence? The people who offer me hugs and smiles when I just need warmth and love, the people who are there to listen when I want to talk, the people who give me a shoulder to cry on, friends who turned to sisters and brothers, women and men who are parental figures in my life, are all these a coincedence or just mere luck.?
Again I will tell you what I believe this is, this is Gods Providence. Hebrews 13:5, " I will never leave nor forsake you". In my times of lack , He will provide, like He provided the lamb for Abraham to kill instead of Isaac (Genesis 22:7-8, 12-13). He will provide all my needs, food, shelter, love, protection, family, clothes, friends, affection, employment, self-esteem, respect, creativity, problem solving, morality, just everything that makes my world go round. He has done it over and over again in my entire life, why doubt Him now? This is what the Lord is teaching me daily as I live my life, this side of the world, and as I am learning to trust Him wholly, entirely, and fully.
My providers providence, when i ask Him for character building or spiritual growth , He gives me situations to build me. For instance, when I ask for patience, He brings me situations that i need inorder to practice my patience and I choose what to do with these situations, and actually thats how I grow. The way I react to the most unbearable situatiions I find myself in simply give me a picture of who I am. I have to be careful when am faced with various circumstances because maybe God wants to use those to build my character, to grow me, to get me ready for the next phase in my life. I ask and He provides. Matthew 7:7 "Ask and you will receive, search, and you will find,knock and the door will be opened for you." Sometimes He provides in ways that I don't even understand because I was not expecting Him to but Its always much better than I hoped for and exactly what I needed.
Let's stop focusing on the negatives and look at what the Lord has done for us already. If He sacrificed His son for us to live, what would He not do for us? If He never changes, then all His promises that He will never leave us and He will provide for us, stay true. Negativity steals hope and faith from us. Let's live today, hoping for the best for tomorrow for He who said , "look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in Barns. Yet your father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Matthew 6:26," meant it. And Paul said, "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, those called according to His purposes." He provides everything, He is in control of everything, even the littlest details in my/your life you don't want to think of. He loves us and knows what is very best for you and me.
HURRICANE SANDY
Am glad I survived and there wasn't alot of damage in my house. I am sad and sorry for those who lost property and loved ones. May God comfort these, and in times of trouble it is hard to see, the goodness of God and His love, but if you are able to read this, thank God for your life, be open to see and hear what God is saying to you. You might not get it now, maybe later and maybe never but God is still God and what you think about Him in times like these don't change who He is. He still loves you and He is willing to go through this time with you, thats what He does, never leaves nor forsakes us, never sleeps nor slumbers.
I choose to call it Gods providence. Since I got here he has done it over and over and over again, that if I just slacked in thought I would think its normal and forget Its God who controls everything. A family offering to buy me a phone and cover all bills so that I have easy communication with my friends and family, is that a coincedence or luck? Are the people who donate jackets , shoes, and just whatever is necessary to keep me warm for a winter I have never experienced in my entire life a coincedence? People who take me shopping when I miss Malawian food, and they take me to the nearest place possible that offers fresh food and stuff thats nearly Malawian just a coincedence? The people who offer me hugs and smiles when I just need warmth and love, the people who are there to listen when I want to talk, the people who give me a shoulder to cry on, friends who turned to sisters and brothers, women and men who are parental figures in my life, are all these a coincedence or just mere luck.?
Again I will tell you what I believe this is, this is Gods Providence. Hebrews 13:5, " I will never leave nor forsake you". In my times of lack , He will provide, like He provided the lamb for Abraham to kill instead of Isaac (Genesis 22:7-8, 12-13). He will provide all my needs, food, shelter, love, protection, family, clothes, friends, affection, employment, self-esteem, respect, creativity, problem solving, morality, just everything that makes my world go round. He has done it over and over again in my entire life, why doubt Him now? This is what the Lord is teaching me daily as I live my life, this side of the world, and as I am learning to trust Him wholly, entirely, and fully.
My providers providence, when i ask Him for character building or spiritual growth , He gives me situations to build me. For instance, when I ask for patience, He brings me situations that i need inorder to practice my patience and I choose what to do with these situations, and actually thats how I grow. The way I react to the most unbearable situatiions I find myself in simply give me a picture of who I am. I have to be careful when am faced with various circumstances because maybe God wants to use those to build my character, to grow me, to get me ready for the next phase in my life. I ask and He provides. Matthew 7:7 "Ask and you will receive, search, and you will find,knock and the door will be opened for you." Sometimes He provides in ways that I don't even understand because I was not expecting Him to but Its always much better than I hoped for and exactly what I needed.
Let's stop focusing on the negatives and look at what the Lord has done for us already. If He sacrificed His son for us to live, what would He not do for us? If He never changes, then all His promises that He will never leave us and He will provide for us, stay true. Negativity steals hope and faith from us. Let's live today, hoping for the best for tomorrow for He who said , "look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in Barns. Yet your father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Matthew 6:26," meant it. And Paul said, "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, those called according to His purposes." He provides everything, He is in control of everything, even the littlest details in my/your life you don't want to think of. He loves us and knows what is very best for you and me.
HURRICANE SANDY
Am glad I survived and there wasn't alot of damage in my house. I am sad and sorry for those who lost property and loved ones. May God comfort these, and in times of trouble it is hard to see, the goodness of God and His love, but if you are able to read this, thank God for your life, be open to see and hear what God is saying to you. You might not get it now, maybe later and maybe never but God is still God and what you think about Him in times like these don't change who He is. He still loves you and He is willing to go through this time with you, thats what He does, never leaves nor forsakes us, never sleeps nor slumbers.
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