Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. I was driving down our dirt roads last night going to pick someone up for church and thought to myself, " I never would have dreamed this would be my life."
We have recently read a biography on a woman named, Gladys Aylward. She was a wonderful woman who worked in China long ago. She has a very inspiring story and has made me think long and hard about how I spend my days. If I was back in the states and read this book I would have thought, "Man, what a wonderful woman, what courage, how brave, what purpose she had throughout her life. I want to be more like her." Then I would have thought, " Oh, but I could never do anything like that, I could never live out of the country, I could never learn another language or do anything great like she did."That is what I would have thought if I had read this then. I now think, "Why am I not doing more to reach the lost here? Why am I not spending more of my days telling stories? Why am I waisting so much time? I have been given one of the most wonderful opportunities of a lifetime... to share His Word. Why am I not doing it with more zeal?" These are my thoughts. I am mad at myself. I am busy, don't get me wrong, but I just feel like I could or should be doing more.
I have been touched by another person lately as well. Her name is Susana Whittaker. She is 4 years old and has been battling cancer. She and her family lived in Haiti and worked with the people there sharing His Word. They are in the states now as she is getting ready to make her grand entrance into heaven. My heart is broken for this family. I mean, really broken. Annie has prayed for her EVERY day and now wonders why her prayers didn't work. We had to explain that sometimes God has different plans than ours. He wants Susana in heaven with him. He wants her to be an angel. She understood this and said, "Okay, if God says it is best, it is." I don't know how her parents are holding up. I just can't imagine and don't really want to, to be honest. I just am asking all of you to pray for them, without ceasing, that His WILL will be done. You can go to their website and see their latest blog entries at http://www.howcantheyhear.org/ I say she has touched me lately b/c I don't want to waste my time on earth when I am sure she would do anything to have another day to do what she wants to do. I need to get busy living! I will do it for Susana. I will do it b/c there are people who want to and can't and I will do it b/c cause I can and I never wanted to when I was living in the US, but now that I am here, I can't think of anything I would rather do with my life than give it to Him. Man, I am deep today, huh? Not depressed, mind you, just deep in thought and not wanting to waste another minute of my life on stupid things. I have to go, got things to do! :o) love to all! Missy
This blog was started in 2004 when Annie was badly burnt. Over the years we have seen how God has continually provided for us and answered our many prayers.
Just a little correction... No, God doesn't want Susana to be an angel. So much better than an angel! Angels will never know the wonderful joy and delight of being purchased by Jesus' blood, washed clean by the blood of His sacrifice! They can never understand the tremendous gratitude of an unworthy, undeserving sinner being so greatly loved by a righteous and holy God that He would pay the awful price required to atone for my sin. So much better than an angel!!! And who knows, maybe even 4 year old girls just can't wait to run into Jesus' arms and be welcomed home!
ReplyDeleteYES, Yes, a Resounding Yes!!! That this is NOT our life to LIVE. I have acutally been having this exact same thought that has challenged me to the core. It breaks my heart how my flesh can drop my eyes to this earthly level so easily and live for selfish purposed unstead of being selfless like Christ! I guess that question..."what would Jesus do?" really isn't that cheesy after all if we really uderstood that this is the response that He is after... To walk obediently and Radically! Oh Thank you my sister for this reminder once again that I do Not want to stand before the Holy of Holies on judgement day with regret of how I spend my days! Keep on Keeping on for King Jesus!
ReplyDeleteLove ya to pieces!