A Plea to the Maker of Young Hearts

Some of Uganda's young people

I scan their faces and wonder what they are thinking. Are they hearing? I study their eyes. Do I see a gleam of understanding, of receptivity? Are they just taking in words, or are they grasping what is being communicated in heartfelt tones?

When I find myself facing a group of students in church or in a school assembly here, I often have such thoughts.

At times tears come to my eyes as I wish with all my heart they knew the depth of their Creator's love for them. I pray they someday grasp how great a plan their Heavenly Father has for each of their lives. I long that they know Jesus as a Savior, Friend, Refuge, Confidant and Guide.

Sometimes the Ugandan youth remind me of teenagers elsewhere. They live for today, but many often don't consider how today's choices will alter their tomorrows. Messages of purity, abstinence, standing strong, staying in school, etc. are repeated over and over again. I wonder if they become weary of these familiar themes and tune them out?

We exhort them to get good grades, respect their authorities, don't bully others, consider your neighbors, etc. Yes, these are among the messages we tell the island youth. Sound familiar, huh, to what might be shared with an American adolescent or teenager?

I believe young people around the world have dreams, passions, fears, and insecurities that follow the same veins. They want to be valued, listened to, appreciated, respected. Yet, their culture, backgrounds, family relations, poverty level, status, etc. are as diverse as their appearances, surroundings and locations on planet Earth.

I find myself sometimes stumped by how to reach these kids. Am I just spouting off streams of words that vaporize before they enter their heads and hearts? Or spinning my wheels as I teach, mentor, disciple, befriend?

Only God knows. And only He knows what will actually penetrate these young and impressionable lives to bring true transformation according to His  purposes. After all, He designed them, formed them and wrote out their days before they were born (Psalm 139). 

Heavenly Father, please give me grace, wisdom, discernment, patience and divine understanding as I work with the youth of Uganda. Grant me vision to see them as You do. Help me to be a vessel to show them Who You are and who they are because of Your love, grace and forgiveness. Amen.

(I very much covet your prayers as I pray, plan and prepare for the coming second term and the months ahead. I have run dry of creative ideas and energy and really need God's leading and inspiration. Thanks so much!)

"Live Out Loud"

I'd rather blend into a crowd, than stand out in one.

But you and I are called to STAND out, to be different, to be set..........apart, to not blend in.

This song inspires me to do just that - to "Live Out Loud" for my Savior.

Some of my favorite lines are:

"Think about this
If we really have been given the gift
of life that will never end
And if we have been filled with living
hope, we're gonna overflow
And if God's love is burning in our
hearts, we're gonna glow
There's just no way to keep it in"

"Every corner of creation is a living declaration
Come join the song we were made to sing."

Are you a "living declaration" in your "corner of creation"? 
I encourage you to be so!

Agony - Destiny - Triumph

 "The agony in Gethsemane is the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Saviour of the world.  The veil is drawn aside to reveal all it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. 

"His agony is the basis of the simplicity of our salvation.

"The Cross of Christ is a triumph for the Son of Man.  It was not only a sign that Our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race.  

"Every human being can get through into the presence of God now because of what the Son of Man went through."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, April 5th entry

The Working Out of God's Vision

Over the past week or so my mind and heart have been swirling. Emotions of homesickness, loneliness, doubts, fears, etc. have been surfacing. Then yesterday I learned of a sudden and tragic death that hit my pastor's family and church family very hard. And I hurt for them deeply. I feel helpless being so far away.

Over and over, I come to the realization that life is not static. People and circumstances change. Life at home is not "paused" as the people there experience births, deaths, joys and sadness - same as here.

And then sometimes I wish for "changes" in my own life. "God," I pray, "I feel stuck."

The monotony is getting to me, as well as the constant battles against dirt, bugs, my own lack of cultural understanding and the almost constant reminders of my weaknesses and sin. The surrounding needs are great and often overwhelming. And "my" resources are limited and shallow. Speaking of needs, "God," I plead, "I need a home, family and children."

"When will they come?"

Then this morning I read:

"God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

In my Bible reading, I am traveling through the Old Testament and am frequently amazed at how God takes His time to tell His story. Twenty-five years to give a son to Abraham and Sarah. Ten plus years for Joseph to be made right with his brothers and for the truth to be revealed. Forty years in the wilderness before God called Moses from the burning bush to rescue His people who had been enslaved in Egypt for so many years. Lord, why so long?

Crafting a thing of beauty, substance and worth takes time. And God is willing to take the time with you.

"The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Ephesians 3:14-21, a prayer Paul prayed from his prison cell for the Ephesus believers. This is God's vision for us:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." 

Whatever you may be passing through, hang on to the Master Potter as He patiently works out His vision in you.

Images Source: Microsoft Office Clipart

One at a Time

When I become discouraged or weary, God gives me a glimpse of the work He is doing here. 

Let me share just a few recent stories…

His eyes are full of light as he tells of the deep changes he is experiencing. David has just finished the first month of the six months of a Discipleship Training School (DTS) he is doing at a local YWAM base here.

What David is gaining is more than a greater knowledge of God’s Word or a more intellectual understanding of Christian truths - he is experiencing a true transformation of his heart and mind as he yields to the Holy Spirit’s work in his life. 

Although raised in a Christian home under the loving care of God-fearing parents, David is beginning to understand that Christ desires truth in his inward parts. Cutting away old ties and affections is not easy, but David has caught sight of the freedom that Christ brings to lives yielded to Him.

Pray for David in the coming months, that God would continue the incredible work He has begun in this young man.

Without Abandoning Her Faith

“God has done great things in my life” says an exuberant Halima, with her eyes and smile beaming. A student at the island school, Halima has shared her struggles with me in the past – such as being the Christian daughter of a staunch Muslim father. 

Oftentimes after listening to her hardships, the primary being to pay school fees, I would admit I didn’t have the answers, but suggested we take her concerns to the Lord. So we bowed our heads in prayer, admitting our own weaknesses and inadequacies, but pleading for God’s wisdom and provision.

In this, her first term of her final year at the school, God performed a miracle. Halima’s father has refused to pay her tuition since sometime in her primary (elementary) years. He told her that would only change if she converted back to Islam. I and others encouraged her to remain strong in her faith in Christ, promising that God would make a way. With joy, Halima shared that her father paid this term’s fees – without her abandoning her Christian faith.

She attests to a fact that I can see is true – her faith has grown, and her desire to serve God her Provider has intensified.

Providence Amid Broken Promises

Kenyan born, Benjamin came to the islands of Uganda on the wings of hope. But instead he found challenges and broken promises. His uncle, a fisherman on a nearby island, struggles to care for his own four children, let alone his nephew, whom he invited to study in Uganda.

Last school year, Benjamin could not afford to board at the school, so he lived in the nearby village of Kyoya. Sometimes he was late for classes or skipped days entirely as he looked for money to pay his fees and buy food. Showing mercy, the school teachers began helping him to eat. This term, he again paid the day student fee, but was permitted to board.

Last year he came to me asking for help, such as in the form of sponsorship. After telling him I was unable to offer help at the time, I suggested we pray. This year when one of our sponsors offered to help more students, Benjamin’s name came to mind. And the choice was confirmed when the school administration spoke of the boy’s good behavior and work ethic.

Words of heartfelt gratitude poured from Benjamin’s lips as I sat with him last week to learn more about his background. As he told his story, I asked when he became a Christian. Born a Catholic, Benjamin’s interest in Christianity was piqued when he came to the Christ-based Lingira Living Hope Secondary School. In the second term last year, he confessed Christ and since then has seen Jesus changing his life.

“I used to be lazy,” he says, but now is eager to read his schoolbooks and seeks out work around the school to earn extra money. Indeed it was his strong work ethic that caused Benjamin to stand out from the other students who could have received the sponsorship.

His countenance exudes joy and gratitude. His eyes sparkle with joy, and his voice is rich with it. In his childlike faith, Benjamin trusted God, and saw God answer in a remarkable way.

Faith in God’s Promises

I am awed as I witness God working in the lives of David, Halima, Benjamin and others like them. Yes, God loves the whole world, but He is in the business of changing lives one at a time.

God began his work on the Buvuma Islands long before any missionary reached there. Those of us serving here are just joining a work the Holy Spirit has already begun.

God does not need my help or your efforts, but He invites us to be part of the greatest and most magnificent story of redemption and restoration.

Don’t doubt God is at work in your life, in the lives of your family or friends, or those for whom you feel a burden. Trust. Pray. Have faith. And believe God will continue and complete the work He has begun. He promised to do so.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Photo: Cross atop Lingira Island, Uganda

Imitation=Admiration=Imitation

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children." - Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)

Who are you following?

Who is your model?

Your pattern?

Your hero?

Whose steps are you pacing?

Whose shadow are you tracing?

Whose path are you tracking?

Who are you trying to be like?

Imitate, follow, copy, model, emulate, clone, replicate, reproduce...

"...in everything..."

In thoughts, words, motives, actions - in love, kindness, mercy, grace, forgiveness...

"Imitate God...because you are His dear children."

"Imitation is the highest form of admiration." - Unknown

* Post inspired by a recent Sunday School lesson on "Who do I want to be like?"

Image Source: Microsoft Office Clip Art

Unconscious Usefulness

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they
                                                       g                                                      
                                                       r
                                                       o
                                                       w;
                                                                          ...they simply are!

Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars and the moon - all these are, and what a ministration they exert.

So often we mar mar God's designed influence through us by our s-e-l-f c-o-n-s-c-i-o-u-s  e-f-f-o-r-t to be CONSISTENT and useful. 

Jesus says that there is only ONE way to develop spiritually, and that is by concentration on GOD.

  

"Do not bother about being of use to others; believe on Me" - pay attention to the Source, and out of you will flow rivers of living water.

We cannot get at the springs of our natural life by common sense, and Jesus is teaching that growth in spiritual life does not depend on our watching it, but on concentration on our Father in heaven.

Our heavenly Father knows the circumstances we are (in), and if we keep concentrated on Him we will g-r-o-w spiritually as the lilies.

The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold us.

If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to Jesus Christ and He will make you of use unconsciously every minute you live." 

- From "My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers, May 18th entry