By Peter van Gorder
Over the last few years we have been doing mime and storytelling workshops with the refugees who came from Iran, Ukraine, Syria, and other countries. In spite of the difficult circumstances that they came from, the participants were very enthusiastic and showed a lot of leadership potential. The organizer shared how much fun they had and that this experience contributed a lot to their social development. We have found that acting out the parables, meaningful stories, and their own stories has been a powerful tool to connect with them. It is very inspiring and rewarding to work with these precious folks from many nationalities. It was good to see a Russian and a Ukrainian laughing as they performed together! Telling our stories is a good first step to help us understand one another and bridge cultural gaps. We asked each participant to bring an object to class that was meaningful in some way to them. In the workshop they shared why the item was important and they used it to act out a story. For example, one Ukrainian girl brought a small stuffed doll to class that she had found on the bus one day in her new land. It was so special to her because she had to leave a doll just like it back home. She shared with the class how she felt that it was a little miracle and encouragement from God that she could begin a new life in Germany. We did a performance called “Things I Left Behind.” One participant from Syria commented: There are many things I left behind when I left my home and country. One of the things I miss the most is that I can no longer eat with my family every day, as was my custom in the past. I brought a cutlery set from my parents’ house. It’s not the same, but it’s something that symbolically means a lot to me and makes me think of them when I eat in my new home. We had a lot of fun together as we learned basic acting movements in drama games and shared each other’s stories. It was a good way to get to know each other.
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“We have to pay for school lunches this year,” my daughter informed me after the first day of school. I already knew this. During the previous school year, the school district had subsidized school lunches for all the kids, as part of the state’s Covid relief, but the school system wasn’t able to sustain that for another year.
This led to a family conversation on how even the things that appear free to us actually always have a cost that needs to be met in some way. I went down a rabbit hole with that, thinking about the things we do for others, like donating our time, money, and resources to others. It’s free to them, but it costs the giver. Does anyone pay for that? Which got me thinking about rewards in heaven and whether or not we should be motivated by said rewards. Can I think I won’t get “paid” for this here on earth, but I will in heaven? Jesus talked a lot about rewards in heaven, for example: “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” “I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded.” Jesus made over 40 references to rewards, treasures in heaven, crowns of life, eternal life, and what you receive for obedience, compassion, and suffering for Christ’s sake. The rest of the Bible also has a lot to say on the subject. The point is that rewards in heaven are supposed to be motivating. The idea of “winning big” in heaven is supposed to be a source of strength and resolve for things that cost us in this life. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be motivated to love as God loved us, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” But when that’s hard, when it costs you, remember, “I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done.” -- Marie Alvero By Jacki Scott
Hands-On Hope is a nonprofit charitable humanitarian organization. One of its main programs is to bring emergency aid to people in need, those who have encountered dire situations. The program works to provide immediate assistance of food, water, rent, bills, medical expenses, needs for children and babies, supplies for refugees and the homeless. Here are a few of the projects and people we have helped: Water tanks: Donations helped pay for water tank deliveries to 12 families who had no water in the Ghor Safi area of Jordan. These families are Pakistanis who arrived in Jordan 70–75 years ago. They could not return to Pakistan because of the war there and other hardships. They work in the fields picking vegetables, and are the poorest people in Jordan. Normally, they drink the same water that is used for irrigating the fields, which is very dirty and has a high salt content. Food and school transportation:
Glasses for Children in Baqaa Camp: Twelve children had eye exams with a doctor, and received new frames and lenses. Besides visual impairment, they had other visual difficulties, such as crossed eyes. Although glasses only cost 40 JODs ($56 USD), they couldn’t afford them. Some of these children had never had an eye exam or worn glasses because of the expense. Even if they were sitting in the first row in class, they could not see the blackboard.—They were almost blind. While fixing our eyes on a beautiful rose and smelling its fragrance, it’s easy to forget its sharp, prickly thorns.
When I was a child, my mother gave me a rose to feel and smell. While studying it with my fingers, enjoying its softness, and sniffing its fragrance, I was poked by one of the thorns. I was startled to tears. My mother held me close and gently explained that all roses have thorns. “Life will have lots of thorns,” I remember her saying. “Though you may not appreciate them at first, you will come to appreciate them later on.” I was too young to fully understand the meaning of her words, but as time passed and life continued its course, the meaning of her words became clear. Seldom does it come naturally to appreciate the “thorns” in our lives—we generally have to make a choice to develop that awareness and mindset. The apostle Paul had his “thorn,” which served to keep him humble. In 2 Corinthians 12:7–9 he wrote, “In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest upon me.” The biggest challenge in my life was coming to terms with my blindness. I was different from most of those around me. While others could use their eyes to read, I had to learn to read with my fingers. Unlike my friends and peers, I had to walk with a cane. I also needed more help and assistance with day-to-day life than most people I knew. My parents were aware of the challenges I was facing and pointed me to those very scriptures from Paul. I was especially amazed to find that, although it’s not known for certain what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was, a common theory is that it had something to do with his eyes. I had done my share of praying for deliverance from my blindness—and many others had earnestly prayed for me as well. But as time went on, it became clear to me, and to those who prayed for me, that God had allowed me to come into this world without my eyesight in order to fulfill a specific purpose. Therefore, He would give me sufficient grace to live with my blindness and would somehow use it for His glory. This revelation gave me a new lease on life—completely changing my outlook and the way I thought. Instead of complaining about life’s obstacles, I set out to look for opportunities. The more I looked for them, the more opportunities I found. I became determined to follow the example of Dr. William Moon, who, after suddenly losing his sight prayed, “Lord, I accept this ‘talent’ of blindness from You. Help me to use it for Your glory so that when You return, You may receive it ‘back with interest’” (Matthew 25:27). He was inspired to invent a special reading system for the blind, known as the Moon alphabet, or Moon type, which enabled blind people to read using their fingers. I concluded that if God wished to use my “talent” of blindness as a testimony to glorify Him, I would allow Him to do so for His glory, just as Moon did. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told how my testimony has encouraged, challenged, and motivated others. I often wondered if my life would have been as much of a testimony were I able to see. God only knows. Be that as it may, I have not only come to appreciate my “thorn” of blindness, but I no longer see it as a thorn. I have accepted it as a tool that the Lord has chosen to use to serve a yet unseen but wonderful purpose. A drama story I used to listen to as a boy tells of a high school marching band that was traveling by bus one rainy, stormy night to another city to participate in a parade. As soon as they began their journey, they found that one of the band members had been followed onto the bus by his dog, Barkis. The boy was distressed, and the rest of the team was greatly annoyed with having a dog on the bus with them. They arrived at a river crossing, and nearly slid into the water after discovering, almost too late, that the main bridge was broken. While the skilled driver averted a terrible crisis, they still ended up stuck in the mud and were unable to free the bus despite their best efforts. Barkis abruptly hopped off the bus and headed straight for the river before anyone could stop him. He crossed over to the other side, found a farmhouse, and scratched on the door with his paws. The couple inside the house thought the sound to be nothing more than branches blowing against the house. Then they heard barking and realized it was a dog. They opened the door to invite him in, but Barkis refused to enter and instead alternated his gaze between the man and the river, as if he was trying to tell him something. The husband kindly got his raincoat on and headed out with the dog, in hopes of finding out what he wanted. He followed him to the river. Once there, the farmer heard the sound of voices on the other side and saw the school bus stuck in the mud, with several of the boys trying to push it out in vain. He took the dog and hurried back to the house to get his tractor and headed across the river over another little bridge just a little way downriver. When they arrived at the school bus, all those on board were overjoyed to see both the farmer and Barkis—who, by this time, was considered a hero instead of a nuisance. When the bus was free, the farmer took the whole group back to his house, where his wife served food and hot drinks to them all. When everyone profusely thanked the farmer and his wife, they said, “Don’t thank us. Thank Barkis. If it hadn’t been for him, we’d have never known of your plight.” The students arrived at their destination in time for the parade, where they placed their new “hero,” Barkis, right at the head of the band. Is there something in your life that seems like a nuisance or a thorn? You can trust that God can use it to serve a special purpose He has designed for your life. The Bible tells us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). You may not understand what that purpose is right now, but you will someday. And when you do, you will come to truly appreciate that “thorn,” whatever it may be. -- Steve Heart No matter what your situation, at some point you’ll have to deal with people. Whether it’s your friends and fellow students in high school or college, or the boss and colleagues of your job, learning how to make a good impression and communicate is a very important part of life.
If you have a hard time talking to strangers, you’re not alone! It may surprise you that many people face the same challenges, and many find ways to overcome their shyness! The former U.S. president, Teddy Roosevelt, was known for his charm and ability to make total strangers feel at ease. He admitted that he’d had a hard time with that at first and once said, “Everyone on earth is shy, self-conscious, and unsure of themselves. Everybody is timid about meeting strangers.” His advice to overcoming that gripping fear that we all get sometimes is to focus that first minute of meeting someone new on trying to make them feel comfortable. The result, he said, is that eventually you’ll feel less self-conscious. While that sounds like a high claim, Roosevelt’s advice makes a lot of sense. Rather than spending time worrying about what the stranger may think of you or wondering if you’ll “put your foot in your mouth,” you can instead occupy yourself with thinking of ways they may be feeling uneasy, and asking them questions about themselves to help put them at ease, and to help you get to know them better. Some people are naturally shy around strangers; however, other people are relatively fearless, because they don’t worry so much about what others think about them. While a sense of decorum and personal awareness is important, too much can cripple us. I often have to talk to groups of strangers and even crowds. Most people who know me now would laugh if I told them I was shy for many years, and that I still get that twinge in my stomach every now and then, and I just have to mentally push through. When meeting new people, I often have to remind myself that “strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet.” Introducing myself and getting to know people is now much easier and less embarrassing. The one thing that does make me cringe is that awkward silence when first meeting someone, and I’ve found the easiest way to fill that silence is to ask people questions. In general, people like to tell you about themselves, so finding the right cues to ask appropriate questions can help to keep the conversation flowing. Hobbies, interests, work, mutual friends, and even movies or TV shows you enjoy can kick things off, and you might find something in common that will surprise you! Some people seem friendly and are easier to approach, while some appear rather “cool” and distant. And, unfortunately, there are some people in the world who aren’t very nice. If you made a step to greet someone and they stay aloof, don’t take it personally. In my experience, a lot of people come across like that only because they feel insecure themselves, and that appearance is a protective device. Unfortunately, this reaction can keep people away, but often all it takes for them to warm up and let their “nice side” show through is a person brave enough to approach them and show genuine interest in them. It’s a great feeling being that person! Some of the famous characters in the Bible also felt shy and insecure. Moses argued with God, repeatedly trying to find excuses, before finally agreeing to confront Pharaoh. He asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1). “I have never been eloquent … I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Finally, he told God, “Lord, please! Send anyone else” (Exodus 4:13). Only after the Lord told him He’d send Moses’ brother Aaron along to help did Moses agree to go and save the children of Israel. I don’t know about you, but I think you’d have to be pretty shy to argue with God Himself to try to get out of doing what He asked of you. So, for Moses to have gone from that to fearlessly facing Pharaoh and leading his people shows you just what God can do. Deuteronomy 34:12 says, “For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”
As with anything, “practice makes perfect.” The more you put yourself in social settings where you have to face your fears, the easier it will get. Plus, always remember that you’re not alone. The Lord can help you have the confidence you need to face any situation—whether it’s addressing a crowd, going for a job interview, or making new friends. I’ll end this with a fitting verse from the Bible, which you might want to write down and read a few times before braving something daunting: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6) I boarded the plane that would take me home from a visit to Toronto, Canada. A gentleman came and sat in the seat beside me, talking on his iPhone. I recognized his South African accent, having attended a conference there the previous year.
Soon enough, Andrew and I were engaged in a lively conversation that lasted for the rest of the flight. He had a lot of stories to tell, and I mostly listened. I discovered he had experience in outdoor adventure team-building. For several years, his job had involved taking teams of coworkers, often executives, on adventurous outings into the South African bush—an experience that would, quite literally, stress them to their limits. Andrew grinned as he told me in detail about the various dilemmas, puzzles, and challenges he would set up for these office-dwellers in the great outdoors. As they encountered situations where they were physically challenged, emotionally tested, and downright scared, they would start to become different people—people who had gained new perspectives and understood things about themselves and their coworkers that they hadn’t seen or understood before. When they returned home, most of them would get back to work with significant issues resolved. That sounded to me like a fascinating prospect—to learn new things about myself and my coworkers by 8 testing my limits. I also thought about how engaging it must have been to be in his position—not just for the sheer adventure of being in interesting and exciting places, but for the opportunity to see others experience epiphanies and transformations. It’s not every day that I get to talk to someone like Andrew, and I figured I could get some excellent tips and advice based on his years of experience in working with people from such an interesting angle. “In all your years of team-building,” I asked, “what would you say has been the most common issue or problem that needed to be resolved among these groups of people?” “Communication. The issue has nearly always been communication.” “Because people who work together don’t talk to each other enough?” “They talk plenty! What hardly anyone does enough of is listen.” That was an Aha! moment for me. It sounded familiar enough, although I know I’m not nearly as good at listening as I should be. I said earlier that I mostly listened during our conversation, but that was because I really wanted to hear Andrew’s stories. In other circumstances, though, I don’t think I can say as much for myself. Andrew went on to share how communication isn’t communication unless people understand one another. More often than not, people think they’ve communicated because they’ve said what they felt needed to be said, or have written what they felt needed to be written, but in reality, they don’t have a clue whether or not the other person understood them. Very often, the other person will have gotten a completely different idea than what the communicator intended. To find out if you’ve communicated effectively or have understood what someone else was communicating, ask questions and—you guessed it—listen! Not long ago I listened to a talk by Peter Kreeft, “One Thing Needed,”1 that built on my newfound listening lesson. He wisely stated, “Not many people can be great speakers. We can all be great listeners.” I think that sometimes I try too hard to be a good speaker, and forget that the majority of the time that’s simply not what people want or need. Kreeft also said, “When we listen to each other, that’s rare, that’s special. Something always happens when we listen.” I do have a few recollections of times when I discovered something amazing by the simple act of shutting up and listening. Unfortunately, they are relatively few. I could have had so many more. I don’t know that a lifelong resolution to listen more is realistic, but I am now trying to focus on finding people to listen to. Why would I want to limit myself to what’s in my own mind when I can gain insights from many minds—including, notably, God’s mind. Something else just came to me about the beauty of listening: There are times in our lives—and now is one such time in mine—when we don’t feel we have a whole lot to give. We’re struggling, maybe we even feel a little lost. We want to help others, but what can we say that’s sure to help? Well, maybe there are situations when there isn’t anything we can say that would help. But everyone wants to be listened to and understood. If I can lend a listening ear, I’ll always have something valuable to give. Most likely, that will be more appreciated than whatever I could say anyway. -- Jessie Richards One night, I was upset and wrestling with the angry, wrathful part of my flesh. Although I was alone in my room, and as far as I knew, no one else was aware of the state I was in, it was plenty obvious that I needed to get a grip and calm down before getting carried away into greater anger, only to regret it later. Besides, it was bedtime, and I knew that continuing in this upset state of mind wouldn’t allow me to have a good night’s sleep.
So I got into bed, and I asked the Lord for a scripture to meditate on that could be of help to me right then. I immediately recalled James 1:19–20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). I repeated these words again and again in my mind, deeply reflecting on the meaning of this important admonition. Below are some insights I gained from this meditation. In the New International Version, the phrase “swift to hear” is translated as “quick to listen.” When I was much younger, I was anything but that. I talked incessantly and often monopolized conversations so that they would go according to the course I set through my constant chitchat or the many questions I asked. I only listened long enough to hear whatever it was I wanted to know before throwing in more chitchat or questions without adequately hearing people out. To put it simply, I did the opposite of the counsel in James 1:19. I was swift to speak and slow to hear. Although I have improved quite a bit in this area over the years, I still benefit from regular reminders of this important principle of being swift to hear, which also means being willing to stop long enough to listen to God’s voice. I was now contemplating confronting a certain situation in a forceful, wrathful manner, thinking I could resolve it that way. But as I meditated on James’ words, I heard the Lord telling me, “The way of anger is not the way to go. You will only make things worse by letting the sun go down on your wrath.” (See Ephesians 4:26.) I thought of Moses killing the Egyptian in an effort to free his people from slavery, only to end up putting his own life in danger. (See Exodus 2:11–15.) I recalled how he lost his temper with the Israelites, and in a moment of ire, struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God had commanded, only to end up losing out on the privilege of entering the Promised Land. Despite what seemed to him like good, legitimate reasons for acting in anger, his wrath certainly failed to produce God’s righteousness. Furthermore, the Lord told me, “I want to take you from a spirit of wrath to one of rest—where you rest in Me and cast your care on Me instead of acting in your own understanding.” With that, some scriptures about resting instead of fretting or being angry came to mind:
It definitely takes belief and faith to rest in the Lord and leave the rest up to Him (no pun intended)—especially during times when I’d rather be the one in control of making things happen. But, as Hebrews 4 clearly states, lack of rest and trust in the Lord is what hindered God’s children of old from entering into and possessing the Promised Land; and I realized that I, too, could end up missing out on some of the blessings God has for me if I choose to fall into this trap of the enemy. So, over that night and the next few days, I meditated on the above-mentioned scriptures, going over them again and again in my mind and reflecting on their meaning. I resisted my natural urge to fret and become angry, and I let my soul rest in the Lord and His Word as I went about my daily tasks. Eventually, with God’s help, not only did I get to where I no longer cared how the situation I was upset about turned out, but the Lord worked it out better than I could have ever thought possible, without my having to do anything to resolve it. So, from now on, whenever the paths of wrath and rest intersect in my life, by the grace of God I will recall what the Word says, meditate on it, and choose the path of rest and trust in the Lord. – Steve Heart I was coming to the end of a very full week and was already exhausted, when my daughter called from Chile explaining how she and her family had ridden out an earthquake by huddling under the frame of their entrance door. Then I heard that one of my grandsons was having pains in his chest because of rheumatoid arthritis, and the doctors feared for his life. All those thoughts came flooding into my mind when I lay down for a nap that Saturday—and when I woke up, my memory was gone!
I was fortunate that three of my adult children were visiting at the time, and they took care of me. I was aware and coherent, so the hospital suggested waiting a day to see how it would go. I was terrified that I wouldn’t recover my memory, but I did remember about prayer and I prayed many times for healing. After dinner, my daughter suggested that I should rest and listen to my Christian inspirational audios. One of the audios was called “The Unchanging Christ.” In it, Virginia Brandt Berg tells of a cross that was built by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama in Macau in the 16th century. It was very large and set on one of the walls of a stone cathedral. The cathedral was eventually destroyed by time and typhoons, but the wall with the big cross was still standing in 1825, when, some people say, the future English governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Bowring, passed through there. The view of the majestic cross standing through the ages inspired him to write a poem called “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” later turned into a hymn. The audio ended with another hymn called “Abide with Me” (1847). I could envision that big cross shining by the shore. The true story and hymns restored the serenity I needed. I felt peaceful and joyful and soon fell asleep. When I awoke the next morning, my memory was back to normal! The situations I’d been worrying about have since been resolved. My daughter’s family is fine, as is my grandson. I’ve learned not to overdo physically or allow worry to overpower me anymore. Most of all, I’ve learned to cling to the cross that glows with peace and joy at all times, especially the difficult ones! -- Rosa By Ann and Alex
Alex & our Cambodian teachers organized a student competition in Siem Reap this month. We called it the “Friendly Competition”. The parents were all invited and there was a really great turn out. In fact at the last minute we had to order more chairs and snacks to accommodate everyone! The directors of both schools gave speeches to encourage the students and to express their gratitude for our free education programs. The students had spelling bees, oral presentations, essay contests and a computer competition for typing and power point. The winners received gift vouchers sponsored by local restaurants and gift shops and a great time was had by all. After the village fellowship we hosted last month, Deborah from Phnom Penh, returned home and shared with a friend of hers, how inspiring it was, telling her how we are Christians who love each other and do a lot to share the gospel in our area and help the needy. Her friend in turn told her neighbor, Mareya. Mareya decided impulsively to drive out to our province to “come and see” this thing. She arrived on a day when Thida was at Ohl & Rim’s village, sharing the gospel, praying for the sick and giving what supplies we’d been able to buy. Mareya received Jesus and was filled with the Holy Spirit. She received the Word joyfully and decided to start tithing immediately. After a few days, she called to say that she wants to quit her job in Phnom Penh, move here and serve the Lord with us! Brother Ohl invited her to build a temporary little house on his land, while she looks for a piece of land to buy. Thida said it reminded her of the stories Alex & I told of disciples who would immediately decide to forsake all and serve Jesus. She said, “But I’ve never seen a Cambodian person do that before!” We just had elections for Prime Minister and it went peacefully, thank the Lord. Hun Sen won again as expected. But 3 days after the election he made an announcement that on August 22nd, he will step down and turn the Prime Ministership over to his son, Hun Manet. Hun Sen has been PM here continuously for 38 years and 7 months. And although he had little formal education, he is the longest-serving leader in Cambodia's history, and one of the longest-serving leaders in the world. His son, Manet, is in his 40’s and highly educated. He’s the first Cambodian to ever graduate from West Point. He also holds a Master’s degree in economics from NYU and a PhD in economics from Bristol, UK. Please pray with us that our new PM will be a wise and noble leader, who follows a Godly path and cares for his people well. I have discovered that God is more interested in changing my heart than in changing my circumstances.
I still remember lying on my bed and praying for healing. There were two things I needed healing from: my recently diagnosed Parkinson’s disease and the terrible headache I had from quitting drinking coffee, which was part of my diet change. As I prayed desperately, I felt the headache leave me, but Parkinson’s did not. I got up to verify that. And it was so. My head was instantly back to normal, but my lack of coordination was still bothering me. I was surprised, but I couldn’t say that it was easier for God to heal a headache than Parkinson’s, though it might have looked like that. It would be absurd to claim that God needed more time to heal Parkinson’s just because it was a more serious ailment than an ordinary headache. Today, as I was doing something in the kitchen, an observation struck me. If I had had the level of difficulty with daily living that I have now, 12 years ago, I would simply have collapsed. The conclusion that I drew from this situation is that my circumstances changed me. Twelve years of suffering with a progressive sickness has made me more patient, understanding, and tolerant. I was reminded of Job in the Bible. There are various speculations, but the Bible doesn’t tell us how long his ordeal lasted. However, we see that Job was a different man by the end of his trials than he was at the beginning. If God had healed me from Parkinson’s at the same time as He took away that coffee headache, it would be highly unlikely I would have learned all that I needed to learn. The Lord left in place the circumstances that I need, so I can change under them. I didn’t like it back then, and I still don’t like it today. But He is God, and I’m not. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s around 12 years ago. That is a long time for me, but not for Him. He is eternal and my earthly body is not. He did tell me, “I will restore your health.” (See Jeremiah 30:17.) He didn’t tell me when, just that He will. I am reminded of when my son was small and he came into the bathroom where I was shaving. He asked me for a shave. He asked for a razor. As a responsible father I couldn’t just hand him a razor and say, “Here, do it yourself.” But I didn’t just tell him “no” either. I said, “Wait until you grow up a bit.” I recall that happened around 12 years before he started to shave. That answer, “wait,” was hard for him to accept and even harder for him to imagine. Twelve years! He was four at that time. The Lord healed me from the headache, but regarding Parkinson’s, He said, “Wait!” But He didn’t just tell me to wait for no reason. There is something He is more concerned about than my circumstances. He is after my heart. My attitude. My character. After all, I won’t take my circumstances to heaven, but I will take with my heart, my attitude, and my character. As I was writing this, I remembered a Zambian friend of mine who commented on this time issue. He said, “You white men have watches. We Africans have time.” I could paraphrase that saying, “I have my character and I need to change, but God has time.” And He is never late. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”—2 Peter 3:8–9 (ESV) -- Tommy Paluchowski |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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