Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Floating thoughts...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

This is a verse that I have found myself meditating upon this week. It's to the point and easy to remember which may be the reason why it comes to mind so easily.

Joyful in hope: It's amazing how if I chose to be joyful in the hope I have, if I stop to recognize that my life is full of hope...my perspective will change. Many people here are teaching me this lesson so well. Their lives are less than desirable in many respects, and yet they are so full of joy. They get it. They see God in such a way that fills them up with the joy of the hope that He gives. Wow.

Patient in affliction: I again am humbled by what I find 'afflicting.' Maybe it's a headache or a person who I don't get along with. I have yet to deal with the affliction of watching my child go hungry each day, or of being suppressed by the government that is supposed there to 'serve the people,' or the affliction of working for an unjust boss that refuses to pay his workers a fair wage. Many of you have read “The Kite Runner” and I think of Hassan, a character in the book who I feel exemplifies the idea of 'being patient in affliction,' and there is something so beautiful about a person who endures pain with out complaining. I don't think this means to just sit back and take it... but when the affliction is beyond my control, the way that I deal with it will say a great deal about my character. I desire to become a person who is patient in affliction.

Faithful in prayer: It is so easy in America to forget to pray... It is so easy in Nairobi to forget to pray. When my eyes are closed to the suffering around me and even within me, I am not faithful in prayer. When I open my eyes and truly see the condition of my heart and of those around me, I find my only reaction is to pray. It is my prayer that my eyes will stay open, that I refuse to be blind to the hurts of others, that I don't look the other way and hope for the best. The question I must ask myself when I pray is: Am I listening? ... a true listening post. How does God see this situation, what is His take on everything? What is He asking us to do? Wow. If only we listened to you Lord, forgive us.

These are just some thoughts floating around this head of mine...

Mungu Akubariki,
Mandy

19 comments:

ZFamNM said...

I know what you're saying Mandy, I have often thought that too. How easy it is to pray in America and how easy it is to take Christianity lightly instead of the agonizing search and deperate dependence it should be.
sian

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