Have you ever read something or heard something that just left you speechless?
Today we has a guest speaker come and minister to us this morning at church from Uganda. It was the first time that I had been in a service in 2 months because of the launch of the church I have been ministering to the children. I was excited to go into service and to be 100% honest with you I wanted to hear from my pastor, not a guest. So I had to pray that God would change my heart about it and open me up for whatever He wanted to teach me. So when you pray prayers like that, I suppose you should expect God to do just that, change your heart and open you up for what He wants to teach you.
Up gets this little white lady, she and her husband pastor a church of 20,000 in Uganda. She started to passionately tell stories of how mightily God has moved on their behalf while they have been there. God has literally stopped bullets from killing them, has given them a building during the middle of a civil war and has allowed them to save children who are abducted and trained to be child soldiers to kill those that they love and the mastermind behind the civil war came to their church and gave his life to the Lord during one of their services. She told stories of what some of these children were required to do to stay alive while they were fighting in these wars.
It broke my heart and rendered me speechless because we don't see things like that here, unless it's on the news, which actually sensationalizes what these people at actually living through, so it desenstizes us to their realities. I've always joked that I am NOT called to go to Africa or any foreign country for that matter. I will financially support those who do and I will pray for you if you go, but God don't send me. We (Jordan and I) have been beyond blessed. Not bragging, it is what it is, we have four beautiful healthy children, a healthy marriage, Jordan has a good jab that allows me to stay home with my babies, we are blessed to get to help lead in our church we have amazing families and friends. God has truly showered His grace on our lives and I am thankful everyday for what we have.
She said something today that I can't shake. She said, "Grace without responsibility equals greed." OUCH. I wouldn't see myself as greedy, but I bet if people from Uganda saw what we had they would think so, I bet some of the people in my own city would think so. I have been burdened lately with needing to do more. Not for our family but for others that are less fortunate. God has been so merciful to us and I feel like I am hoarding it. He has given us influence, what are we doing with it? Whose life are we changing? Are we utilizing the voice that He has given us? Not just for those in other countries or this country but what about at a local level? There are hungry kids right where you live, that seems silly in a country of wealth and opportunity. Or has all of the wealth turned into greed?
I was brought over to meet her after service and I was looking for something wise or profound to say to her because she is a world changer, I literally stood there and said "hello........" awkward Raema at her finest. I literally had nothing to say because I was speechless. Not by her, but by what God is doing through her and her husband.
Ask yourself this week, "what am I doing to make this place better?" If we don't make the change for the better, someone will make the change for the worse, I want better for my children and grand children. I don't know yet what God will want to do through us, but here I am, available, even if that means He wants me to go somewhere else.
Those are just my thoughts....
