Beware

This is a warning to you.

Beware what you ask God to do.  Because, guess what? 

 

…he does it!!

 

Wow!

I have asked God to make my heart tender.  I have asked so many times in the past months to show me where he wants me, to bring a certain opportunity, person, whatever into my life so that I can serve him.  And wow!

Today at church I was in tears as our pastor started his sermon “The Lord will provide ______” and told us not to fill in the blank.  And my heart filled it in with “the WAY”.  I just thought about all the things in my heart today, compassion children, foster children, family who has cancer, a brother awaiting parole, new friends, young couples, lost children, the list

honestly goes on and on.  And I think about each of those things and what is standing in my way between me and serving each of them, and I realized that God will provide the way. 

We have to stop striving.  We need to rest.

I am reading a precious book by Watchman Nee (a man from China, which we are currently praying daily for – kind of coincidental huh? – yeah right!!) titled Sit, Stand Walk.  It starts out talking about resting in God’s presence.  That there is nothing we can do or need to do to earn our place in Heaven or our salvation.  We can do nothing, instead we need to rest in who He is, really let it seep into our being.  So to me, it said to stop striving, fretting when the timing is not my timing.  Stop trying so hard to make it all work my way.  Rest in the peace of Jesus.  Trust him to open the door, time it right. 

Obedience is all I am called to.  Obey him by placing one foot in front of the other.  I do not have to do it all now, be patient and let my heart grasp what he is calling me to.

And yet, as I have asked for a tender heart, asked him to break my heart for those in Kenya as the Compassion Bloggers continue to tell the story of these children and this ministry – he is.   I think today he completed the breaking process, because I was almost sobbing as I read Reverb’s blog post HERE.  Jennifer and Kristen have been so transparent and as women I so connect with their stories, but wow – today I was knocked over by Ryan.

So, I am just warning you, when you ask God to do something, especially something that may move mountains, he will often do it.

Here is a great video to give you a small glimpse of what Compassion is doing.

 

And if you have a free minute, jump over to We are that Family and experience what I have been reading this past week!!

it started so simple

At least it seems like it did.  Praying.  But sometimes, ok, most of the time, it becomes so much bigger.

About a week ago we attended Sunday night church at our church – First Baptist Irving.  It was a Silent Service, shhhh.

The theme was the persecuted church.  We had a number of college students from many countries speak either the testimony of a family member or another person from that country and their story of persecution.  It was a time of awe.  Really.  When we arrived we watched slides speak statistics of persecutions in many countries.

We saw pictures, so rather disturbing.  But really, should it not be disturbing?  I mean, people are being murdered, violently tortured, and here I sit in my warm living room, on a soft couch, typing on my wireless laptop, I mean really.

Did I mention that we did not have air or heat on?  Oh, and no chairs.  I am spoiled.  Horribly so.  I used to be young, I am not any longer.  Sitting indian style (or crisscross apple sauce style) for 45 minutes was not fun at all.  Not even really tolerable for me.  The heat thing, that was no problem, there were lots of people in this small area.  But the lack of fresh air – well that was uncomfortable too.

As I fidgeted to get comfortable I thought about Robert’s grandmother sitting there with us, and how if I was that uncomfortable how would she feel?  And yet, in many, MANY, countries that is what church looks like for all ages.  And you know the saddest part?  They are thrilled to be there, delighted to fellowship, and joyful at the opportunity to praise our God.

 

It was humbling for me.  It was exciting for my young children.  My eldest has said he wants to be a missionary for some time now.  I keep expecting him to change his mind, but not yet.  Even after seeing videos, hearing testimonies, tonight he prayed that he could not wait to get to China to preach the gospel to the people.  He knows people are killed there for that.  And the emotion in his voice was, again, humbling.

China

That is the country they chose when we broke into smaller groups for a time of prayer.  They all wanted China.  I was thinking North Korea, but God obviously was drawing these young hearts to pray for China.  S0 we sat.  We prayed.  Then there were cards, offering cards to offer, to commit to pray.  You could pray monthly, weekly or daily.  Both my boys (the older 2) grabbed a card and quickly filled in their names and without asking for guidance checked daily.

wow

daily, committing

Not when you think about it.  Not when it works for you.

They signed their cards.  They were thrilled.  They want to be prayer warriors for persecuted China.

So, we have colored maps of China.  They hang by their beds. 

They handed out bracelets, those plastic ones with a message typed in.  These are 2 bracelets linked together, light and dark grey.  They say bound with them.  They asked us not to take one unless we are really going to pray.  The kids think they look like handcuffs, and they thought that was funny.  I think they do too.  But not so funny.  I think about the many preaching the gospel who have worn handcuffs just because. 

They marked our bracelets too, inside, with a color, to show how we were being persecuted.  A symbol.  Some died.  Some tortured.  The kids being kids joked with each other afterwards asking each other what their color was.

But they are kids, they can only understand this on a certain level.  But you know what, they understand far more than I did before Sunday night.

It became real.  It became intimate.  It became my family, my brothers and sisters, dying for my Savoir.

So it started simple.  But every day our prayers get deeper, they get more and more real, they get more and more complex. 

As we pray, I only imagine the intervention going on in Heaven, how the pleas of my young children are going to the throne of Heaven on behalf of people they may never meet.  I can only imagine the spiritual battle my children are participating in for these precious brothers and sisters in China.  And humbly, I am proud of the hearts of my young brood, as we stand in the gap for so many persecuted people.

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hebrews 13:3

heart breaking

That is what they are experiencing right now.

Who?

The Compassion Bloggers - MckMama and We are that Family.

They are in Kenya with Compassion this week.  Their hearts are breaking as they touch lives, as they hold children, as they see homes.  And my heart is breaking too.

We live so abundantly.  We live so lavishly, even those of us who are struggling to make ends meet and get rid of debt.  I mean really.  These people spend 4-6 dollars a month for their house.  And I complain about my "lower rent" in our home.  Crazy! 

So as the tears fall as I read, I welcome those tears.  I mean, I want to be humbled.  I want to feel for those who have less than me.  But do I really mean that?  I mean it is scary to think about it.  Scary.  But they are living it, they cannot think about not being there.  Those moms with those children.  Those precious ladies who were not blessed to be born in a free nation, a wealthy nation (to say the least), a nation where most of us have lots of choices.  And I was.  My sons were.  My daughter was. 

So thank you Lord, that we were blessed.  But please break my heart, help me to feel for those families so far away.  Help me to teach my children to love you, serve you, and also love others more than themselves.  Help me to really plant that in their hearts!

So I hope you will join me as I live vicariously through these amazing blogging women and lets let our hearts break for these amazing people who Jesus loves!

Seeing the Sun

It is all about the weather these days!  If the sun is out, the kids are out and sometimes we are too!  If the sun is in, we are in and needing to be out!!  Here are some pics from a quick trip to the park Sunday after church with Robert’s folks – the kids were thrilled to be out and excited to have Grammie and Papa with us!

 

So here are the grandparents and our children! 

 

Today we saw the sun too –we were so excited to go on a field trip to the Water Treatment plant in Dallas – such fun!  A little smelly –but very interesting & educational!!

They do not use any chemicals!  Just algae and other organisms that eat all the bad stuff out of the water before they pump it into the Trinity River!  The kids loved it – stink and all!!

 

We even got to spend some time with new friends – one is from J’s basketball team with Upwards – we had no idea they Homeschool  - I think that was one of the best parts of the day!!

It was a good day – we got grain from Aledo (a hike of a drive) a field trip, and veggie pick up!  A busy day, but a prosperous one!  We need to find some time to stay home some!!