Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Living for Eternity

My husband and I started attending a new church called The Mission in Dayton, Tennessee.  Right now it is small and I love it.  I feel connected and the Bible study is solid and always challenging.  We are doing a short study on Ecclesiastes.  I have always loved this book.  Makes me feel like I'm alone in thinking that life is hard and not easy to figure out.  On Sunday we looked at chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes.  "For everything there is a season, as time for every activity under heaven."  All of us have high points in life and low points in life.  Right now Ryan and I are happy and making it day by day...its not really a high point or a low point...it just life.  There are days when I think my life is falling apart because I get an unexpected bill or something (I'm a bit dramatic) but when you look at life as living daily for Christ...building His Kingdom...for eternity that bill doesn't seem to weigh so heavy.  Also, wanting more space or a relaxing vacation or more stuff doesn't even compare to the fact that there are millions of people on this Earth who don't know Christ.  

Even though I work at a mission organization where our goal is to give everyone on this Earth at least one chance to hear the Gospel message I still get caught up in what the world deems important (being power and riches).  On Sunday night God really slapped me in the face...I sort of live for eternity but I also sort of live for stuff that is meaningless.  I know God has been trying to get this through my head and heart for months now.  I pray that I won't so easily forget that this world is temporary and we are here to love and serve God.  When I was in high school my favorite verse was Philippines 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."  I was reminded of this verse Sunday night...I want my attitude to be like Paul's. 

Thursday, April 15, 2010

There is always a need

Sometimes it is hard to hear all the needs in this world because I don't have the recourses to meet them. It is so hard to meet one need but not the thousands of others. There are countless children who need sponsors (some who have never had a sponsor while others lose their sponsors and need a new one), medical needs, promising students who need money so they can further their education at a university, children orphaned because of AIDS who have no one to feed and care for them, and the list goes on. Depressing huh...
Today I am feeling a bit hopeless because I know we can't help everyone. There are countless aid organizations (Christian and not) who are helping the less fortunate yet there are still so many people living below the poverty line. I don't think it is fair...and it is hard for me to get my head around it.

Although, I am thankful that I can put my trust in the Lord and rest in the fact that He is in control. God loves this world and has a plan to save it...I just need to be willing to be used by God no matter what that means. For example, I desperately want to GO to Lima and play with the precious kids at the childcare center or GO to Uganda and meet the girl I sponsor and encourage her and her mom (who is raising three children on her own). But, God has me stateside; sitting at my desk, typing away at my computer supporting the work AMG is doing all over the world. It's not glamorous and sometimes it is even a bit boring, but it is necessary.