Day 136 - Where are we?

Let my soul take refuge....beneath the shadow of

Your wings; let my heart, this sea of restless waves,

find peace in You, O God.

Augustine

All is quiet around me except for the gentle rainfall I hear outside my doors. It is almost noon, and yet the day seems fresh and new to me. Each days brings new beginnings as we put behind us the disappointments and sadness of yesterday. Often, for many, the new day is not an escape from troubles, as there seems to be no escape.

I am beginning my study of Job, a man of integrity who honored God in all his ways, and as a result he was wealthy, successful, and respected. Yet, God allowed him to be tested in every area of his life.  Why would a loving God allow such to happen to a man who honored God in all his ways?  Yet when tragedy first knocked Job to his knees, he praised and worshiped his Lord. That was Job's first response, the scriptures say.

I've shared my work, the things I see, the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual sufferings of this life are not new to me. In my personal life I have been tested over and over, sometimes day in and day out, yet my sufferings are nothing compared to the heartbreak I see in a day.

I feel so helpless when one who has worked for years to take care of her elderly, disabled, and impoverished parents suddenly is the victim of an accident leaving her crippled and unable to provide a simple living for her two dependent children. In spite of her pain and pride she tries to make ends meet while helping her parents stay in their homes. So she pays the utilities one month, but she gets behind in the mortgage. Her pride shaken she reaches out to the churches for assistance and is turned away. We, the hands and feet of Jesus, are turning people in need away. My heart is broken, and I feel so ashamed. 

This week has been a particularly disturbing ones as continuing situations are left unresolved and resources for assistance are limited or unavailable. Legalities yield further obstacles, and there seem to be no viable answers for immediate need. I feel so ill-equipped, so powerless and helpless in the face of such extraordinary circumstances. And although all in the health care field share common experiences, this area in which I serve is devastating. 

Within the Body of Christ there are those who suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, their spiritual health tested, but we remain strong in the strength of our God. We have discovered the secret of the words "strength in weakness," and we are able to persevere during these times.

That is why I am suffering..... But I am not

ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust,

and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted

to him until the day of his return.

2 Timothy 1:12

 

Others I encounter, do not share this faith in Christ as Lord of their lives, so they cannot grasp the strength of which I speak. Although I always share my testimony with others of God's unfailing love, in these times of desperation they do not need our words as much as our tangible proof as Christians being Christ in action. They see our lives first, then test our actions against our words. Jesus went around doing good. And as His Body so should we be doing, providing proof of His love through our deeds.

I have been sharing with you my dream of establishing homes for misfits and ragamuffins like myself who desperately need to see the tangible hand of God in action. Those who can come and feel love and support, know they are valued and loved, receiving help to regain their own self-worth and learn to live and support themselves while caring for others. So they can grow and go out into the world paying this same love forward to others who are desperate and alone. 

In this blog I shared my dream:

Thursday, November 28, 2013

My Island of Misfit Toys

There is a place where I can go and not feel alone. A place of wonder, beauty, laughter, acceptance and new beginnings.  A place where trust and respect are not earned but granted freely. Where I can go without the guilt and shame of past regrets imprisoning me.  To a place where I feel worthy, believed in, accepted for who I am, capable of accomplishing the impossible, helped when I am weak, forgiven when I am wrong. A place where I can forgive myself and others, realizing we are all fragile and capable of wrong thoughts and deeds, but where we can rise above anything on the wings of faith. To begin again, to be made brand new, with the strength of others, who are just like me, just like you. No longer alone, no longer excluded, living together in harmony, love and faith. Where the impossible dreams become possibilities and realities! 

This dream, this vision, was first revealed to me thirty or more years ago, and the older I get, the more I encounter the disparities and incongruities of this life, the more certain I am that this is a call from God. He places compassionate people who identify with this call into my path daily, and I know that once established I have responsible people who can watch over the needs of the people, inspiring them in my absence, as I go on to the begin the next one and the next one. This dream requires financial support, yet I know that God wants to entrust me with the needed funds, and He has gifted me with the ability to achieve this goal. 

But for now, for this present need in my small area of the world, I want to set up a Hands and Feet Fund through my local church, and hopefully go on to see like response in the other churches. Imagine the impact one can have, then think of the possibilities when all follow suit. Is this achievable? I believe so. Jesus, upon His ascension into heaven, said we were to go into all the world and share the Good News. How better able are we to accomplish this mission than by doing?!

I am asking your help!  Will you help me help others? Will you be His hands and feet?  Perhaps you will feel impassioned to begin your own Hands and Feet Fund within your church. Pray about it, as it may be an answer to your prayer for being used in God's service. We each have a call, and we all are talented and gifted in different ways. Don't wait to be used by God. Others need your love in action.

Thanks for listening, and I covet your prayers as I continue to strive to help those within my reach find assistance and the Good News.