Giving

God has really been challenging my heart the past few weeks about giving. I look around me and am saddened by things I see and hear. I see so many people who are blessed beyond belief who continue to consume more instead of sharing. I see people spending and spending and giving very little. It breaks my heart. After traveling to countries like Honduras and Africa and seeing children literally eating out of dumpsters, such behavior admittedly frustrates me. It hurts my heart for those around the world, even in our own communities, who are doing without while we continue to multiply our wealth.

I know I say wealth, and most of you will sit there and think to yourselves that you aren’t wealthy. Trust me, you are wealthy! We live in a part of the world that is so blessed. So much of the world looks at us with envy and jealousy; even hatred, because we have so much. We spend and spend. We go in debt buying things we can’t afford. Look at our nation. Look around you. Credit card debit is going through the roof and the national debt is an unfathomable 14.3 billion dollars. We are a rich people who can’t handle all that we have. Perhaps we could handle our wealth better if we gave it away…

I know, I know… You’re still thinking you’re not one of the wealthy or rich ones. You’re imagining those around you with bigger homes, televisions, better computers and phones, newer cars, etc. You don’t have to wonder where your next meal is coming from though, do you? You have a roof over your head. You go to the doctor when you need to. You even have a car to drive. In Rwanda they consider anyone with a car to be rich, and they are right. We need to open our eyes and see just how rich we are. More importantly, we need to gain new perspective. We need to see that God hasn’t blessed us so we would become a selfish, greedy people. He has blessed us, a nation where 85% of the population claims to be Christians (About.com) to bless a lost and dying world where men, women, children, widows, and widowers are without food, shelter, and clothing.

As I write, I can’t help but think about the parable of the widow’s mites that is mentioned in Mark and Luke. Mark 12: 41-44 says, “⁴¹ Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁴² Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. ⁴³ So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood”(NKJV).

God has been challenging my heart about this very thing the past few weeks. He’s been seeing what and how much I’m willing to give. I pray I’ve passed the tests that have been placed before me. I want to challenge you though. Are you the rich men or are you the widow woman in this story? If God told you to give away your entire paycheck this week; would you do it? If He told you to give it to people in need whom you’ve never met; would you do it? Would you put hungry children here in the U.S. and in foreign lands ahead of your own wants and desires? Would you give all you made last week and this week and the next week? Would you do without so others could live? Would you do without to simply show them the love of God? Would you be willing to show a world without hope that someone does love and care for them?

The widow woman… I can picture it in my mind. I can picture her walking to the front in tattered clothing across a dirt floor with her two mites in a tightly closed fist. I picture her slowly and humbly walking before the Lord to drop in her two mites. Chances are that she wasn’t sure where her next meal would come from. She certainly didn’t have the home and riches that we are accustomed to. She certainly wasn’t going through the drive-thru like we do. Even if she could, she no longer had the money! This woman had a heart of love though. She had a giving heart. She had a heart like Jesus wants us all to have.

Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things...” I don’t think the widow woman worried about tomorrow. I believe she had that much faith in her God. She lived for that day and that moment. She knew what she needed to do, and she did it knowing and trusting that God would continue to provide for her.

I can picture the rich men around her. I can picture them in their nice clothes and nice perfumes. I can picture them going up to give with a “look at me” attitude. Not the widow woman though. She didn’t give to be acknowledged or recognized. She gave simply because it was the right thing to do. She offered not only her money, but I believe she offered her entire being to the Lord when she gave all she had. My, how we could all learn from this parable. We need to have that kind of faith and trust. It is on my heart to be more like that widow woman. Is it in yours?

Deuteronomy 16:7 says, Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you”. I’m guessing some of you are sitting there thinking that I’m only required to give 10%. Think about it though. Really think about it... Are you able to give more? Could you stop doing so much for self and start doing for others? Could you do more to support missions, orphans, the homeless, the helpless, hungry children in your community, etc.? I challenge you to really examine your heart and life. I know I have been.

God has called us to be different. He doesn’t want us to be like everyone else. The world may settle for mediocrity. We are the children of God though. We are not meant to settle for that. We are meant to do all we can. We are meant to give all He can. Jesus gave all of Himself for you… What are you willing to give for Him? What are you willing to give to each suffering person around you and around the world? All of those people, no matter what color their skin is and no matter what language they speak, are His beautiful creation too. 

I don’t know who is going to read this. I don’t know what you may do for a living. I don’t know what you may make in a week, a month, or in a year. It doesn’t matter to me. God knows though. God knows because He’s the one who has blessed you with that job and that money. I don’t know what you do with your money. I don’t know if this scripture speaks to anyone other than me… I just pray that somehow these words that He has put on my heart will touch you and inspire you. I pray that you open yourself up to letting Him speak into your heart and life. I pray that you would let Him use you in ways that you’ve never allowed him to before.

Give… “You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:10)… Give to Him with a joyful heart. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). God, the creator of you, I, and the entire universe, gave His only son for you. What are you willing to give and do for Him?

Youth

I can't seem to get children and how much I believe God loves all of the children in the world off of my mind. I know how much I love them. I think each child is a miracle, so I cannot even begin to fathom His unimaginable love for them. I look at the faces below… I look into their deep dark eyes and I know that each beautiful child has a story. I look at them, and I can’t image why anyone would ever want to harm them or leave them. I look at their smiles and see what the love of Jesus can do.  I can’t help but be reminded of Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (NKJV).

As I think back on our time in Rwanda, I can’t help but remember how some were overwhelmed by the multitude of children. Children were running alongside our vans as we traveled hours down rocky, muddy terrain. Children were sticking their hands and heads in our windows. They were screaming and smiling and basically doing anything to get our attention. I, of course, smiled, spoke, and stuck my hands out the window to greet each one that I could.

Just as children can be at home, sometimes the children were a little rowdy. Unlike at home though, these children didn’t have parents looking out for them. I’d say at least 95% (probably closer to 98-99%) didn’t ever have parents with them at our church planting sites. I honestly couldn’t believe how respectful and well-behaved they were. At times, I think it was a little overwhelming for some other team members. A scripture would always come to mind as I watched the children and heard others. That scripture comes to mind now as I look at their beautiful faces.

1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (NKJV).

As with all things, God didn’t tell us this was always going to be easy. Anyone who has been around a child going through their terrible two’s or who has had the privilege of being around an outspoken adolescent knows how frustrating youth can be. Still, I believe God is instructing us to be patient with them. He tells us to continue to love them in the same spirit and manner that He loves us. What a challenge!

What spirit and manner has He loved us? Well, I’ll tell you. He has forgiven our every sin. He has paid our every debt. He has greeted us with open, loving arms every time we’ve made a mistake, let Him down, and disappointed Him. He’s never abandoned us. He’s always the same. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”. I don't know about you, but I am so thankful for that!

We as examples to our youth should strive to be the same example Christ has been to us! We should love unconditionally, yet discipline with that same love when needed. We should always be there with open arms. We should show the same kind of faith and purity that Jesus showed everywhere He went in our words and actions at every chance; whether it is opportune or seems inopportune. We should always, “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity as God tells us to.

I pray that scripture challenges your heart as much as it has challenged mine. I also pray the faces of the youth below bless you as much as they bless me each time I see them. May we all heed His word today and always. God bless you all!

 Learning "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes"!

    

iPOD photo

 

 At the beach:

 A smile after salvation!

 

 Bubbles are fun no matter where you are!

 Josiane

Raining in Rwanda?

What do you do when it's raining in Rwanda? You stay "inside" and make beautiful music!

Faces of Rwanda

 I was just looking through some of my Rwanda pictures. I know many of you have seen a lot of them already, because you are on facebook. Some of you have not though. Here are a few precious faces and photos from Rwanda. I pray that something in some of these photos will speak to your heart and inspire you in some way. Some photos are of children alone on the streets. Others are of children and people smiling after they've seen us or interacted us through ministry in the mission field. May God speak to your heart through these and upcoming photos. Listen to Him... He will speak to you, open your eyes, inspire you, and teach you if you let Him. I'll try to post more over the next few days.