She promised them we would pray.
Won't you join me in this endeavor?
I was listening to NPR on the way home last night and heard how the nations of the world are opening up their hearts and pocket books to us. Can you imagine? Scri Lanka is sending us $25,000.00 and Croatia is sending us $6,000.00. Some of the poorest countries in the world are being incredibly generous. I listened to Canada's ambassador to the U.S. offering us everything they have - electrical power, oil, ships, forensic experts - anything we could want. We just need to let them know what we need - neighbor helping neighbor!
Three thoughts:
1) When we give, God looks at what we have left over - not the amount we gave. God, please bless these generous, poor nations as you blessed the widow who gave her last mite.
2) Other nations saw our brokenness in not being able to respond quickly and it broke their hearts to see the incredible human suffering caused by Katrina. Any thoughts about brokenness being more powerful than pride?
3) The earth groans waiting for its redemption.
Suffering is on my mind today. A little book, put together in Africa for African Christians who live with trauma, that you might find useful, is called Mourning into Dancing: Trauma Healing for the Suffering Church. The book and training on how to use of the book is a project of Wycliffe and the Reformed Church of America. I think this little book would be relevant to us in the states right now. U.S. Christians need a more developed theology of suffering - my opinion.
A verse (Romans 8:28) I had a hard time dealing with, especially after Paul died - people quoted it to me to be comforting - it never was - is a verse I now cherish, but I take it in the context of the rest of chapter 8, i.e., nothing can separate us from the love of God. We tend to forget verse 29 - that we were predestined to conform to the likeness of his son. If we will allow it, suffering can make us more like Jesus. I still wouldn't recommend Rom 8:28 be quoted to Katrina victims.
A verse that has comforted me when Rom 8:28 didn't, will hopefully comfort you today.
Psalm 46:1-3:
"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
Pray for Katrina victims, the rest of the suffering world and for the nations. The Lord God reigns. Maranatha!
Love's prayers,
Dottie
posted by Missionary's Missionary @ 9:29 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I've been enjoying your blogs without telling you, or making any comments. I was noticing how some of your thoughts were hitting me and some friends came to mind who might enjoy knowing about your blogspot. Do you mind if I advertise this to some of my missionary friends?
-blessings to you,
Steven
Steven,
Please tell every missionary you know. That's the purpose of the blog - to minister to missionaries.
Love's prayers...Dottie
How do you get a hold of the book (Mourning into Dancing)? either respond here or email me at:
rkvaughn@harvestfields.net
I had the name of the book wrong - it is called Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help by Margaret Hill, Harriet Hill, Richard Bagge, and Pat Miersma. ISBN Number is 9966-21-792-4. It is from Paulines Publications Africa, Daughters of St. Paul, P.O.Box 49026, 00100 Nairobe, GPO (Kenya). There is a note that it is printed by Kolbe Press, P.O. Box 468, 00217 Limuru, Kenya. I got one of the last copies of the first edition. The second edition has been improved. The book is in simple English, making it easier to translate into other languages. I paid $5.00 for my copy.
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