Remembering India #1
I said that I would be writing 1 post a week remembering India. So far I am 2 weeks behind... Here's hoping and purposing to do better in the future.
Today I pulled out my "India Journal" and began reading. I barely made it past the cover page and I was challenged by the words written there. I saw these words for the first time posted at Mt. Lou San Bible Camp. I don't know who wrote it, but I appreciate them for putting it in such simple terms.
"Ministry is giving when you feel like keeping,
praying when you need to be prayed for,
feeding others when your own soul is hungry,
living truth before people even when you can't see the results,
hurting with other people even when your own hurt can't be told,
and keeping your word even when it is inconvenient.
Ministry is being faithful when your flesh wants to run away."
Wow. That's a challenge. The best part is what happens when you feel like running away, but choose to stay and serve anyway. The Lord gives the strength that you need. He provides. I am so very thankful for the faithfulness of our Great God!
For the rest of this post I am just going to "copy & paste" my entry from January 19, 2013.
"Today in my quiet time these verses stuck out to me from Mark chapter 1 verses 40&41.
~And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him, and saying, "If you are willing, You can make me clean." Moved with Compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."~
The reason that these verses stuck out to me is this: Jesus didn't just feel compassion towards this man, He was moved by compassion. Moved by compassion to ACTION! This reminds me of what Jesus did by His very act of coming to each to sacrifice His life to save me! ~ How can I not share that? ~ This is my favorite definition of compassion given by Henry Nouwen and used in 'Fields of the Fatherless' by Tom Davis:
"The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, which together mean "to suffer with." Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human." ~Henry Nouwen~
Jesus did that beautifully. "Compassion is about involvement." ~ Tom Davis ~
This is what is required of me."
I know that this doesn't have to do directly with India. But this is one of the things that really impacted my time there. While I was in India I thought about this passage and what compassion really means. I tried to be as involved as I possibly could be. I tried to soak up every moment and give as much as I could. I want to say India changed me. And it did. But I am still changing. still learning. still growing. It's a journey. And as I remember and reflect more I am sure that I will learn and grow and change more. I am excited to see how the Lord will use this in my life. He truly works all things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose.
All for now,
Lou
Ps. 18:29
Today I pulled out my "India Journal" and began reading. I barely made it past the cover page and I was challenged by the words written there. I saw these words for the first time posted at Mt. Lou San Bible Camp. I don't know who wrote it, but I appreciate them for putting it in such simple terms.
"Ministry is giving when you feel like keeping,
praying when you need to be prayed for,
feeding others when your own soul is hungry,
living truth before people even when you can't see the results,
hurting with other people even when your own hurt can't be told,
and keeping your word even when it is inconvenient.
Ministry is being faithful when your flesh wants to run away."
Wow. That's a challenge. The best part is what happens when you feel like running away, but choose to stay and serve anyway. The Lord gives the strength that you need. He provides. I am so very thankful for the faithfulness of our Great God!
For the rest of this post I am just going to "copy & paste" my entry from January 19, 2013.
"Today in my quiet time these verses stuck out to me from Mark chapter 1 verses 40&41.
~And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him, and saying, "If you are willing, You can make me clean." Moved with Compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."~
The reason that these verses stuck out to me is this: Jesus didn't just feel compassion towards this man, He was moved by compassion. Moved by compassion to ACTION! This reminds me of what Jesus did by His very act of coming to each to sacrifice His life to save me! ~ How can I not share that? ~ This is my favorite definition of compassion given by Henry Nouwen and used in 'Fields of the Fatherless' by Tom Davis:
"The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, which together mean "to suffer with." Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human." ~Henry Nouwen~
Jesus did that beautifully. "Compassion is about involvement." ~ Tom Davis ~
This is what is required of me."
I know that this doesn't have to do directly with India. But this is one of the things that really impacted my time there. While I was in India I thought about this passage and what compassion really means. I tried to be as involved as I possibly could be. I tried to soak up every moment and give as much as I could. I want to say India changed me. And it did. But I am still changing. still learning. still growing. It's a journey. And as I remember and reflect more I am sure that I will learn and grow and change more. I am excited to see how the Lord will use this in my life. He truly works all things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose.
All for now,
Lou
Ps. 18:29
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