You're Not Shaken

I am sinking in the river that is raging

I am drowning, will I ever rise to breathe again?

I want to know why, I just want to understand

Will I ever know why
How could this be from Your Hand?

When every little thing that I dream of being

Just slips away like water from my hands

and when it seems the walls of my beliefs

come crashing down like they're all made of sand

I won't let go of you now, because I know

That You're not shaken.

I am trembling in the darkness of my own fear

All the questions with no answers

they grip me while I'm here

and I may never know why

and I may never understand

But I will lift up my eyes

and trust this is Your plan

I know You're in the valley of the shadow of death

and You're not shaken...

Love Them Like Jesus

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines character as the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. It is also considered a moral or ethical strength or public estimation of ones reputation. When we refer to Jesus, and his reputation, we can see how the public viewed His character. Many people followed Jesus for many different reasons. Some of them had selfish motives and were following out of their own accord, while others were hungry to see miracles unfold. Who was this mere man that distinguished Himself apart from all the others? When Jesus challenged the people to throw the first stone at the adulteress, He showed us forgiveness. When He commanded her to go and sin no more, he showed us patience. When He saw the multitude and prayed for laborers, He showed us compassion. By His countless teachings, He shows us the way to true rest. By His death on the cross, He showed us strength, love, and most of all...sacrifice.
Publicly, Jesus was a nuisance to many. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says," Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He also healed on the Sabbath, which was not lawful and He spoke in parables that most people could not even understand. He spoke with the authority that many thought was not His and became known to the Pharisees as a blasphemer.
As Christians, we are called to like Christ in every aspect. Yet, our society is teaching our future generations tolerance in place of Biblical truth. The private issues of peoples lives that were not openly discussed twenty years ago, are now public issues discussed on the forefront of American Politics. One issue that comes to mind, is gay marriage. Some people skip over the scripture in the Bible that warns us that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. That only leads me to one other assumption...that the only other option is to spend eternity in a lake of fire. In fact, it is that way with all sin, not just homosexuality. Is homosexuality worse than murder? Or is smoking cigarettes worse than gluttony? Are we not all required to confess our sins DAILY? This brings about the question of winning souls. How are we to win the souls of those who are living life in the midst of every type of indecency, if we are not equipped with the Truth? The answer is Jesus. If we use the tools that we are given to develop a like minded attitude of Christ, then we can win souls. I do believe the number one reason that people do not want to become Christians is because they see other Christians talk the talk, but not walk the walk. You will find that when the blind are leading the blind, they both fall into a ditch. Are you learning to love like Jesus did?

Land of the Free...?

The other day, Mike and I watched a documentary film about the Lost Boys of Sudan. When the different parts of Africa were merged together, a civil war erupted because of conflicts between the people. Most children were orphaned or separated from their families when government troops systematically attacked villages in southern Sudan killing many of the inhabitants, most of whom were civilians. The younger boys survived in large numbers because they were away tending herds or were able to escape into the nearby jungles. Orphaned and with no support, the made epic journeys lasting years across the borders to international relief camps in Ethiopia and Kenya evading thirst, starvation, wild animals, insects, disease, and one of the most bloody wars of the 20th century. Examiners say they are the most badly war-traumatized children that have ever been examined.
When villages were attacked, girls were raped, killed, taken as slaves to the north, or became servants or adopted children for other Sudanese families. As a result, relatively few girls made it to the refugee camps. As I was watching this film, my heart broke into a million pieces. Some of the Lost Boys were invited to come live in the United States if they agreed to be filmed on this documentary. The film showed their lives here in intervals of months to years. They all lived together closely in small apartments. They were given government assistance for three months, but then were expected to get jobs and support themselves. During the one-on-one interviews, the boys showed typical signs of loneliness from what they had gone through, missing their families, and wishing they were back home in Africa. All that I could think about was what could be wrong with the United States that could make a person prefer a war stricken country over our land of freedom? Then I realized, that freedom isn't free at all. We all "pay the price" for living here. Some people work so much to afford the luxuries here, that they don't see their families. Some sacrifice their dignity in low paying jobs because of their inability to produce paperwork that says they are "qualified". These boys missed their homeland and their own people. The American people they encountered were not friendly or helpful most of the time, unless they were interacting with officials specifically paid to help them. Over time, they adjusted to a new lifestyle here. In 2001, about 3800 Lost Boys arrived in the United States, where they are now scattered in about 38 cities, averaging about 100 per city. Halted after 9/11 for security reasons, the rescue program restarted in 2004, but peace talks were underway in Sudan, and so other refugee crises in other countries took priority to theirs. As of 2006, the largest population of Sudanese refugees in the United States is in Omaha, Nebraska which hosts about 7,000 people. The stories of the lives of these boys is an incredible journey full of heartache and victory. I strongly recommend watching it. It will open your heart and give you a new mission to pray for.