It has been almost one year since I met a shy and introverted boy named Daniel* on a missions trip. I can still see his eyes which seemed to say so much to me. Things that his mouth could not utter nor his mind come to terms with. Life truths that a child is simply not yet equipped to fully understand.
Those truths instead can be acted out in many ways. These are just some of the things I saw on a trip that I might not be fully equipped myself to handle. Yet, as I write this, I am getting ready to go again to visit the same three group home/orphanages with my church.
After my last visit to these children in need, I had a lingering sense of depression hanging over me for awhile. I prayed about it and felt that I needed to do more for these children immediately. My church was supportive. So, they allowed me to do a fundraiser to raise money for a sewing center and start a knit class to make handknit scarves for 150 kids. Both ventures were successful beyond my wildest dreams, and the depression lifted.
So often the thing that helps depression the most is action. Action is often the hardest thing to effect when one is in the throes of such feelings. Let's all try to remember that when we get the blues the next time. The simple act of trying to do something rather than nothing is cathartic. The old adage, it is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness comes to mind. So, here I am again trying to light a candle and praying to ignite a flame in the hearts of these children and the staff of their orphanages for Christ.
One of the things that I bring to this trip is empathy for the brokenness of these children and the immediacy of their needs. I came from a truly broken family and so do these children. This is no time for soft-pedaling a spiritual message. I am resolved to teach as Jesus did, right where people need it most. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release from darkness to the prisoners.-Isaiah 61:1. These words from the book of Isaiah are the scriptural basis that Jesus used to announce His ministry at a synagogue he was teaching at.
What great meaning these words have for me as I prepare for this trip. This scripture passage serves as one of the focal points of my mission. It is a worthy and godly goal to heal broken hearts and to preach the gospel which has the power to transform lives. Even lives that seem broken beyond compare. Our Lord is the hope and redemption for all. Or as someone very sage once said, my Jesus He can fix it!
P.S. My blog is now listed in The Top 100 Christian Wife blogs for the United States on Feedspot. I pray that this exposure can help to touch people's hearts and minds and gently lead them to Jesus. I am happy that Christian blogs can be found in a listing such as this one. It is analogous to the old library card catalog of the past.
* the boys name has been changed.
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