*Disclaimer: I did not write this to offend. I wrote it to make you aware. There are also some generalizations in here that most definitely do NOT apply to everyone I know back home. I wrote this from my heart.
Dream's family is Buddhist. As a part of Buddhist and Chinese culture, she prays to her ancestors. Dead people. She asks them for blessings, good health, and success in life. Her prayers fall on deaf, dead ears.
My heart breaks.
I love her. I want so badly for her to know the Truth - for her to be able to lean on a Living Rock, for her to be able to speak to Someone who hears.
There is a war being waged. I am a soldier. I am fighting. I have been wounded. I do not ask for an award, or for recognition. All the award and recognition that I need and desire come to me readily from the One who sent me into this battle.
But as my heart breaks for Dream, my heart also breaks for others - for so many of my "Christian" friends back home. They are living in their nice two-story homes, buying new furniture and clothes, going out to eat at expensive restaurants, working hard every day at jobs that will not last past this life, going to "church" on Sundays and Wednesdays and thinking this is Life. They do not even know about the war. They say that they are needed at home to work and support those who go, and also to reach the lost in their own communities. But where is the support? Where is the reaching out to the lost? They do not know there is a war, because they are not fighting in it.
I pray that when Michael and I move back to the States in less than two months, that we will not sink into lives of comfort and forget about the war and those who are fighting in it.
I have a friend who is in the army. He is in the Middle East now. He receives many packages from home and many messages of encouragement. I cannot help but think that the battle that I am fighting in is so much more important. Like I said before, I do not need award or recognition. I just want those back home to realize that there is a war being fought for souls - souls who are dying everyday without ever even hearing the name of their Savior, souls that are praying to dead people who cannot hear them.
When will we wake up and realize that we were not put on the earth and given the Truth so that we could live lives of comfort and mediocrity. We have been called to fight!!!
From prayer that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher,
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.
From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings,
(Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified,)
From all that dims Thy Calvary,
O Lamb of God, deliver me.
Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope no disappointments tire
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod;
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
-Amy Carmichael
That's the bomb post, Kris. That's the bomb post.
ReplyDeletethe bomb.com, I might add. If you read this, Tell someone! NOW!
ReplyDeleteKris,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. So true. Welcome to kingdom living. Big Brother spoke of the seed among the thorns being choked out. When you read his explanation these things all appear.
There are some who get what you are saying. There are some who get what you are doing. Focus on those and draw your strength from them. Mobilize more of them when you get back here. Think about all the troops on the front lines. When Elijah felt all alone Papa showed him the 7,000 who had never bowed to Baal.
Take your eyes off those who don't get it. Remember those who do. Then enemy would gladly discourage all of us. We must reclaim territory and not give him an inch.
Keep on keeping on! You are doing good work!
Preach it! :)
ReplyDeleteI totally understand where you're coming from. Sometimes I'm guilty of doing the very things you said, but then every once in awhile, God shows me that this Earth is not my home and I am NEVER going to "fit in" or "feel comfortable", as I shouldn't! None of us should. We should just accept the fact that we're always going to be rejected by people as long as we're fighting the good fight. Things are NEVER going to be easy. As Daniel said in his latest blog post, we were never promised an "escape" we were promised REST with HIS help.
Love your thoughts and your courage! I pray for you and Dream (a lot, but always on Mondays, as per schedule! haha). Love you and appreciate the work you're doing. :)
I feel this way sometimes. I think there is a large bloc of people here who could be doing a lot more in all sorts of important things, but a group of a few seem to do so much of it. I am bad about getting over myself and realizing that it's not going to be fair.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, my Spanish translation says that the thorns drown the seed. Potential illustrations? I think yes. (This was the only way I could post. My name makes me feel foolish)
I am coming to help you fight. Be there soon. I can't wait to see this fire in person. Looking forward to sitting at the feet of a former camper, friends, strangers and more to learn about real evangelism.
ReplyDeleteKris, this is truly awesome! Your mom read this to us last week and we were amazed. You help others open their eyes to things that many do not see. Love it!
ReplyDelete