Sunday, December 27, 2009

Wrecked & Wondering: Part 2

At the beginning of November I wrote a post titled Wrecked & Wondering. Within that post I described how I had been made aware of a young woman named Katie from the Nashville, TN area that is changing peoples lives, not only in Uganda where she serves but here in the States where her testimony is spreading. To understand what I'm talking about better, go check out my post last month... and additionally read the blog of this young woman being the true hands and feet of Christ.

But the gist of what's happening to me is this... I have been made aware... I have been told... I have been awoken to the cause... and since that time I can only describe myself as WRECKED & WONDERING. Wrecked to know of so many children going to bed tonight on the streets, hungry, alone, scared, without Christ... Wondering, God what would you have ME do? Where do I go from here?

You see, I've had a heart for Africa for some time now... I think if I had to trace the deepest roots I would say it developed in 2001 or 2002 when I dove into an upper level college class titled African Politics at Mississippi State University... so take my long running heartbeat for that continent and its many struggles and add it to the needs of children... and a call for Christians to be God's hands and feet, and you have me sitting here Wrecked & Wondering.

For Christmas, my husband and family showered me with literature... of the six books I got for Christmas, seven if you count the one I bought for myself, I have three books currently ready to "give it to me" in regards to a Christians' response and need to respond to the social injustices of the world. The three books are: When God Stood Up: A Christian Response to AIDS in Africa by James Cantelon; Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith by Jen Hatmaker; and Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan.

I am currently diving into James Cantelon's book, When God Stood Up: A Christian Response to AIDS in Africa. Thirty-five pages into the mix, I'm totally wrecked and wondering! Cantelon writes, "I would join the army of those fighting for the greatest victims of HIV/AIDS - the orphans and the widow" (pg. 2). He continues on page three, "In the book I'll try to describe how the Almighty sees orphans and widows. ... I hope this book changes your life. My life and my wife Kathy's have been changed. And isn't that what scripture does? It's a might transformer wrestling with our self-absorption. So, wrestle with me. As we're changed, maybe we can change the world."

The amount of underlined, starred, circled, written about text I have within the first thirty-five pages of this book is amazing... I could write them all, but I will leave you with this one... it has left me pondering tonight as I am about step into the pages to come...

"John Milton, the great poet, put it this way: "Truth and justice are all one; for truth is but justice in our knowledge, and justice is but truth in our practice. ... For truth is properly no more than contemplation, and her utmost efficiency is but teaching; but justice in her very essence is all strength and activity, and hath a sword put into her hand to use against all violence and oppression on earth" (John Milton, Eikonoklastes, quoted in Systematic Theology by A.G. Strong, Judson Press, p. 292). So when the "alien, the orphan, and the widow" cry for justice, the righteous had better respond, quickly, consistently, and with strength- if there's any justice. Otherwise, all is lost" (pg. 27-28).

Wrecked and Wondering.

If you're interested, here are a few more blogs/websites that are spreading the word regarding orphans and how we can help:
http://147millionorphans.com/ - you can even buy apparel here that helps feed orphans!

Ps. I'm learning that every little bit helps. If everyone chipped in something small, lots of folks together make something big. Here is a link to Amazima Ministries International, this page shows how EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS: http://amazima.org/projects.html

James 1:27 - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."


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