“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:21-23
This photo and the words to the hymn I chose for today go so very well together. These children are preparing to give thanks for their Trinity/HOPE lunch in their school. And many Lutheran schools in Haiti are also used as Church on Sunday; perhaps you can see the chancel rail on top of the raised area behind the teachers. These children come here from their small homes and spend the educational portion of their young lives here…in God’s house. As adults, they will prayerfully continue to worship here and bring others into this House and learn of how much God loves them, cares for them and has forgiven their sins. God offers them what no vodou priest can; Hope. I am closing today with the words from the short little hymn ‘I Pray Thee, Dear Lord Jesus’ that were written by Thomas Hansen Kingo in 1699.
“I pray Thee, dear Lord Jesus, my heart to keep and train that I Thy holy temple from youth to age remain. Turn Thou my thoughts forever from worldly wisdom's lore; if I but learn to know Thee, I shall not want for more.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay