“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:35-37
Take a moment to sit back and think about hardships that you are enduring today. How long is your list? Back in the day there were many things that I went without or did every day and didn’t consider them to be a hardship at that time in my life. What the woman in this photo is doing would probably be considered to be a hardship to many of us today. She is blessed that she lives close to a stream where she can draw water for her laundry, cooking and bathing. On this day, her children are in the Lutheran school in Dondon and she is doing laundry and has a prime spot to dry them on this hot, sunny day. To her, this doesn’t seem like a hardship; just a way of life. Often, our hardships are blessings in disguise as they cause us to appreciate what we have more deeply and remember where all blessings originate. Our words, actions and prayers can be blessings to many who do not have the Hope that we have. May your life be a blessing to another soul today. I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Send Thou, O Lord, to Every Place’ that were written by Mary C. Gates in 1888.
“Send Thou, O Lord, to every place swift messengers before Thy face, the heralds of Thy wondrous grace, where Thou Thyself wilt come. Send men whose eyes have seen the King, men in whose ears His sweet words ring; send such Thy lost ones home to bring; send them where Thou wilt come, to bring good news to souls in sin, the bruised and broken hearts to win; in ev'ry place to bring them in where Thou Thyself wilt come. Thou who hast died, Thy vict'ry claim; assert, O Christ, Thy glory's name and far to lands of pagan shame send men where Thou wilt come. Gird each one with the Spirit's Sword, the sword of Thine own deathless Word, and make them conquerors, conquering Lord, where Thou Thyself wilt come. Raise up, O Lord the Holy Ghost, from this broad land a mighty host; their war cry, "We will seek the lost where Thou, O Christ, wilt come."
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