And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)
For the past four years, our family has had the privilege of calling the Salvation Army Corps our church home. I probably need not tell you how many ways this ministry reaches out into our community to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of the people. My husband and I always say that being a part of this fellowship allows us to experience the blessings of being on the mission field, without having to leave the comforts of home!
And without a doubt, one of my favorite outreaches at our Corps is the children’s ministry. I along with many other adults have the opportunity each week to bless numerous children with meals, games, activities, and Bible lessons. And for the most part, the children are sincerely thankful for the blessings they receive from this ministry.
However, a few years ago, there was a certain young girl who seemed determined to test the limits of my patience. Home life for this child was extremely stressful, and therefore school and church became natural outlets for her aggression. Week after week, she seemed to exhibit her worst possible behavior accompanied with a gleam in her eye, as if to say, “Okay Miss Sherrie, let’s see if you really love me no matter what I do!”
And so week after week, I combated her unruly behavior with prayer - prayer that the Lord would allow me to see her through His eyes and not lose my cool. Thankfully He answered that prayer, and for three (long) years I was able to love her with the love of Christ. That’s not to say I didn’t collapse on the sofa from emotional exhaustion each evening afterwards, but the Lord did allow me to keep my mouth shut while with her! (Maybe this little girl had the same angel protecting her as Daniel did in the lion’s den!)
So last night at our annual Christmas Party for the children, I couldn’t help but stand amazed at the transformation that has taken place in my relationship with this child - all from “covering her sins with love”. Her fears have now been replaced with trust. Her selfishness has been replaced with generosity. And her outbursts of anger have been replaced with lovingkindness. And as I got down on my knees to hug her good bye and wish her a Merry Christmas, words cannot describe how wonderful it felt to have her tightly hugging me back.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Perseverance
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)
It was almost two years ago that my husband and I were discussing the possibility of me starting a website ministry. I had recently returned from an out of state speaking engagement, and was contemplating accepting the invitation of another. However, our children were still quite young at the time, and I was feeling the need to remain close to the nest. Homeschooling was a top priority for our family and flying here and there on the weekends was not exactly conducive to that task! Yet the desire to continue teaching God’s Word was still quite strong in my heart. As a result, I prayerfully began working part time on the Standing in the Square website ministry which allowed me the opportunity to fulfill both desires.
In between math lessons and history projects, mopping floors and making meals, the Lord graciously allowed me to piecemeal the ministry together in a manner which would hopefully bring blessings to others. (Honestly, at this point, I would be happy if it at least made sense to others!) For even now as I write this, I have both daughters sitting beside me creating clay projects and singing litte made up tunes in their silliest voices ever! When I stop and think about it, it is truly a miracle that I am even able to compose complete sentences! (Or am I?)
Anyway, here we are two years later. The CDs have been recorded and produced, a family Bible study guide written and published, and a website designed to accommodate it all. Most important, I believe my family has remained confident of my love and concern for them throughout the process.
Looking back I must say that one of the greatest spiritual lessons I learned through this endeavor was perseverance. You know, I used to believe that if God called you to do something, all the doors would automatically swing wide open, and the path would be made easy. (I’m not sure why I believed this fallacy, but I did.) However, experience has now taught me that this is not always the case. For there have been many trials and obstacles over the past two years that have tempted me to give up - my computer hard drive crashing midway through the project, to name one! That event alone was enough to make me throw my hands up and say, “Forget it, it’s not worth it! I must have taken a wrong turn on this journey!”
But I am thankful for God’s Word and His Spirit which kept me going, as well as all the Christian biographies our family has read about great men and women of faith who persevered in the midst of much opposition and hardship. And while I certainly can’t compare my computer woes to having an entire mission headquarters washed away by torrential rains like Ecuador missionaries, Jim and Elizabeth Elliot did, or losing five children to deadly diseases like China trailblazers, Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth did, I do know what it feels like to be dangerously close to throwing in the ministry towel.
Yet it is in these moments when God seems to supernaturally lift our heads, refresh our vision, and strengthen us to move forward. And for this I am truly grateful. For now I can joyfully stand before Him and say that I have completed what I believe He has called me to do. I did not lose hope. I did not throw in the towel. And regardless of what the Lord chooses to do with this ministry, it is so good to know that at the end of my life I will not look back with regret and say, “Gee, I wonder what might have happened if only I had persevered and…”
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)
It was almost two years ago that my husband and I were discussing the possibility of me starting a website ministry. I had recently returned from an out of state speaking engagement, and was contemplating accepting the invitation of another. However, our children were still quite young at the time, and I was feeling the need to remain close to the nest. Homeschooling was a top priority for our family and flying here and there on the weekends was not exactly conducive to that task! Yet the desire to continue teaching God’s Word was still quite strong in my heart. As a result, I prayerfully began working part time on the Standing in the Square website ministry which allowed me the opportunity to fulfill both desires.
In between math lessons and history projects, mopping floors and making meals, the Lord graciously allowed me to piecemeal the ministry together in a manner which would hopefully bring blessings to others. (Honestly, at this point, I would be happy if it at least made sense to others!) For even now as I write this, I have both daughters sitting beside me creating clay projects and singing litte made up tunes in their silliest voices ever! When I stop and think about it, it is truly a miracle that I am even able to compose complete sentences! (Or am I?)
Anyway, here we are two years later. The CDs have been recorded and produced, a family Bible study guide written and published, and a website designed to accommodate it all. Most important, I believe my family has remained confident of my love and concern for them throughout the process.
Looking back I must say that one of the greatest spiritual lessons I learned through this endeavor was perseverance. You know, I used to believe that if God called you to do something, all the doors would automatically swing wide open, and the path would be made easy. (I’m not sure why I believed this fallacy, but I did.) However, experience has now taught me that this is not always the case. For there have been many trials and obstacles over the past two years that have tempted me to give up - my computer hard drive crashing midway through the project, to name one! That event alone was enough to make me throw my hands up and say, “Forget it, it’s not worth it! I must have taken a wrong turn on this journey!”
But I am thankful for God’s Word and His Spirit which kept me going, as well as all the Christian biographies our family has read about great men and women of faith who persevered in the midst of much opposition and hardship. And while I certainly can’t compare my computer woes to having an entire mission headquarters washed away by torrential rains like Ecuador missionaries, Jim and Elizabeth Elliot did, or losing five children to deadly diseases like China trailblazers, Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth did, I do know what it feels like to be dangerously close to throwing in the ministry towel.
Yet it is in these moments when God seems to supernaturally lift our heads, refresh our vision, and strengthen us to move forward. And for this I am truly grateful. For now I can joyfully stand before Him and say that I have completed what I believe He has called me to do. I did not lose hope. I did not throw in the towel. And regardless of what the Lord chooses to do with this ministry, it is so good to know that at the end of my life I will not look back with regret and say, “Gee, I wonder what might have happened if only I had persevered and…”
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.
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