Not to Lose Heart

From the time I was a little girl I was taught the importance of prayer.  Having come to Christ as a child I knew what the faith of a child was.  It must have come to light in about 6^th grade when I attended a Christian School and every morning requests were given for needs in each home.  Mine was always for my dad to come to know Christ as his Savior.  That prayer consistently went up to heaven over the years.  About seven years ago it became even more urgent as my dad fought stage four cancer.  My children asked why I prayed for his salvation more than I prayed for his healing.  I really believed the eternal spiritual was more important than the immediate physical.  The week my dad was dying I feared my faith would be shattered, yet I felt that God took my face in His hands and said, “Look at Me!”  And so I spent my dad’s last week on earth, three continents and an ocean away from him focusing on God and His attributes and also praying for His salvation.  My dad fell asleep 14 hours before he took his last breath on September  8^th,  2006.  He never made a verbal profession of faith yet when I get discouraged God reminds me still to look at Him.  I often think of the hopelessness the disciples felt when Jesus died on the Cross and they laid His lifeless body in the tomb.  Dead is dead.  Yet God proved that He can totally blow us away even when we know scientific facts.  I cling to that!  Even though I know spiritual facts from studying the Bible, I know that God does amazing things. He is not contained in a box.  I can give you other thoughts of hope that He has given but the fact remains that my hope is in the Lord and Him alone.

I have to say even though I learned the lesson above I have been discouraged.  I listen to lies such as, “If you pray for this situation you are sure not to get the answer you desire, look at what happened with your dad.”  This pounds at me over and over and my book of intercessory prayers gets laid aside and I stop praying for others.  This week God has been encouraging me again in this area.  I am studying the book of James and James’ closing comments command us to pray when we are suffering, praise when we are cheerful and call the elders to pray over us when we are sick.  James 5  The writer of the study I am doing encouraged us to have faith when we pray and not to give up.  Then today I opened up to Luke 18:1-8 and the first words were, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”  2000 years later I am looking at these words and I feel as though they are written just for me. 

So I will continue to pray for my children and their spiritual walk and physical and emotional needs.  I will continue to pray for unsaved relatives.  I will continue to pray for a spiritual awakening for Congo and for the U.S.A.  I will continue to pray for healing for friends who are sick.  Jesus wants us to be close to Him, to walk with Him, and to depend on Him.  I may not see the results of my prayers but He doesn’t want me to lose heart.  He wants me to pray.

My mom's comment after reading this blog: 

"We each dealt differently but God had a special plan for each of us in how we listened to Him and trust in Him. I hope telling it from my side of the world was helpful to you in some way."

     "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Cor. 13:12

A Stranger in the House

Our electric cabinet which I have gotten to know quite well.

I woke up this morning to a nice cool bedroom, the electricity had stayed on all night and the air-conditioner worked great.  The alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. and I worked at getting myself to rise so I could have some quiet time before my daughter had to get up.  Only I walked into a living room and there was humidity soaking itself everywhere so that even the chair I sat in felt a little damp.  As I sat down to enjoy my few minutes alone I noticed the electricity going on and off.  Apparently, one of the electrical phases coming into the house was quite unstable and so I went to check the voltage in the electric box.  There wasn't much I could do, or so I thought with my groggy head.  So I went back inside without adjusting anything only to happen upon A CAT FIGHT IN MY LIVING ROOM.  I forgot to lock the cat's window in the laundry room last night and a stray cat had wandered in.  Of course I yelled, "What are you doing my house."  Then thought, "I probably woke up my daughter".  The stray went berserk and ran for the kitchen only to find the laundry room window shut (a breeze must have blown it shut) and he proceeded to jump 8 feet in the air next to every window to find a way out.  I stayed clear and went to the front door and opened it wide then headed down the hallway to try to maneuver the cat out.  When I came out of the second door of the hallway the cat had disappeared.  I wasn't sure if it had gotten scared and crouched down in a corner somewhere or if it had seen the front door and fled out.  Our cat was still jumpy so we sort of watched each other as I had my quiet time.  Before long the electricity went out completely.  My daughter appeared a few minutes later, ready to face the day and wasn't quite ready to believe me when I said I wasn't sure if there was a stray cat in the house still.  We did another sweep on the house and decided that all was clear and continued on with a mostly peaceful morning.

 When electricity comes and goes it actually can damage our appliances. This reminds me of my need to stay connected to Jesus. While I believe Jesus only works for the good in my life, my unfaithfulness, whether it be neglecting prayer, or not studying the Bible, or focusing on the wrong things can be damaging to my life.  Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15: 5 Jesus is my source of strength.  Without Him I can do nothing.  I need to stay connected in every way to Him and not let any area slack off.

Resting peacefully

Also the cat made me think of being invaded by a robber.  Jesus says in John 10: 1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep".  The cat did not come in the front door, or the side door but sneaked in through a window.  I noticed later that my cat's dish was licked quite clean by the stranger.  Then when the stranger was discovered he began to wreck havoc in my house. I believe Merry, my cat, was quite relieved when I discovered the stranger and made him leave.  Often I allow wrong thoughts into my life that become strongholds that cause destruction.  We are told in II Corinthians 10:5 "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ."  When I saw that strange cat in my house I rose up against it and it fled.  Merry, my "faithful" cat, remained and rests peacefully in my house each day watching for any rodents that seek to invade.  So I must guard against wrong thoughts and my wrong thoughts must flee so that "the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension can guard my  heart and my mind in Christ Jesus." Phil.4:6

Blessed with House Guests

Lydia and I just finished having house guests for the past 2 1/2 weeks.  The Senga's are church planting missionaries here in Kinshasa.  Jean was born and raised in Congo and has become an American citizen.  Deborah was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.  God called them to Congo to plant a church 3 1/2 years ago.  I met them at a yard sale when their son, Micah, picked up a book on homeschooling that I was selling.  I asked him if anyone in his family could or would read it.  He looked like every other French or Lingala speaking child around.  He responded in English that his dad would.  
Before long I met Deborah, Jean, Micah, Jonathan, and Michelle and invited them to our weekly playgroup.  They had been praying to meet other home school families.  It feels good to be a part of other peoples' answer to prayer. 

These don't give you the crowded effect but it is Kinshasa.

The Sengas actually lived on the other side of town but their church is very close to our house.  For the next three years they spent hours on the road going from ministry to home which was very taxing in many ways.  Kinshasa traffic can only be described where people drive like you would walk in a huge crowd.  Do not expect rules to be followed. 

Enjoying one of the trees in our yard. 12 foot wall!

Sengas went on furlough six months ago and enjoyed some great times in the U.S.  On January 26th they returned to a house full of mold and very few groceries.  Within three hours Deborah was having an allergic reaction to the mold. She sounded like she had a cold and her fingers were swelling up.  They called to come take showers and do laundry at our house.  Since Lydia and I are enjoying this huge house alone we invited them to stay rather than settle in one house only to move to another.  They were looking for a house to rent on this side of the city.  They have now rented a new home on this side of town and today they are officially moved in. 
With every home in Kinshasa comes surprises.  Just read Acharchelle's blog from today: http://brooklyntwinsinccongo.blogspot.com/2013/02/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html  This house is attached to two others and after getting the water turned on they found out that the neighbors downstairs are getting flooded.  So we are praying there is a quick easy solution to water problem. 

The Sengas and the "New" House

I am so thankful that God sent the Sengas into our lives.  Not only have they become great friends but they came along just when I needed something to think about besides my husband being on a long trip.  Our God is good all the time!