Dec 7, 2016
SAVE THE DATE: Perspectives course being offered at Connection Pointe next year, Tuesday evenings Aug 8 – Nov 21.
Many of you know that our family experienced a traumatic home invasion in our rural African home in 1997. Few of you probably know how powerful Psalms 60-64 were to me during that time. King David wrote of being under attack, plots against him, betrayals and being ambushed. That’s what we experienced too; all of those.
These chapters gave me permission to be raw, all over the place emotionally, and to desire payback. Even missionaries have ungodly feelings and it’s ok to wrestle through them with God and our safe people. They won’t use our raw expressions against us. Our raw state is actually there to walk us through just being human to depending on God. It’s a very personal journey, even within a community, as God accompanies us in our sorrow, confusion and incapacitation to carry on as before.
God is in no hurry as He stays with us, listens, soothes, even laughs supportively at the uncharacteristic things coming out of our mouth.
Speaking of uncharacteristic, on my healing journey I discovered some things about God that seemed uncharacteristic to me. “But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down.” (Ps 64:7) I loved that verse then, and still do! God comes across as my bodyguard, one who can out-ambush anyone. That’s good news to someone who feels vulnerable and under attack. It’s a verse of comfort to the right situation, as long as He is the One pulling the bow. “God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.” (Ps 62:11-12) Power. Love. Payback. Payback? Yes, there it is. It’s what we commonly call judgment.
Most days I don’t desire payback for anyone as I’m rarely wronged like that night in 1997. However, most people, at one time or another, walk this road at least once of being greatly wronged. The believers in India, Indochina, Turkey, Venezuela and the Balkans all live in environments where suffering a great wrong is a daily possibility. As we continue to build relationship with our partners and gain their trust, they are beginning to let down and tell us of the impact of living daily in an environment of great wrongs. It’s a pressure-cooker. It takes a toll. Sometimes they will desire payback delivered by God, but mostly they desire God’s grace to be delivered instead. That’s why we support them, pray for them and love them. They are in this for the right reasons, and they need to know they are entitled to those times of sorrow, confusion and incapacitation.
This week’s post is not just about world missions. It’s about life on this earth, and written for all of you who are also in the midst of a great wrong. As Peter reminds us,
“Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:9b)
God knows wrongs in every culture and the feelings that accompany them. He is ready to hear whatever you have to say, no matter how uncharacteristic it is of you.
Til next week
Dan
For more information about our partners, read on.
Thinking of making a visit to see one of our partners, read about the 2017 trips here.
