Sleep-Living

            Last night after dinner the power was out, so I decided to watch “Beware of Christians” (thank you Davis) on my computer in my room.  Towards the end of the movie I got really comfortable laying in my bed and ended up falling asleep towards the end of the movie. When I woke up I got to thinking. I think that I have ben sleep-walking and sleep-talking my way through life. We get to the point where we are too comfortable and fall asleep on our lives and in our relationship with the Lord. Now, had I been outside, sleeping in the middle of downtown Kampala, you better believe I would not have just dozed off out of comfort. I would have been praying myself to sleep, asking for comfort and for the Lord’s protection. That’s kind of the way that life is- we get to a point where we are too comfortable and our senses our weakened and we are no longer dependent. We don’t have to depend on the Lord to sustain us, because we have plenty of food, water, clothes, and shelter to do so. We don’t have to depend on the Lord to keep harm away from us- because we have deadbolts and alarm-systems. Our lives have come to a point where we have so much that we no longer have to depend on the Lord. I think that is one thing that He has been trying to teach me here and show me. It is time for me to WAKE UP. This life is short, and unlike a movie that we fall asleep in the middle of, we cannot rewind from the point we fell asleep and see what all we missed and still experience what happens in the middle of the movie. I think we all need to wake up- and live life as if we were sleeping in the middle of the streets. I’m not saying to walk around in fear, but we need to be wide-awake in our relationship with the Lord and with others- fully aware of our surroundings, relying only on the Lord to sustain us and give us the strength and comfort to persevere. If we have something in our lives that is keeping us from depending only on the Lord- we should rid ourselves of it. For our treasures lie in heaven, and falling in love with worldly things keeps our hearts from fully loving the Lord. We need to be fully awake so that we know the love of our Lord, and His complete acceptance of us, and then we need to share that love with EVERY person that we come across.

            Something really struck me while watching the movie last night. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest that you do. The story is of 4 Christian boys who take their view of Jesus, and what they were raised to believe in America, and see what people in Europe believe. They have a new topic in each city that they focus on when talking with strangers. They were in some city (I believe Rome) and were talking about the Church. They were asking a girl and a boy questions about the Christians that they know. They asked them what it was that set their Christian friends apart from their non-Christian friends. Was it how they loved and treated others? Was there anything about them that was at all different? It hurt me to hear their answer. They said “No, it’s just that they’re busy on Sundays.” SERIOUSLY?!?! If we were to be FULLY awake in our lives, fully awake and attentive with our relationship with the Lord, fully awake with our relationships with those we come across- then there is no way people wouldn’t recognize that there was something different about us. We need to stop going through the motions, sleep-walking and sleep-talking our way through, and begin to live fully. Think of the commotion that would cause! Think of all that we could do! At the end of this life, I don’t want to look back and wish that I could rewind my life and go back to the point where I began to be too comfortable and starting dozing off on life. I want to think that I was fully awake, fully aware, fully dependent on the Lord’s comfort and let that be what got me through.  I want others to know I am a Christian- without knowing where I spend my time on Sunday. I want them to know I am a Christian through my relationships with others, through where I invest my time, energy, and resources that the LORD has provided me with. I did nothing to deserve the blessings on my life. I didn’t choose the loving family I was born into, I didn’t chose my socio-economic status, I didn’t chose any of this. I was blessed enough by the Lord to have this life. But that means that I am no better than any other person. The Lord gives us EVERYTHING that we call “ours”. So if He is the one giving it to us, then we need to take what He gives us and help those who were born into a life of poverty and need. I may be rambling now, and this might now make much sense, but I think that it is time to wake up and stop sleep-living our way through life.  I pray that I continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord and that He continues to show me that He is my all-in-all, the one who will sustain me and bring me comfort. The one who will Love me unconditionally and accept me for the person that I am, the person he created me to be. 

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

   “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
   "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" 
                                                                                                        - Matthew 6: 19-24

Humbled in Jinja

       I want to first apologize for not posting something sooner than this.  I didn't think it would be so difficult to blog, but I have been struggling with wrapping my brain around all that has gone on since being here and all that the Lord has been doing in my life and in this wonderful city. I also feel that my words won't do justice to what the Lord has done and the great works that He has shown us. I feel so blessed to get to be a small part of His perfect plan for the children here and have loved getting to experience all that He has shown me.

    Since I don't know that I could re-cap the entire past three weeks, I think I will just share some of my favorite experiences. The first occurred the first Saturday that I was here. We took a trip to Jinja to baptize some of the children along with some of the interns in the Nile. It was such an incredible experience to see these children who had been street kids a little over a year ago professing Christ as their Savior and being baptized in His name. It was also so incredible to see Allen, who helped start Sozo and get the home for these 17 kids, get baptized with the children. It was incredible to see where the children are now, knowing where they came from and the struggles they faced in the past. I think God's presence was fully with us throughout that trip, especially looking back at what happened during lunch.

    We went to a little cafe for lunch in Jinja with all of the kids, the interns, and the team from Asbury. While we were there I ordered a chicken guacamole wrap which I shared with Mitch and he ordered chicken and chips (french fries) which we also shared. The chicken was like chicken nuggets which made me miss home and chick-fil-a. After eating I went to use the bathroom and when I came back I noticed there were 3 boys sitting at our table that were not ours. I could tell they were street kids because of their clothes. One boy had asked for food, but thought that his friends would get mad at him if he ate something and they saw him. So, we told him to invite his friends to come eat as well. The next thing I knew there were 7 boys sitting there eating with us. The oldest was 14 (I think) and had been living on the streets since he was 4. Can you imagine being 4 years old having to fend for yourself, try to find shelter, food, clothing, and water? I can't. A four year old should be joyful and carefree, oblivious to the hardships of life.  What was also incredible to watch during that experience was to see our oldest children talking with the other boys. Hakim, who comes and stays with us on the weekends, was actually the one who discovered the boys and recognized that they were hungry. It was the picture of Sozo being acted out right before our eyes. Our children, who were once hungry and living to survive each day, were now taking care of other children they saw. They were now there, discipling to these seven boys, and sharing with them who Jesus is and the love of Jesus. How cool that all in one day, our children were baptized and also got to share with others about the love of Jesus and why Jesus is their Savior. I am so thankful to have gotten to see this, and to see God moving in our children as they help other children.

     In that moment watching those seven children eating and so thankful for food, I was completely humbled and thankful. Here I was, complaining about food I missed from home, when I should have been thankful to be eating. I should have been thankful that I had been fortunate enough to eat breakfast that day, and every other day. I think that God sent those seven children as a reminder to me, to humble me and bring me back to reality. It is so easy to be here and dwell on what I miss from home. The people, the food, the comforts. But I think the Lord is trying to show Himself to me through those things and through the new experiences I am having here. Instead of complaining about the foods I don't like (which, are most) I should just be thankful to be in a home and eating. Instead of complaining about not having consistent electricity, consistently hot water for showers, or any other thing I can complain about- I should be thankful that the Lord is allowing me to see His people and hear their cries. I should be thankful that I am here in this place, and that I have a bed to lay my head on at night, toast to eat in the morning, and running water- whether it's hot or not.

   I think God sent me those seven boys that day. That may be selfish of me to think, but in looking into the eyes of those little boys, I saw God. I saw what it was really like to be hungry. I saw what it was like to live day to day and just try to survive through that day. I am thankful that I had that experience and that it reminded me that I am no better than any person. Not a single person. Instead, I should use all that I have been blessed with to serve God's people and help those in need. That's what Christianity is all about, anyway. Showing God's love to others. Helping those who need it. Taking what God has blessed us with, however great or small, and using it to help others. I pray that the Lord continues to show me His children and His people. I pray that He continues to break my heart for what breaks His. I pray that He continues to allow me to be a part of what He is doing in Uganda. I pray that I never forget all that He has blessed me with, and that I never get too comfortable. Instead, I pray that He takes me out of my comfort and teaches me about His people, His grace, and His faithfulness.


  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

    “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25: 34-40.