We are serving at an orphanage in India at the moment. We are teaching the children, and also repainting their school. But while we are serving them, God is building into our own life’s…
To each new country I go to, I go with a certain expectation or goal. Not a set plan, or a task driven schedule, but in the quit times that I sit with God. I ask Him for certain things to happen in the different counties we visit. My expectation or goal for India is to give myself unconditionally in any and in all ways. To give myself mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually – in all ways. Even if I have diaree and can’t keep anything down. Even if I feel drained from the
scorching heat. Even if my headache is pounding from de-hydration. To give myself, when I feel negative. To give myself if the mountain I am climbing seems to get bigger every step I take. To give myself, when I call to God, and He feels far away.
So, I don’t know about you, but for me it is tough to give myself like that. There is only one way in order for me to reach my expectation and goal for India.
I turned to God…
Now we know that God works in mysterious ways…
Because the next thing He did was to bring me to a point of reflecting on myself. We global challengers call it “self servicing” – Where you take your vehicle for a service, to check out all your different parts.
The first conviction hit me dead centre in the middle. PRIDE!!!
How evident pride still is in my life. How quickly and easily the MMI (me, myself and I )
jumps up.
So, yesterday morning we had to be up by 5:00 am to start sanding down the walls of the school. The reason why we start so early is because of the heat. June is one of the warmest months of the year in India. The other bigger reason is so that we can meat the deadline, and get everything done by the time we leave. So our schedule looks something like this:
5:00 - 8:00, Sanding down and painting at the school.
8:00 - 9:00, Breakfast and shower.
9:00 - 11:00, Teaching the children.
11:00 - 13:00, Back to sanding and painting.
13:00 – 14:00, Lunch
14:00 – 17:00, Rest.
17:00 – 19:00, Children ministry – each team gets a turn to run the program every night.
19:00 – 20:00, Playing with the children.
20:00 – 21:00, Dinner.
21:00 – 22:00, GCX meat together.
And then prepare for the lesson you have with the kids the next day.
So it is a hectic schedule with a capital letter H!!
Now you can imagine at 5:00 in the morning who quickly the “MMI” (me, myself and I) shows up!!!
And it was while I was standing there moaning and groaning and grumbling inside of myself, how little I felt like doing this. I heard the soft voice of the Holy Spirit speaking in my heart…
‘Liza, if this is the last thing you do before Christ come, and you stand in front of the judgment seat. How will you give an account of what you are doing right now?’ Because that is how it will happen. We will be busy doing our thing, living our life. And He will come like a thieve in the night.
What will you say to God?’ ‘You are not serving these children, or serving global challenge by sanding down this wall. You are serving God. What will you say to Him?
How the thoughts…
I don’t see why I have to do this, can’t someone ells rather do it? I am tired. I think I have done enough, I deserve a break. Look at how dirty I am getting, it’s such a mess. This is useless, I don’t see why I have to sand down walls.”
‘Is this the account you want to give to God, about how you are serving Him? Yes, it’s sanding down a wall, but you are not doing it for anyone ells except Him. And will these, be the excuses you’ll use?’
God, I am sorry but I didn’t sand down the wall properly or with a cheerful heart because I didn’t see why I have to do it? Because I was tired, I did it for a whole hour. So, I deserved a break. God, I didn’t do it because I was getting dirty, and I just didn’t see the point.
Like I said the Holy Spirit hit the conviction right in the center. But, there was one more thing …
Look at that one over there, I don’t see why I have to work so hard and he is just standing around doing nothing.
Again the Holy Spirit was right on target… ‘You will give an account of no one ells except yourself, and how you are sanding down this wall.’
After a while, I just couldn’t help but laugh. Because every time a prideful thought like that came up the Holy Spirit would zap it right back down. And then, the most amazing thing happened. While right in the middle of being disciplined by the Lord, because that was exactly what He was doing. I was overcome with JOY. Not the joy of the world, but the kind of joy that gives strength. The kind that can even change the attitude of my heart.
The kind that can influence me to sand down walls with a smile from ear to ear. The kind that we call upon - the JOY OF THE LORD!!!
All of my love, and blessings and, May the joy of our Lord be your strength in all situations.
As specially the difficult ones!!!
Liza Kruger