John 13:34
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
A missionary my church supports in one of the former-Soviet Central Asia republics has been forced to leave that country because they’re not renewing foreign visas. Evangelism is not permitted there, so I’m concealing her name, that of her adopted daughter (U), and the little boy from the orphanage (T) that she helped reunite with his grandmother. We got this email from her on the eve of her departure:
In about 6 hours, we will fly out of the country. Simply said, I am not ready to go. Saturday we visited T and family. I called in advance and told them I did not have time to visit long and that they need not prepare a meal. Silly me. They gave us everything they had. We ate nonstop for 6 hours. U couldn’t even bend over to put on her shoes as we left.
T entertained us with his dancing and he refused to speak a word in English but his own language was perfectly understandable. His grandmother sat next to me and wept, as she talked about how she was losing a "sister". It took me a minute to realize she meant me, one because she’s a grandmother (and I don’t see myself as that old) and also because I wasn’t aware she perceived the relationship as such. It was such an honor to spend time with the family and I have great hope for them.
Sad news continues to hit us all here, as people go and others are soon to be deported. Keeping faith isn’t the hard part, it’s the loss that accompanies relationships. Friendships are different here; appreciation runs deep and is expressed often. In a country so oppressed in so many ways, the people show resilience and continue to give love despite not having much of anything else. Their gifts of hospitality and mercy are evident.
A song has been going through my mind for several weeks now, "They will know we are Christians by our love." I am horrible with music and can’t sing a note if my life depended on it, but the song soothingly plays in my head. In fact, it’s not the whole song, but just that one line. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I can’t even remember where I ever heard that song actually played, but that one line keeps playing over and over in my head. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I’ve started to process it as an admonishment and an encouragement; to examine myself, not just behaviorally, but inwardly. As Christians, we will fail, we will face painful trials, others will judge us for our shortcomings and our task is simply to love, whether or not it is painful, whether or not it puts us in uncomfortable territory, whether or not we are condemned by this world. Love will stand.
If I look at my life from my own critical eyes, I see so much wrong with it: wasted time, flawed relationships, and a multitude of transgressions. "They will know we are Christians by our love." At times, I even despise myself. "They will know we are Christians by our love." It’s amazing that someone like me could be placed in a place like this and that God could do wonderful things through such a dreadful being. "They will know we are Christians by our love."
Love will stand.
Let us live our lives in such a way that people will first see our love.
Brenda
A missionary my church supports in one of the former-Soviet Central Asia republics has been forced to leave that country because they’re not renewing foreign visas. Evangelism is not permitted there, so I’m concealing her name, that of her adopted daughter (U), and the little boy from the orphanage (T) that she helped reunite with his grandmother. We got this email from her on the eve of her departure:
In about 6 hours, we will fly out of the country. Simply said, I am not ready to go. Saturday we visited T and family. I called in advance and told them I did not have time to visit long and that they need not prepare a meal. Silly me. They gave us everything they had. We ate nonstop for 6 hours. U couldn’t even bend over to put on her shoes as we left.
T entertained us with his dancing and he refused to speak a word in English but his own language was perfectly understandable. His grandmother sat next to me and wept, as she talked about how she was losing a "sister". It took me a minute to realize she meant me, one because she’s a grandmother (and I don’t see myself as that old) and also because I wasn’t aware she perceived the relationship as such. It was such an honor to spend time with the family and I have great hope for them.
Sad news continues to hit us all here, as people go and others are soon to be deported. Keeping faith isn’t the hard part, it’s the loss that accompanies relationships. Friendships are different here; appreciation runs deep and is expressed often. In a country so oppressed in so many ways, the people show resilience and continue to give love despite not having much of anything else. Their gifts of hospitality and mercy are evident.
A song has been going through my mind for several weeks now, "They will know we are Christians by our love." I am horrible with music and can’t sing a note if my life depended on it, but the song soothingly plays in my head. In fact, it’s not the whole song, but just that one line. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I can’t even remember where I ever heard that song actually played, but that one line keeps playing over and over in my head. "They will know we are Christians by our love." I’ve started to process it as an admonishment and an encouragement; to examine myself, not just behaviorally, but inwardly. As Christians, we will fail, we will face painful trials, others will judge us for our shortcomings and our task is simply to love, whether or not it is painful, whether or not it puts us in uncomfortable territory, whether or not we are condemned by this world. Love will stand.
If I look at my life from my own critical eyes, I see so much wrong with it: wasted time, flawed relationships, and a multitude of transgressions. "They will know we are Christians by our love." At times, I even despise myself. "They will know we are Christians by our love." It’s amazing that someone like me could be placed in a place like this and that God could do wonderful things through such a dreadful being. "They will know we are Christians by our love."
Love will stand.
Let us live our lives in such a way that people will first see our love.
Brenda
posted by BreadBakers at 12:19 PM
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