Sunday, October 21, 2012

Touching Worlds Apart

My world is small. I live life between a couple dirt roads surrounding the hospital here. Once in a while I branch out on a hiking trail, or rarely take a taxi to town (a very high risk ride). I have no TV, don't get much news. If there's a catastrophe or great event, I never knew it happened. I only know when someone emails me an update.

It makes me think of how far away worlds can be.  As the fall comes at home, I have no idea if my family is breaking out their jackets. When winter sets in, who knows if the snow comes and the children get out of school to play.

Here the rains start, and then the rains end, and then harmattan sets in. None of it usually means anything to another unless they are walking through the rain or dust on this side of the world.

That is the way it is. We are almost always consumed by whatever we see around us. Our circumstances dictate reality for us. If it is raining on us, then it is raining. No one considers that in some other place it is snowing, and in another people are bathing in the sun. That is, unless we love someone who is apart from us. Then, we wonder, "what are they doing now?", "what's the weather like there?", "are they sleeping or awake?". Our mind wanders to something beyond ourselves, to try to grasp what another's life may be. Once in a while it happens in terrible circumstances - tsunamis, earthquakes, famine, war. Our hearts are touched by the position and circumstance of others. But it is much easier to forget about all that is beyond our sight, and so we most often don't consider what is beyond our front door, or work area, or circle of friends.

But for those who follow Christ, He calls us to remember. We reach out across those miles through a God who is outside of and beyond the limitations of space and distance. He has called us to intercede on behalf of others, even those on the other side of the earth. It still can be hard to imagine, sometimes hard to know exactly what to pray. But God is always listening to the cares and pleadings of His people, and He is changing circumstance on account of the prayers of His saints. I am so thankful for those who lift me up before the Father regularly. The people who don't really understand what life is like here, or exactly what the needs are, but who keep praying anyways. I see God move on behalf of your prayers. I see better outcomes than I should have in my daily work. People who should have died walk out of the hospital alive, as if nothing was ever wrong. So, thank you for praying.

To those who don't pray much, I would ask why not. When there is Someone who is all powerful, and who  cares so much about all the things that you care about, why not ask Him to move. We are like idiots with the things we chose to pray for. You feel your stomach start churning, and begin to pray with all of your might, "Lord please help me make it to the bathroom, please let me make it, help me hold out, oh please.." We come closer to Him in our GI upset than in the actual greatest needs of our souls. He isn't expecting eloquent speeches and persuading words, He is just wanting hearts that long to know and trust Him more. His heart is already inclined toward those who seek Him.

2 comments:

  1. Awake and praying for you. Love you!

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  2. Your writing really speaks to me--the good, the touching, the funny, the sad parts, the verses, the truth...Love it. I should pray more, and your words just opened my eyes to that.

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