Faithspiration

There goes our feeble missionary.

On her good Saturdays, she goes to a community at 3PM to meet with 5-7 women, mothers, to sit under the tree and talk about Jesus. Mama suffers from end stage renal disease. Sometimes I wonder where she gets the strength to get up and go. She has every reason to stay home and refuse to “go and make disciples”. But she chose not to. Thrice a week she gets up at 2 or 3 in the morning while the rest of the world is still asleep so she can have dialysis. Kidneys for rent, is what I would call those machines. Four hours of borrowed renal function for such a fragile body. Some days her energy is up. But on most it is down. So is her appetite for food, and often times, even for life.

I must say that one of the most sobering conversations I had was with her…last Sunday. She said her strength and encouragement comes from God’s word in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” That, right there was my refresher on the theology of suffering!

Only someone who knew exactly what suffering looks and feels like can muster the courage to say those words of the great Apostle Paul. If Christ Himself, who knew no sin and lived a perfectly sin-free life suffered, then how much more will we? And if Christ’s suffering was ordained for the display of God’s glory, then what makes us think that our every weakness, every infirmity, every sorrow, every pain is worthless in light of eternity? How easy it is for us to see that God is at work in our lives when blessings overtake us! But oh how difficult it is for us to believe that He is at work, more-so, when pain is unbearable and hope is bleak.

If you (like me) are feeling a bit weak these days, come and look to Christ with me.

If you (like me) are hearing all sorts of lies from the enemy right now, come listen to the Good Shepherd with me.

If you (like me) are falling short of faith lately, come and hope with me.

Because Christ is worth it. You will see.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

~Isaiah 53:3-5