Patience with faith
It's been awhile.......
partly because I had been sick, partly because I honestly didn't know what to say.
So much has been happening, but it's hard to put into words. So many emotions, but inadequate ways to express them.
This spring I grew frustrated with God. Things were going incredibly well. I was frustrated when I went three weeks unable to go to Bible study at the brothel. I was discouraged. Instead of using that time to seek God, I allowed myself to get upset with him.
After a few weeks, I was finally able to start Bible study again. We were journeying through the gospel of John, learning more about Jesus, the life he led, and what it meant for us. I decided to combine several weeks studies into one to make up for lost time. When I got to the brothel that Wednesday, I was surprised to see the girls already doing Bible study. They had decided that even if I couldn't make it, they would continue reading. My heart was so full. This is what it's all about. I had prayed they'd come to long to know Christ for themselves, that they'd desire to read the gospel on their own and here they were.
Since they had already started, I just walked in, sat down, and listened to the study they were doing. They were reading from Luke 8-- the woman who bleed for 12 years. They were talking about her faith, that she reached out and touched Jesus. One of the woman pointed out something I often forget. With faith, we have to have patience. It's easy for us to assume that because we believe in Christ that our sufferings, our problems are completely resolved. But that's absolutely wrong. For some of us, we will suffer for 12 years before any resolution, but if we believe God is who he says he is, then we have to believe in his timing as well.
That was exactly what I needed to hear and be reminded of. We have to trust in God and in his timing.
Now that I've been back in Haiti for a few weeks, it's been so great to get back into ministry. We've started Bible study again. The girls picked the book of Hebrews so join us in praying that God would use this time for his glory and that he would be made known through it. It's been great seeing the ways God's at work but that he would continue and that the girls' hearts would be open to it. Also join in praying as I start discipleship with the girls at the orphanage, that time would be intentional and that we would be seeking Christ together.
partly because I had been sick, partly because I honestly didn't know what to say.
So much has been happening, but it's hard to put into words. So many emotions, but inadequate ways to express them.
This spring I grew frustrated with God. Things were going incredibly well. I was frustrated when I went three weeks unable to go to Bible study at the brothel. I was discouraged. Instead of using that time to seek God, I allowed myself to get upset with him.
After a few weeks, I was finally able to start Bible study again. We were journeying through the gospel of John, learning more about Jesus, the life he led, and what it meant for us. I decided to combine several weeks studies into one to make up for lost time. When I got to the brothel that Wednesday, I was surprised to see the girls already doing Bible study. They had decided that even if I couldn't make it, they would continue reading. My heart was so full. This is what it's all about. I had prayed they'd come to long to know Christ for themselves, that they'd desire to read the gospel on their own and here they were.
Since they had already started, I just walked in, sat down, and listened to the study they were doing. They were reading from Luke 8-- the woman who bleed for 12 years. They were talking about her faith, that she reached out and touched Jesus. One of the woman pointed out something I often forget. With faith, we have to have patience. It's easy for us to assume that because we believe in Christ that our sufferings, our problems are completely resolved. But that's absolutely wrong. For some of us, we will suffer for 12 years before any resolution, but if we believe God is who he says he is, then we have to believe in his timing as well.
That was exactly what I needed to hear and be reminded of. We have to trust in God and in his timing.
Now that I've been back in Haiti for a few weeks, it's been so great to get back into ministry. We've started Bible study again. The girls picked the book of Hebrews so join us in praying that God would use this time for his glory and that he would be made known through it. It's been great seeing the ways God's at work but that he would continue and that the girls' hearts would be open to it. Also join in praying as I start discipleship with the girls at the orphanage, that time would be intentional and that we would be seeking Christ together.
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