Prayer, Love, Success, and a Chinese Woman

Okay, so after reading Lydia's last wonderful and thoughtful post I thought it was about time I also put some more serious thoughts down.

The other morning I was reading my daily Oswald dose and I found this morning's to be
really good.

He was talking about prayer and how prayer is not prep for the work but is the work. We know this in our heads but rarely do we live it out. Here is a little part of the devotion: "Never allow the thought-"I am of no use where I am;" because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray....". This is good to remember that we are not wasting our time no matter if we are preaching to thousands like Billy Graham or taking care of a stinky toddler if we are also engaging in prayer.

The next two days were also been wonderful as well. One was titled "The Key to Missionary Devotion" and the verse was for "for his namesake they went forth." He also quoted what Jesus said to Peter, "Thou lovest me?" "Feed my sheep." It's so cool because here we see that Jesus didn't ask Peter "Do you love everyone else?" and then command him to feed his sheep but he ask if he love him. that's what we need to be focused on Jesus. Our love for Jesus will cause us to love other people.

Love is something that I've realized the bible holds in high importance. I've prayed that I'd love others the way the Lord loves them. Now however, I see that the way I accomplish this besides praying is that I fall more deeply in love with Jesus.

The third devotion was partly about not being too busy doing good things to spend time alone with God. "......in which endless energies and activities are insisted upon, but no privet life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing." One thing that God has shown me and is teaching me is that this missions trip being successful isn't based on how much I do or how important the things are but on doing what God wants.

I've been taking advantage of the Fongs many books and one of the ones that I finished was about a Chinese lady. Reading about her life she really didn't have what you would call a very successful life. Yes, she did do some wonderful things but for the last 20 plus year of her life she was living in an apt. and cleaning an alley as forced labor under the communist government. She was also sick much of her life and had the government take away the orphanage that she started never to get it back again. Yet her life wouldn't have been more honoring to God because she committed her life to him and seeking and obeying him. It didn't matter so much what she did as long as she was in her Lord's will.

Okay, so that was a little random but what's new:)? I'm so glad that God had me bring My Utmost for His Highest on this trip! It's been a big blessing on this trip and it's addressed what I've been going through or God's been showing me at the time.