Hello people,
You know how when people learn about the Holocaust they tend to say things like "If I were in Germany at the time I hope I would have done something or said something." They also tend to say things like "I guess I'll never know since it's over and all..." Well, I have decided that I will not wonder that about myself. When I was in Rwanda I would often think about what I would have done if I had been there during the genocide in 1994. I was thinking about that again tonight.
I just watched this movie called Yesterday about a woman from a village in South Africa who has HIV and her husband is dying of AIDS. It's a good movie and I would recommend it but it let something loose in me tonight. After it was done I walked out to the field here and sat down in a far corner.It is dark here right now so I was quite alone. I just started sobbing and crying; something I am not prone to do. I was brokenhearted over this issue of HIV/AIDS. It felt like I was grieving for everyone I know who has it and all those millions of unknowns. Maybe like the tiniest reflection of the way God feels about it. This is what God was showing me. I may not have been in Rwanda during the genocide but I am here in South Africa right now during the deaths of millions due to HIV/AIDS. I have been to multiple countries in Africa by now and met many people infected with HIV. So what will I do about that?
I don't have all the long-term answers to that right now but I guess I just wanted to share with you the things God uses to shape my heart. James 1:27 says "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble..." Please think about this because if you have not been taking care of orphans and widows you should be afraid. Seriously, look it up anywhere in the Bible; God is fiercely protective of them and He really warns about not looking after them. According to this verse in James looking after them doesn't mean sending them some money, or getting together at your church to talk about how you can help the world's poor, or even praying for them. These things are all great but it says GO to them and visit them in their trouble. There are widows and orphans (which the Bible defines as children who are fatherless) on the other side of the world or 5 minutes down the street from you no matter where you live and no matter what your income level you are able to visit them.
Anyway, I am off to Cape Town tomorrow on a class trip so I'll be going now. I love you all but I love God more:)
Isimbi Johanna
2 comments:
Oh my dear Isimbi Johanna,
More than ever now, since I believed God commissioned me to do this music project, I know He wants me to get it done before I go anywhere overseas.
I had erased Cosmic Orphans as one of the songs because I thought I had enough, but that was the only one just for orphans! So on Wed. the Lord had me pencil it back in and then gave me the first verse and chorus for it.
I am determined as I write and complete this project to indeed visit the orphans here where I live and then there where they live after it's done.
God is definitely giving you His heart and I'm so grateful He's giving it to me too! What an incredibly precious gift He gives us to share even a tiny bit of His grief and then shows us what to do with it.
I'm reading a novel by Tom Davis, author of Fields of the Fatherless. It's powerful!
I LOVE YOU! Mumma
Bug,
I am so glad you wrote this post. It is so easy to go through life saying "had I been there I would have done something" but that does not actually do anybody any good. What matters is what we can do where we are, and you are so right, there is always something we can do.
We just read that verse in cell this week and it really touched me. I know that some of my students are orphans and it challenges me to really take care of them. Thanks for the challenge bug!
LOVE you
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