a WEAK from tomorrow

As the departure time rapidly approaches I am reminded by recent events of the great heartache that is ever present in the lives of people right here in my home town. I cannot bear the weight of their brokenness and heartache any more than I can bear my own for I also am broken, I am WEAK. The realization of the brokenness in the world we live in does not come as a surprise to me. We as humans have known famine, drought, pestilence, murder, death, illness, suicide, infidelity, broken-homes, genocide, and other hardships for thousands of years. No the state of the world we live in comes as no surprise to me, a world without God could come to no other end. The one thing that does astonish me is the individual who is so overwhelmed by his/her own problems that the compassion he/she had for others has been forgotten.

I am leaving for Ethiopia in a little over a week and my heart breaks for the pain that is present here at home. There is such a great need for compassionate people who are willing to not ignore those who are crying out for help and who are willing to pursue those who just want to be ignored. I cannot confine God to the box who's metric is comfort and stability. Life is too short to not live. All will see the face of death this is a fact that cannot be argued. Longevity can be extended in a society that worships safety and health, but in the end death will prevail. I could never live my life by a list of dos and donts that would ensure my health but in turn confine me. The pursuit of longevity leads to unhealthy phobias of germs, spiders, and intercontinental travel. Not all fear leads to confinement, fear can also set one free. I fear God. But I do not fear Him as my prosecutor, I fear Him as I stand in awe of the creation before me, I fear Him as I come to know His power, I fear Him as he transforms my life, I want to live a life in fear of a merciful God, I do not want to live a life in fear of where He might lead me.