This is my one day delayed post for my monthly input for the
Christian Writer's blog chain. Every month we start a new topic and each of our
writer's do their take on the same topic. Our topic this month is
"celebrate." Today being July 4th is an easy day to find something to
celebrate - the founding of our nation. But in today's world of instant
gratification, how often do people stop and think what real sacrifices were
made by our early patriots? Unlike the protestors of today who are armed with
smart phones, professionally produced signs and matching t-shirts who complain
about not getting enough government freebies, our forefathers had real
grievances. But they weren't acting up for the press; they were willing to
stake their life on their beliefs.
I wonder today how many people are willing to die for their
beliefs and what they hold dear? Our military certainly believe that there are
beliefs worth dying for. Many people are rabid sports fans and won't miss a
game and proudly display their team’s colors; but are their favorite athletes
worthy of hero worship?
Yet there are many people who are willing to put their life
on the line daily - they are missionaries. These people are willing to leave
their comfortable lives at home and go to help others around the world.
They are willing to go without the things we think we can't do without. Here
are some notes from family members who are missionaries...
Health here: Malaria,
Measles...and now Cholera. The peds ward is overflowing with sick children.
Pray for perseverance for the doctors and the local staff. Pray for the
government payments to come through in a timely fashion. Pray for these
vulnerable children to live.
The Road: In the
coming weeks, construction workers will dig up our water pipes and relocate
them, even if they "find" the pipes damaged. The town has outgrown
the current water system. The local government does not have a good plan in
place. Pray for the water engineer as he works alongside the local leaders, for
the community as it will be without good water (including us!), and for the
local government to step up and provide what is needed for the community to
receive water.
Here we complain when we have to wait on line for a latte or
when a TV show is cancelled. We think it’s our right to have the latest
technology and think it’s a hardship when we don’t. We complain when our
internet speed isn’t fast enough. Yet others around the world would think we
were living like kings.
So today I want to celebrate the real heroes in our world –
those who serve selflessly in our military so that others may have freedom. And
those who serve others so that they might have the freedom of a relationship
with Christ that surpasses mere human understanding.
I invite you to follow along with the posts from the other bloggers on this chain as they post their thoughts on celebrating by clicking on the links to the right of this post.
Chris, this was worth the one day delay! :) You are so right. Our perspective as Americans can be so skewed. We can be so selfish and impatient and unkind. So self-centered and focused. Two of my kids are in Guatemala right now serving on a short-term team loving on the Treasures whose families subsist by scavenging through the Guatemala city dump. This is my son's fifth time there, his sixth mission trip; my daughter's first time in Guatemala, her second Send team.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have family serving as missionaries, but good friends on the field, whom we love like family, and I am constantly awed and humbled by the simple things they need that we take completely for granted.
May God continue to raise up His children to be His Hands and Feet throughout His world to accomplish His mission all to His great glory, and may we never stop praying for those who GO.
Blessings to you!
Great post. We are so wonderfully blessed and so-o-o ungrateful. The Founding Fathers saw the United States as the new Israel. Perhaps they were closer to the mark than people think. Read 1 & 2 Kings and see how much we resemble the Israel of old. Have a wonderful holiday...Peace and Blessings.
ReplyDeletewell worth the wait
ReplyDeletebiiiiig hug
Thanks Chris - great reminders of how God has blessed us in this country, and also that we as Christians have much to be thankful for, and much to do.
ReplyDeleteTwo groups of people who are definitely worth celebrating. The armed forces of our countries perform a very dangerous job. It's more than just a career, its an act of service.
ReplyDeleteMissionaries tend to get a bad name in the secular world, and we in the church don't honour them nearly as often as we should.
thanks for your post Chris.
We take so much for granted. I remember that whenever I fill up a glass of "filtered" water from my fridge. Not only is it healthy and clean, but it's filtered to taste good and it's cold. And I can have as much as I want.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great reminder to pray for the rest of the world and the Christians who are being the hands and feet of God that some of us can't be.
Wonderful post, Christine. Thanks for reminding me of the true heroes we must honor and pray for. My prayers are with our miltary men and women and our missionaries, brave ones all. God bless.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I know people from both groups (vets and missionaries) and the lack of respect they sometimes get nowadays is astonishing. They are also some of the most courageous people I know.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to become so comfortable in our own lives but its a good time to remember that there are still those in the worl d willing to lay it down for 'the cause' of christ
ReplyDeleteChristine,
ReplyDeleteMissionaries are heroes, they just won't get the thanks they deserve in this life.
Thanks for this humbling reminder of what is important in this life, Chris. I've lived in a place where where even the biggest stores had a much more limited product selection than, say, Walmart; where a heavy rain would wash out roads and force water rationing because the systems were clogged with mud; where a mudslide made the country's largest airport inaccessible by road and gave the leader an opportunity to declare a state of emergency, cancel the term limits on his office, and become a dictator instead of a president. And that was in a city much larger than any place I've lived in the US!
ReplyDeleteWe are so blessed to live where and when we do. We need to remember that, and to pray for those who protect and defend our freedoms, those who serve others in foreign lands in the name of Christ, and those who are not blessed to live in such relative comfort and safety.
Awesome to include the missionaries. I've always said that precious ones around the world have no shoes and we complain when our new ones pinch our feet! Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteHi Chris, I love this post! The world has most things upside-down. They call spoiled rich people "celebrities" because of their talent or their looks. (God gave them those, by the way.) I agree with you! Soldiers and Missionaries are true celebrities. They use what God has given them to serve others. The world's celebrities just serve themselves. (I apologize for being so late to read your blog and to comment. Life has been "full-speed ahead" for me lately combined with health struggles.)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Chris. They are so often forgotten about. Years ago, a missionary from our church spoke about having to eat monkey eyeballs. It would have upset the people greatly if he would have refused their delicacy. (Sorry I'm late in posting this month.)
ReplyDelete