Julianne Heilman is one of our friends from the young adults fellowship who’s serving the Lord in another country. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s her latest blog post:
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry” – Exodus 22:21-23
The Lord is teaching me through Genesis and now Exodus over this past 2 months. These verses are so encouraging to me. The Bible is becoming my life in ways that it never was before I came to Uganda. I am a sojourner. And the purpose of this path of my journey is to assist in visiting the widows and orphans in their oppression. And God has made special provision for those three groups of people: the sojourner, the widow, and the fatherless. He has His eyes fixed on me and is a good protecting Father.
It is especially good to know that He is the Father to the fatherless and the husband of the widow. Because here in Entebbe, let alone all of Africa, there are too many fatherless children for me to comprehend. Someone once described them as ants. If you can picture an anthill with ants pouring all over it, that is a relatively accurate picture of last Saturday’s Kids Club Christmas party. I often feel overwhelmed because I am limited in how I can help them. I want them all to have a safe home with healthy food. I want them all to be loved and cherished. But my resources are limited, my heart is limited. It is hard not to shut down sometimes, when I see the great need. I am tempted to not let my heart care for anyone, because I am powerless against such a great tide of poverty and evil.
But God. He is not overwhelmed by the children. He is not limited in resources. He is not limited in strength. He is not limited in wisdom or provision. His love is great enough to reach each child. His power is strong enough to break the forces of the enemy and work miracles of salvation. Salvation from hunger, from loneliness, from abuse, from fear. He is able. This is His work, and He has only asked me to come and be His willing vessel. I must only do what He directs me to do. I am just one vessel working with more of His vessels.
I know that He is pleased when I hold that one child and let them fall asleep in my lap because they feel safety and love. I know that He is pleased when I give one child a warm hug. Jesus receives these as if they are done to Himself. He is pleased when I serve the one. And as I continue to serve individuals, it does not make much of a difference in this great world. But it does make a great difference in their little world.
Please pray for me as I enter into more specific responsibilities. Pray that I will have wisdom and discernment to complete my work. Pray that I will have God’s heart for the people that I am serving. I want to be a vessel of love to everyone that I can be.
He’s got the whole world in His hands. From the itty bitty babies to the mommas and the papas to the sun, moon, and stars. And He knows my hands are small.