It is so easy to forget WHOSE we are. I often told my kids as teenagers, as they were headed out the door, Remember who you belong to. I didnt mean me nor their dadnor the ministry. They ultimately will stand before God. We all get that. Its the in between times when we can forget. Jesus said, In this world you WILL (emphasis mine, but I like to think thats the way He said it to His disciplies!) have troubles. Wow! As our Heavenly Father, couldnt He have sugar-coated the truth a bit? Couldnt He have said,IF instead of will?So its a given Im going to deal with junk in my life! If you read on, youll see that this is leading up to Jesus arrest, crucifixion, and resurrectionthe Easter story. He knew what was coming. He knew His reality and there would be no sugar-coating. Its the sentence AFTER the dreaded statement that gives us hope. But take heart because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Take heart: An idiom for: to be encouraged, confident, hopeful, brave! I love the fact that I serve a God that makes me brave! And I love that I have the opportunity to share the joy of raising a generation in Bangladesh to serve God and be brave. Yes, things happen. But yes, I have a God who cares and helps me be brave. Im with Him!
-Sharon