Good News Sense

In a sense, life is all about paradise.  I think each person has a built in desire for the perfect life, although not everyone has the same idea of what that would be like.  Many Muslims, and not necessarily the best examples, perceive paradise as a place of sexual delights; there is no other reason for all those anticipated virgins.  Far to many in Western culture are trying to find that version of paradise here in this life.  Frankly, despite the sexual component of human personality, those versions of paradise are as unappealing as a vision of perpetual eating.  A perfect life ought to be more that mere sating of physical appetites.

From Utopians to socialist governments, many seem to think that paradise comes from everyone having exactly the same things, from making sure nobody lacks anything.  Unfortunately, the idea seems usually to come at the expense of labor.  If people lack for nothing, then people seem to stop working.  At the same time, to assure that people lack for nothing, governments take from those who do work hard to provide for those who cannot…or do not!

Often the artist’s conception of paradise is similar, as haloed, winged inhabitants sit on clouds, playing harps.  Vacations and retirement seem to dwell in the same paradise; leisure time for many, then, becomes idle time.  Modern entertainment also seems to inhabit a place where passivity and inactivity dominate.  Are these the things humans truly desire?

According to the Genesis account, God made Adam to work; he had a purpose that came from a God-given assignment:  “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”  This suggests that purpose and a need for useful work are inherent to human nature, as God designed it.  If this is true, then paradise, whether present or future, must satisfy this need.

Paradise is not a place to indulge every evil thought; indeed, those evil impulses will be gone.  As John writes, “(T)he cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”  Paradise, or heaven, is not just a place of eternal bliss, whatever that is.  John continues, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Suffering will end, which will be delightful.  We will dwell in perfect fellowship with God, which will be indescribable.

As amazing as these conditions will be, there is more.  Paradise will be more than a return to Eden, but it will include Eden’s mandate of both fruitfulness and satisfying work.  God made us in his own creative image to create, to cultivate, to produce, and to accomplish things, and paradise will be a place for satisfying these longings inherent to human nature.  This is the yearning every person feels, not merely to fulfill physical desires, but to satisfy creative impulses.  This view of paradise is useful in this life and far more appealing in the next.

Perhaps Not Happy, But Joyful

In many hearts, the burdens weigh the soul down in despair;

No glad refrain, no happy words will take their pain away.

Except the very love of God has come that weight to bear;

X-static voices sing their joy to Babe on bed of hay.

Problems steal vitality, leave emptiness inside;

Routine becomes passivity and listless, lifeless mind,

Enduring not enjoying life, hearts hopeless do abide.

Suddenly, our Deliv’rer comes, a King of humble kind.

Savior of the world is he, this tiny infant King

Incarnate God, true human man, he knows our frailty,

Brokenness, and suffering; his death will healing bring,

Life, abundant life, and more, true joy eternally.

Each of us must walk this earth, endure it for a time;

Joyfulness and liberty will lighten heavy loads.

O‘er shepherds’ fields the angels sang of coming peace sublime;

You, too, in hope may sing with joy of coming blessed abodes.

No doubt, people going through hard times will not easily embrace the festive spirit that is common around Christmas time. Grief, loneliness, critical illness, and financial troubles, to name a few, can easily take the fun out of Christmas, and often current circumstances cannot possibly measure up to Christmas memories from happier times.

Such are the failings of the popular Christmas traditions, for they are based on earthly hopes—happy families, prosperous lives, and generous, loving relationships. All of these represent a Christian vision of a life blessed by Christ, as long as one ignores the counter-balancing awareness that “In this world you will have troubles.”

The true joy of Christmas is not what the best of that this fallen world offers to lost, guilty sinners. The authentic promise of Christmas lies in deliverance from this world and from the justice due sinners; it comes in the birth of Jesus, the one who will save his people from their sins. The genuine hope of Christmas is peace available through his grace, not some idealistic dream of a peaceful earth where sinners still rule.

This joy, hope, and peace can lift the heart of the most burdened soul, heal the brokenhearted, rescue the guilty from sin, and draw the eyes away from this world’s sorrow to the future’s unending joy.

It’s Christmas! Should I Be Happy?

Ordinary shepherds watched their flocks on Judah’s hill;

Hard-working men with mouths to feed, they toiled like you and me.

With struggles, doubts, and fears they lived, with little hope until…

Hark! The herald angels came with peace to set them free.

Every little girl, it seems, dreams to have a child;

“Round, yon virgin,” voices sing, so sweet, but was it so?

Every girl who bears a babe is often seen defiled;

In Mary’s anguish, Jesus came, our joy amidst her woe.

Solemn Joseph, pregnant wife, and child not his—what pain!

Mary’s shame, his burden too, no angel’s words forestall,

Yes, he heard the bitter words, yet faithful did remain;

Jesus, child of God he was, the one to save us all.

Our hurts are theirs; no plastic saints, all humans wonder why;

Yet grace through trials conquers all, and Christmas joys supply.

Is Christmas really about childish glee and sappy sentimentalism? Harsh words, I know, and they don’t reflect my true feelings because I really don’t mind such things. I do oppose them becoming the primary spirit of Christmas. For all their emphasis in our present day, feelings do not hold us up when things are tough, and life is often difficult for most of us—lost jobs, desperately sick loved ones, broken hearts, and shattered dreams! Colorful lights and beautiful music don’t make grief, sadness, or despair go away. By all means, enjoy the sweet moments, for the bitter do come.

So what is all this business of “Joy?” Jesus coming in the incarnation was an awesome event, but it was a costly miracle for Mary and Joseph. Our easy acceptance of the virgin birth doesn’t remove the stigma of illegitimacy for them. Did the lives of the shepherds suddenly become lives of comfort and ease after the angels’ visit and a visit to the stable? Their hearts may have been lifted by the knowledge of the Savior’s birth, but their struggles remained the next morning. As remarkable as the accounts make them seem to us—the purposes of God notwithstanding—our lives are no different than theirs.

God used them to fulfill his plan and change the world, but God uses us in much the same way if we, like they, are willing to accept his direction. Where’s the joy? Joy comes to us in serving him through the difficulties of life. Joy comes to others through the fruit that our lives produce, even as we struggle and suffer. Through us and our pain, the Lord comes, again and again. Joy to the world! The Lord has come.

As someone who has lived through numerous Christmases, I ponder every year two different things. One is how to make the celebration appropriately meaningful, and the other is to wonder at how the increasingly hostile world will try to steal and secularize our holy day. I don’t know which side of the issue concerns me more

One the Christian side, we have an opportunity to reverently reflect on the miracle of the invisible God becoming a flesh and blood man, not just in appearance, but in his very essence. We call this miracle incarnation, yet this amazing occurrence defied expectations. The most remarkable birth occurred in a barn, a cave used for the sheltering of animals. Coming from a farm family, I have seen smelly, messy barns and clean, rather pleasant ones. We don’t know which kind this may have been, but it certainly wasn’t a sterile hospital atmosphere. God had planned and predicted this incredible event, starting with the distressing failure of the first humans in Eden, and even before, and its theological meaning has been the subject of many profound discussions.

On the other side, we see a progressive—and not in a good way—effort to turn Christmas into a empty, largely meaningless party, bereft of any holiness whatever. Oh, many attempt to find new meanings—generosity, family, kindness—but none possess the life-changing quality of the true, original purpose. Not just the word “Christmas” but even “Santa Claus” (a distortion, over the years, of Saint Nicholas) are too “religious” to be spoken, though schools freely teach about witches and Ramadan. School’s have “holiday parties” and communities erect “holiday trees.” Stores have taken to avoiding the words “Merry Christmas,” because they supposedly offend a few hostile unbelievers. Admittedly, other religions have their own holy days, but none of them have been appropriated and emptied of meaning like Christmas, nor do most of their adherents object to Christmas. My own sense is that the enemy seeks to prevent people from hearing the awesome, true story of Jesus’ birth and its ultimate purpose, the salvation of sinners, because they are true.

This latter assault understandably upsets many of us Christians. In recent years, however, I have begun to realize that the strategy is destined for failure. Perhaps the greatest party seen on the planet is one associated inseparably, despite every effort, with Jesus Christ. The word “Christmas”, regardless of its origins, will not go away. I noted, just a few days ago, that some stores like Walmart are going back to saying “Merry Christmas,” because the alternative offended far more people. Can Jesus mind that this day commemorating his birth, even though no one actually knows his birth date, has become a day for giving gifts, being generous, helping the needy, and generating positive feelings? Somehow, I doubt it. Let the schools stop singing sacred carols, some of the most beautiful music ever written; others will sing them, play them, and enjoy them, thanks to all the recordings, broadcasts, church programs, and Internet sources where they can be heard.

What about us? What should we believers do? In the end, I think our positive Christmas spirit of love and worship are far more important and influential than negative protests, and I have written a few of them myself. If, as I believe, we worship the true and the living God come to earth as a man and whose final purpose was to die for sinners, then our sincere adherence to these truths will have more impact than any protest. As citizens, we have every right to work to achieve what we believe is right under our U.S. Constitution, to support candidates who agree with us, and vote with our dollars both in politics and commerce, as long as we always do them in a Christ-like manner. We are also free to worship and serve our God as we choose, as guaranteed by that same Constitution. Should the interpretation or neglect of that ultimate law be ignored, we also have the obligation never to cease to do what our first allegiance demands, even to our death as martyrs, should such an occasion require. Even then, our manner should bring honor to the Savior who birth we celebrate, every year at this season.

Above all, do not be discouraged.  In this, as in all things in God’s economy, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Why do we pray? Many of us pray when there are tragedies, serious illness, sometimes pending death, and other matters beyond our direct ability to fix. Do we pray in hope or hopelessness? Is prayer our way of asking for help when we are forced to admit we cannot do anything? How often is our prayer nothing more than a glorified wish?  Or motivated by desperation when all else has failed?

Given that God is our heavenly Daddy, I cannot quarrel with such prayers; they are typical of children who frequently ask their parents for the things they want. How often, I wonder, is our praying just Christians going through the motions? How many of us have such fear of God that we expect only bad things, as if he were an abusive parent tormenting his children? Do others of us pray without much genuine expectation because we see ourselves as unworthy, bad children who will only get coal in their stockings?

I sat in a Biggby’s coffee shop and settled into a feeling of hopelessness because my laptop was quickly becoming unusable, shortly after booting up. I was sure it was dying. Although finances are slowly improving, I couldn’t afford to replace it or maybe even repair it, right now. Was it some weird virus, or was something basic beginning to fail? Can I pray for God to “heal” a computer? I didn’t. I did finally uninstall the updated antivirus program; and, not only did the problems go away, but the laptop began to run better than it had in months. Apparently, the earlier version was interfering with the operating system, too.

It struck me that I often fail to pray, even as the thought comes to mind, because I’ve already decided it “won’t work.” Is it strange to pray for a laptop? Maybe it’s better to pray for oneself in trying to guess what’s wrong with it, but certainly praying is always appropriate. The car is getting old. Will it last another winter? If not, what will happen? Do I pray for another car? Do I pray for this car to last? Does God care about my need for transportation? My laptop? Maybe it’s my problem, not his. If it’s my responsibility, then why pray?

Was life easier when people only needed to pray for obvious necessities—food, protection, shelter, healing? We have so many things that we feel we need, but we won’t die without them. Yet, we work for those things, and our work requires cars and laptops and capital investments. We should pray for one, even as we pray for the other. God may say no at any stage, for reasons he holds in his wisdom; but he never says no because he doesn’t care. He never says no because we aren’t good enough; his love and grace always motivate his response, along with his wisdom.

James says, “You have not because you don’t ask. You ask and don’t receive because you seek to satisfy your lust.” Jesus promised so plainly, “Ask and it will be given…seek and you will find.” I am so grateful that God understands my reluctance and graciously responds to my need, even when I don’t ask, often because I doubt my worthiness. I wish I could be more “childlike” and just bug my heavenly father with every innocent thing I might wish. Somehow, I suspect that kind of praying would please Him, even more than our frantic, desperate requests for intervention when things go bad.

Remember that glass with exactly half of the amount it would hold? Depending on temperament, a person might say either half full or half empty; one sees what he has, but another sees what is lacking. It would be interesting to survey people living in a more prosperous society with glasses at maybe one third, one half, and three fourths, and then compare the results to a comparatively poor society. I have a hunch that the poorer might be more grateful for the little they have, while the richer more unhappy even though they have quite a bit.

Paul warns in Romans 1 that being ungrateful leads to losing what you do have. That is not really hard to comprehend. If I help someone out and they show no appreciation, I think maybe I won’t do it again for that person. Now that is a very human reaction, but God isn’t human, even though he made us in his image. He most likely has the same reaction, but his purposes are beyond that; he always works for our benefit.

When people are blessed with plenty, they tend to grow presumptuous, thinking that prosperity is their natural state, their right. Two situations demonstrate this problem. The United States has enjoyed the greatest prosperity in the world for half a century, and many have become accustomed to its wealthy lifestyle compared to many other places. The houses are often large, the closets are full of clothing, the children have many toys, and teens to grandmas have computers, cell phones, electronic games and conveniences, multiple televisions, and many cars. Many glasses are nearly full, and yet losing a few drops is cause for sadness and complaining.

Even the poor are rich here, despite much that we hear. Few homes lack televisions or air conditioners, and again there is presumption. The generous welfare benefits, medical care for the poor, disabled, and elderly, special help for poor children, food stamps, and the like, often overlapping, have created a sense of entitlement such that many stop taking responsibility for their own support, even if they are fully capable of working. Some once regarded “charity” as something shameful and humiliating to receive, because it was clearly private citizens helping other private citizens. The reluctant recipients were deeply motivated to work hard so as not to need charity…a very different attitude than that often in response to welfare.

God knows that ungrateful people become complacent and smug, ignoring the source of their blessings and to whom it all ultimately belongs. They tend to regard what they have as their own property, not God’s held in stewardship. Those who claim to be children of God who take God’s generosity for granted become poor examples of the virtues of Christ. God is surely offended, as any of us would be, but he also recognizes that ungrateful people are immature and unfaithful, at a cost to themselves and to those around them. Ultimately, salvation itself the most precious gift from God, and one my seriously question whether a person can have received this priceless gift and, at the same time, be ungrateful.

The scope of gratitude exceeds prosperity. We may lapse into complacency when things are good, but being thankful is for bad times, too. “In everything give thanks.” In times of economic reversal, give thanks. When we are sick or grieving, give thanks. When our country or community suffers from poor leadership, give thanks. When our plans fail, give thanks. For better for worse, in sickness and in health, in poverty or wealth, good times or bad, give thanks. Regardless of the prevailing tone of our times, despite the fear and the anger, no matter who seems to be in charge or what they do, give thanks.

I’ll be the first to admit that I often fail at this; I forget to be thankful. Though nearly every formal prayer begins with “thank you,” I can be a “glass half empty” kind of guy. It doesn’t usually show unless you happen to know me well and are close; my public face is generally cheerful, and my manner to most is upbeat. I am an optimist about most everything, fully confident in God’s grace and provision with one exception, my own personal life, in the private realm most don’t see; there I’m a pessimist, and there I neglect gratitude all too easily. I’m not “preaching” from some lofty perch of super-spirituality.

Bottom line, if for no other reason—although there are many other reasons—give thanks knowing that in an eternal perspective, knowing what God has done and what he has promised, beyond any half empty or nearly empty glass here on earth, our prospects are excellent, the losses we experience are momentary, and the blessings awaiting us will fill that glass to overflowing forever.

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”—I Thessalonians 5:15

This world is filled with incompetence and injustice; some people fail to do their work well, and some people freely mistreat others through bias and favoritism. Those who have authority misuse it and mistreat those under their power. Those who have important responsibilities carry them out carelessly and ineptly. The unbelieving world often fails to value excellence in favor of other values, but Christians are, far too often, equally guilty of unacceptable behavior.

What should people do who suffer difficulty and loss from the sins and shortcomings of others? How should we handle stupidity and unfairness? Should Christians, who recognize a call to honor God with our best, confront or refuse to accept those who clearly give less? Does love require we accept shoddy or shameful work? Is “righteous indignation” an appropriate response to underachievers or to abusive tyrants? Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t handle such situations very well. With little wise reflection, we get angry and react harshly. When we do, we rarely solve problems; at the same time, we demonstrate a lack of the very love that our Lord desires we display.

For the benefit of those less spiritually mature, let’s talk about effectiveness first. Lashing out at someone rarely produces a good result. If the offending person or group is functioning poorly, then criticism is likely to produce anger, defensiveness, or both. Just think of how you respond to being attacked, criticized, or humiliated. Is the more common response agreement? “Oh, I see. You’re right. I’m doing an awful job.” No, the typical reaction is self-protection and retaliation.

In the case of mean, evil, and oppressive people–if such a classification is more than a rarity, the likely reaction to disrespect or anger is even greater harshness. Most of us understand this better than we care to admit, for we are all guilty of unkindness, which is why an unkind response comes so easily to us. Ego and hatred lie within most of us, if we are honest enough to acknowledge them.

However, for Christians, the measure of our response is whether it is Christ-like. Certainly, he could lash out in righteous anger, usually against those called to lead God’s people who abused their position. Plainly, though, he calls us to love.  This is more than “being nice.”  In my experience, “nice” people too often cover their meanness and spite with a thin veneer of false pleasantness.  Once a person’s back is turned, the nastiness spews forth.  That is clearly not love!

Love seeks the good of their other person, despite what they may have done or failed to do.  If the poorly performing person is an unbeliever, our love may be the key to their redemption, perhaps followed by improved performance.  If the person who disappoints or harms us is a professing believer, our love may be an important bridge to healing they need.

Let’s be honest, though, and recognize that some will never be as good, effective, or pleasant as we want.  Even then, love is the appropriate response.  Jesus loved the children, and children cannot do very much yet.  Jesus loved the broken-hearted, the handicapped, and the most despised, like that tax-collector, whom he called as a disciple, or the other, in whose home he ate dinner.  I believe love is redemptive, but regardless we are to love, not just be nice, but love sincerely with the very love of Christ.  This isn’t warm and fuzzy but something real, as Paul wrote:  “Love is patient.  Love is kind.”

I heard someone suggest that this simple question is one of the most important. I’d like to ask it in relation to Peter’s record of God’s command, “Be holy because I am holy.” Of course, we must also ask what it means to “be holy,” However, I would also suggest that understanding why we would follow these words is as important as what we do; if we don’t have a clear reason to be holy, we will undoubtedly fail,…as many Christians do.

As Peter indicates, to be holy is to be like God, in some sense. Holiness is not piety or religiosity. True holiness contradicts the popular conceptions. Who would be more holy, Mother Theresa or Johann Sebastian Bach? Which is more likely to be holy, a wealthy businessman, a janitor, or a pastor? Is holiness a religious matter, a thing of church services and prayer? Or is it something else that perhaps includes those things?

Why does God desire for us to be holy? Is he egotistical, demanding us to admire him enough to copy him? Perhaps he knows that his holiness is a quality that will benefit us. Is holiness the same as Christ-likeness? Is being Christ-like any easier to understand than holiness? Surely, we imagine being like Christ as a matter of honor and respect more easily than the less personal word “holy.” Yet, our image of Christ is often distorted by ignorance and presumption. He defies our simple imaginings. It is ironic that we fashion our image of Christ with a distorted idea of holiness; instead we must find a truer understanding of holiness from an accurate knowledge of Christ.

Still, none of that really answers the question of why. Many would say obedience is the reason. We must be holy, or God will be angry with us. If disobedience has eternal consequences, then we must be holy for fear of hell. Does such a belief serve to encourage holiness? Is this what God wants? The answer to both questions is no. God does not want fear-driven behavior; he desires holiness that comes out of love. Indeed, “perfect love drives out fear,” and true holiness comes from love-inspired emulation of Christ.

So often well-meaning Christians attempt to produce holiness with rules: Do all these good things, avoid all these bad things, and you will be holy. Hard work, by this process, might produce holiness, except that this is legalism; it, in fact, honors the efforts of those who work hard, not God. Such works neither save nor maintain salvation; forgiveness through grace is what rescues us, and works produced by grace are the truly holy works. Here the motive is gratitude, a response closely related to love.

Jesus was an attractive person. He had the “words of life,” but more his “holiness” compelled people to believe when he spoke them. Many believers mishandle the same words, and so needy sinners don’t listen or accept them. Religious piety doesn’t attract people except for the few who find that manner appealing. Many men perceive Christianity as almost feminine, yet Jesus was most assuredly a man’s man…and a woman’s man as well.  “Holier than thou” is not an attractive quality; it is usually an insult.  The purpose of holiness is not to make some appear to be better than others, for “sinners saved by grace” have not basis on which to feel superior.

I will write again on this, but for now, I’d like to leave the question for you to ponder.  Why should we be holy?  Is there a value, purpose, or benefit to being holy?  In the light of you answers, what should holiness look like?  What will people see when they see Christ in us?

Do you find yourself pulled one way and then in nearly the opposite direction? When I was younger, I remember my first exposure to extreme political ideologies. Someone on campus would promote a basically Marxist position, which I found totally unattractive; but then I’d read a publication they’d given me, and I’d be so confused. At that stage of my life, I expected people to be honest, and the evident sincerity made what I read seem so reasonable. How could I not agree? If I didn’t accept the conclusions, then I felt twinges of guilt over the problems they described, most vividly, as if they were my fault.

If anything, proponents of various ideas have become even more effective at pulling the heartstrings, and the issues cover the gamut of life—home, community, work, school, society, and government. Perhaps this is one reason why so many people simply refuse to listen or read about controversial topics; they opt not to become confused by the many conflicting positions, all supported by touching, emotional stories and arguments.

I worked for nearly 15 years in a “pro-family” ministry. I remember noticing often how troubled many conscientious parents became, believing they had failed to follow all the wonderful family instruction that had become available. I realized that what we were teaching was often creating a deep sense of failure and guilt, rather than encouragement. In truth, no one could do all the things that the overabundance of family ministries was promoting. I also came to doubt that all the problems would necessarily be resolved through such teaching. In other words, the problems came from roots that “pro-family” ideas alone might not cure.

Consider a different question: should every church member become an overseas missionary? Of course not is the obvious answer, yet missionary speakers talk as if everyone should. Being fully committed to their calling, they feel that everyone else should as fully committed to it. Suppose we attend a series of meetings at a missionary conference, and different speakers urge us to hear the need in several different places. Should we try to get involved with all of them? While it might be good to pray for each of them, we must limit deeper involvement, of necessity, to only one if any.

On the other hand, Bob Pierce (founder of World Vision) has said, “Don’t fail to do something just because you can’t do everything.” How does that old proverb go: “For the lack of a nail, the shoe was lost; for lack of a shoe, the horse was lost; for lack of a horse, the soldier was lost, for lack of the soldier the battle was lost; in losing the battle, the war was lost…all for the lack of a nail?” A multitude of choices or the enormity of the task does not exonerate us in doing nothing! Parents may be overwhelmed by all they might do, but most of all they must first truly love their children; many failures come through self-centered parenting, pure selfishness, or unwillingness to sacrifice for their most precious gift and responsibility. The immensity of our world and the vast population of the lost and needy must not keep us from accepting whatever specific call God directs to each of us. Remember that important nail.

Earlier this year, I read Culture Making by Andy Crouch, and he persuasively argued that the task of a Christian is not to change the world, a message I have since heard remarkably often. Instead, we are to be the hand of God to influence the tiny piece of the world where he puts us, to be “salt” and “light” as he commanded. I think he’s right. Changing the world is God’s mission, not mine, one I share by doing my work as his work. My mission is to do what he tells me and all of us to do, what he specifically calls me to do, and what moment by moment he leads me to do. It’s all a question of balance.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

To be honest, when I pray, I tend to think in terms of faith like a mustard seed.  That verse is a great promise for when our faith is small and tentative.  However, Jesus also made this promise.  Together they offer an amazing opportunity to seek what we need from God, not as a “fairy godmother” or a genie in a bottle, fulfilling our every passing desire, but rather as a loving father hearing the needs of his children.

I have been praying for a school for immigrants because I tutor refugees who need more than most of the schools are willing or able to provide them.  I have been tutoring kids who’ve come to this country without any family, with their parents often dead or missing.  They’re placed in foster homes, and many of the foster parents are kind, loving people.  Otherwise, they have no one, although some have me.  When I started doing this, I was hooked; perhaps better to say, God put a burden on my heart for these kids, a very literal burden.

Besides my individual work, I have been helping foreign students at New Covenant Christian School, and slowly the number of my foreign students has been increasing.  Until this year, that is!  I learned a week or two ago that we’d have 7, and Saturday I got a phone call telling me we might have 6-8 more!  Suddenly, my one-on-one tutoring has grown into a program, one step away from a full-fledged school (within a school).

I’ve no doubt God has been working.  New Covenant has a heart for foreign students, too.  The senior pastor’s wife, herself a teacher, shares my desire for a school for these students, and she has been encouragin me since I first mentioned it.

For the last day, however, I have been pondering the matter of prayer.  I asked for this, but did I expect it?  Was I praying with faith, or was I merely throwing my words at God?  I’ve never doubted that He gave me this desire, this mission, and I’ve even remarked that I’m rather passed the age of new visions…or so I thought!  I can feel a little of Moses’ questioning: “Who am I to take this on?”  I don’t speak a single foreign language.  My degree are in physics and pastoral ministry.  I taught myself English as a Second Language.

Yet, I did ask.  I may have been a little cautious, but I asked.  I considered the impossibility, but I know God loves to do what appears impossible or what indeed is impossible for us mere mortals.  I was aware of how little preparation I have for this, but I asked anyway, because it’s a task that needs doing.  Huge numbers of people from many countries have come and are coming.  We can assimilate them, teach them English, show them our American heritage, and model our faith; or we can allow them to become a new lower class, doomed to do the dirty jobs “real Americans” won’t do.

So, I’m ready to pray and believe.  How much to do miss because we don’t pray in faith?  Are we so faithless that we can’t even pray with a mustard seed sized faith?  How much to we lack because we don’t pray at all?