People keep asking me if I ever get overwhelmed with all that there is to do here. So many patients, so few nurses. So many problems, so few solutions. So much brokenness, so little healing.
Most of the time my answer is no, actually, I'm not overwhelmed. My struggle is to fight against being underwhelmed. From leaning attitudinally towards apathy. To give into the lie that things will never change.
Change doesn't happen overnight. Solutions do not magically appear. Illness doesn't melt away into the night. Compassion fatigue sets in and it's easy to want to just give up and go back to the ignorantly-blissful albeit slightly-mediocre life I had before. "What difference does do I make anyhow? We clearly aren't making any progress so why not just give up and move on?"
We are promised that when we work God's way that we will never grow weary. Fine, I have found that to be true. I miraculously have enough physical strength to make it through each day. But the Bible also says that when you stop placing your DAILY trust in God, you lose heart-strength. You lose vision. You lose confidence. You lose sight of what really matters.
The Bible tells us that He uses the weak to shame the strong.
Well then, I am here to tell you that at Living Hope, we are in the perfect position and are the perfect organization to start shaming the strong.
Because we have all the heart and vision and passion and commitment in the world, but we seriously lack the resources to accomplish what God has asked of us.
Sometimes I look around the conference room table, and think that there is no way that an organization this small with this few resources is going to be able to change the world.
"This God? This team? These people? This is the "dream team" you picked to work at your organization and save your people? Surely not." There are so few of us. And we are all from different cultures, educational backgrounds, economic backgrounds and we are all flawed sinning individuals who in fact do fall short of the goal on an hourly basis.
And truth be told, I'm actually right about us. We aren't going to be able to accomplish anything we set out to do... apart from God. It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.
It turns out the same plan to change the world that applied 2,000 years ago applies today. Jesus chose just twelve people to carry out His master plan. Twelve unlikely, unqualified, unpaid, culturally diverse, weak, sinful and sometimes unbelieving disciples.
That IS His big plan. You. Me. We are the plan. There is no plan B.
Seems to have worked out okay the 1st time around with 2 billion followers, so perhaps I should get on board with the way He works.
Hebrews chapter 12 lists all of the people that were considered old testament heroes of the faith. And you know what? In the introduction to the list, it tells us that NONE of these heroes of the faith saw those promises fulfilled before they died. Yet they believed and it was credited to them as faith.
So I'm holding on to the hope WHICH DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. And I'm choosing to put my daily confidence in God's plan.
Hold on. Hold out. Hold fast.
The Bible tells us that He uses the weak to shame the strong.
Well then, I am here to tell you that at Living Hope, we are in the perfect position and are the perfect organization to start shaming the strong.
Because we have all the heart and vision and passion and commitment in the world, but we seriously lack the resources to accomplish what God has asked of us.
Sometimes I look around the conference room table, and think that there is no way that an organization this small with this few resources is going to be able to change the world.
"This God? This team? These people? This is the "dream team" you picked to work at your organization and save your people? Surely not." There are so few of us. And we are all from different cultures, educational backgrounds, economic backgrounds and we are all flawed sinning individuals who in fact do fall short of the goal on an hourly basis.
And truth be told, I'm actually right about us. We aren't going to be able to accomplish anything we set out to do... apart from God. It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.
It turns out the same plan to change the world that applied 2,000 years ago applies today. Jesus chose just twelve people to carry out His master plan. Twelve unlikely, unqualified, unpaid, culturally diverse, weak, sinful and sometimes unbelieving disciples.
That IS His big plan. You. Me. We are the plan. There is no plan B.
Seems to have worked out okay the 1st time around with 2 billion followers, so perhaps I should get on board with the way He works.
Hebrews chapter 12 lists all of the people that were considered old testament heroes of the faith. And you know what? In the introduction to the list, it tells us that NONE of these heroes of the faith saw those promises fulfilled before they died. Yet they believed and it was credited to them as faith.
So I'm holding on to the hope WHICH DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. And I'm choosing to put my daily confidence in God's plan.
Hold on. Hold out. Hold fast.
Love your transparency.