No more starting over

And I find myself here on my knees again, caught up in grace like an avalanche.

Hillsong United, Avalanche

No more tears. No more crying because I keep making the same mistake. No more doubt and self-flagellation.

Or that's the idea, at least.

The trouble is that change is a painstakingly slow process. We tend to believe that the decision to do or be something is the most difficult step. I really don't think so. Maybe it is the first step, but it is not hardest. The hardest step is the one that comes right after you fall down. Again. And again.

No, friends, deciding something does not make it so, but I persist in thinking so. So when the conviction fades and the past rears up again, when I stumble and fall, I begin to wonder if I really decided to be different. Maybe my conviction wasn't strong enough. Maybe if I just really committed, this time I would get it right.

It is painful, even devastating to doubt the sincerity of your convictions. It makes you feel like you cannot trust anything. Nothing can be sure.

That's a lie. It's a lie that curses you to an eternity of "starting over." The truth is that even the most sincere convictions can be followed by mistakes and relapses. This does not mean the conviction was false, it means you are imperfect. Accept your imperfections (she said to herself). Love them because the empty spaces are what make room for grace.

I read something beautiful over at A Deeper Story today:

Do not be afraid when unforgiveness rears its ugly head, after you’ve “decided to forgive.”  

It does come back, it will come back. And it will come back as a little lie in your head that tells you that you didn’t really forgive, you don’t have to, you don’t want to, or you can’t. 

And when that lie comes, fight back with Jesus’ forgiveness and grace. We cannot fight lies on our own, for we are not authors of truth. We cannot fight unforgiveness on our own, for we are not bearers of undeserving gifts.

read more

Lies are fiery darts of the enemy. We don't fend against them by growing fireproof skin, but we deflect them with a shield. Ephesians six calls it a "shield of faith," and lies cannot pierce through faith.

So when God tells you that He is making you new, believe Him.

Looking ahead

Forgetting what's behind and straining toward what's ahead: here's something exciting for the new year! 

Ah, but what is it?

Second Chances. And Third Ones.

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not yet achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." Phil 3:1 

"I'm not calling for a second chance. I'm screaming at the top of my voice: 'Give me reason, but don't give me choice. Because I'll just make the same mistake,'"

James Blunt, Same Mistake

For some of us, new beginnings are not as magical as they are others. We may hope that a new year, a new job, a new marriage or a new city will mean that life is somehow going to be different. We may dream that someone pressed a cosmic reset button, and all of the failures and disappointments in the past will dissolve making us brand-new and baby-fresh. But tomorrow comes, and I'm still me. I have the same memories, tendencies and weaknesses that I had before I "started again."

I want to blame Jesus for this, for talking about being "born again" with Nicodemus in John 3. I know blaming your savior for the manner of your salvation is a bit like looking a gift horse in the mouth, but there you are.

See, newborn babies don't have bad memories. They don't have past bitterness or disappointments that whisper lies. They don't have a mountain of failures grasping at their heels as they learn to walk. Unlike newborns, we must choose to be reborn. Not only that, we must choose to believe it every day.

"...consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11

Christ made you alive. He gave you a new heart and new mind, do you believe it?

"...let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Romans 12:2

God will continue to transform you each day. Do you believe Him?

Do you believe Him when you realize you made the same resolutions on January 1st 2012 that you did on January 1st 2011? Do you believe Him when you realize you're in the same place that you were last year? Do you believe him when you realize that you made all of the same mistakes...again?

Do you believe Him?

No, my dear brothers and sisters, I haven't achieved perfection yet, but I know perfection exists. I believe God's promises; I believe I am a new creation and God is renewing my mind. So I focus on this one thing only: God has made a call to me through Jesus. He says to me, "Be perfect. Be like Me." So, with all of my might, forgetting the past and looking toward the future, I strain toward that high and impossible prize.

Go and learn what this means...

God interrupted my Haiti-saturated world to smack in the face with an idea these last few days.

Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13

Do you ever chop up a scripture and miss something important? If you just said no, then obviously you're an extra terrestrial or a golden retriever and I'm honored that you're taking time to read my blog between television appearances.

I, however, am a human and I've been guilty of chopping this verse in two right on the "for". (Side note, will somebody PLEASE tell me where the period belongs in that sentence!?)

In so doing, I've beheaded Jesus's statement about the kind of people He calls to repentance: "not the righteous, but sinners." Without its head, this statement seems obvious and easy to dismiss; of course Jesus came to call the sinners to repentence, the righteous have no need to repent.

The sneaky hidden question, then, is "Who are the righteous?"

Be honest, didn't you just place yourself in the good guys camp? Don't be embarassed, most of us do, it's instinct. We are always the good guys; we are always the "us" in the "us versus them."

But riddle this for me: if I'm righteous and Jesus came for the sinners, he didn't come for me, did he? If I'm well and Jesus came for the sick...he didn't come for me, did he?

What?

Let's put the head back on this scripture, "Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy not sacrifice.'" Jesus is quoting from the prophet, Hosea:

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings, Hosea 6:6

I know the bible is not constructed in chronological order, but I consider the prophets, like Hosea, as a kind of buffer between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was through the prophets that God really brought home this new way of relating to him, personally and intimately, rather than through priests and sacrifices.

So what does this "new" idea about relationship with God have to do with the fact that Jesus came to call sinners and not the righteous? Well, the people who fulfilled the OT law of sacrifices were the righteous, so to speak. But the reality is that no one really could fulfill the Old Testament law, no one really was righteous under its tenets, they all fell short in some way, but there were some who seemed to.

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Phil 3:4-6

This is the Apostle Paul talking, in case you were wondering. If anyone was in the righteous camp, it was Him. Let me be clear here, because I think we can miss something important when we read about Paul: he did everything right.

According to his culture, his society, his religion and his family, he was perfect. And God didn't want him.

He didn't want him like that anyway, God doesn't want sacrifices. He doesn't want the law. Because God came to call not the righteous but sinners. God wants sinners...what?

God doesn't want people to sin but he wants sinners? This seems kind of confusing. And it is, it was even to the early church:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Romans 6:1

The entire book of Romans addresses this weird paradox that we face. It will take the rest of your life to figure it out but let me just highlight one point here, because I think it is key:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, Rom 3:21

See this is what Jesus and Hosea were talking about. Those sacrifices and burn offerings? God doesn't want them because he has taken true "righteousness" and manifested it separately from them.

I love that word, manifest. It means to make visible or able to be sensed (seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted). I like to think it means to "put skin on" something. Not coincidentally, the bible uses this word to describe Jesus:

Without controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim 3:16

So, how was righteousness "manifested" separate from the law?

...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Romans 3:22

God doesn't want that righteousness that Paul had, "the righteousness that came through the law," He wants love, not sacrifices. Do you know what happened when God took righteousness away from the law and put it in faith in Jesus?

Sing it with me...

...there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

This is why Jesus doesn't want "righteous" law-abiding men like Paul! Because He wrote a new law in love. He manifested that new law inside the womb of a virgin and named Him "Jesus. "

He came to call sinners because we're all sinners.

When Paul said, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief," (1 Timothy 1:15) he wasn't being falsely humble. He wasn't just beating himself up over the whole "stoning Stephen" thing (Acts 8:1). He got it: he was absolutely no different from any other sinner on earth.

This is the truth Jesus was asking his disciples to "go and learn" because if they couldn't understand that concept, that righteousness existed outside of the things that they did, they were going to miss everything Jesus was about.

This is the truth that Paul was trying to explain to the church in Rome.

This is the truth that Martin Luther fought so hard for during the Reformation, it's the foundation of modern Christianity: Sola Fide, by faith alone.

So, why did I just take 3 pages to tell you something that you already know?

Because like the disciples, like the Roman church, like the 16th century church, we still don't get it! We're still counting ourselves with the "good guys." We're still fighting for our righteousness with sacrifices and offerings.

Don't think so? What are the things that make you "feel" Christian?

Going to church

tithing

giving to charity

being sexually pure

...not lying

...not swearing

...not drinking or partying

...not celebrating Halloween

Maybe these are good lifestyle choices, but they are sacrifices and burnt offerings. If this is the basis of your righteousness then Jesus didn't come to earth to call you; you're still hanging out with the Saul version of Paul, a Christian of Christians. You have to understand that when Paul said in Romans 3 that there is  now "no difference" between the law-abiding and the rest of us, he means that there is NO DIFFERENCE, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We have to embrace this idea. God help me, I have to embrace this idea. I have to stop piling up altar-stones to hide my sin. God doesn't want them, He wants my love.

I am a sinner

I am a sinner

I am a sinner

And Jesus came for me.

Stories: Here's Your New Life

Back in January, I talked about my nephew Isaiah and his diagnosis with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. This is a short story I created for a journalism assignment that gives you a glimpse into everything that happened.

I have to give very big credit to my sister-in-law, Heather, for being such a huge part of this process and sharing her story with me so freely. I hope that, in 2 minutes and 44 seconds, you can get just a small impression of her incredible faith and strength. I can't wait to share more of the story with you all.

Here's Your New Life

I apologize, I am not able to embed the slideshow at this time.

Further reading on Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome:

• The Foundation for Children with Atypical HUS
• Hemolyticuremicsyndrome-hus.com
• The Atypical HUS Website

Faithfulness vs Fame

When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” Mark 1:37

Things were going really well for Jesus at this point. He had just received public, voice-from-the-sky approval directly from God and overcome a serious “wilderness” experience. People were in awe of him and demons were fleeing before him. He was becoming incredibly famous throughout the area and now Simon is telling Him that people are literally hunting him down in order to hear his message.

Things were fresh, dynamic, and effective, everything that we like ministry to be. But then Jesus says something that just blows the top of my head off:

But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” Mark 1:38

What? Jesus, this is an incredibly fruitful ministry that you have with these people. They love you, why would you leave?

In saying this Jesus not only makes a statement about His own purpose, but also establishes two important principles for ministry: 1) Our purpose is definite and we cannot abandon or change it or with our circumstances change; and 2) the success of a ministry is not necessarily dependent on its popularity.

Jesus came to preach His message to the world, not to become famous or to receive approval. Even though his ministry to the people of this area was effective and productive, He couldn’t forget why He came or change His purpose. When God gives us a ministry, we cannot simply abandon or change that ministry to suit our circumstances. God, not the terrain, sets our course. The standard for success has less to do with results than it does with faithfulness. While this is important to remember in difficult circumstances, it is also true when things are going well.

Let’s say you are a farmer on your way to town sell some chickens and along the way you see this lush, fertile field. Well you can’t just abandon your plan and stop to plant this field because it’s a great opportunity; your chickens will go all Animal Farm and peck each other to death. And then they’re coming after you.

Maybe that’s not the best analogy. If I was on my way to the chicken market and happened to see a fertile field, my first thought wouldn’t be, “I wanna plant that field!” It would be, “Why the heck am I a chicken farmer?”

Here’s another one. Let’s say you are a student pursuing a degree in electrical engineering but you’ve been playing some bluegrass on the side. Then, Ellen happens to see your video on YouTube and offers you a record deal (yeah, she has one now). While you may be able to justify abandoning your plans to become an electrical engineer, if your parents are paying your tuition they get to weigh in on the idea.

You are not able to change your plans arbitrarily if someone else is paying the bill. It’s a somewhat cold example, but bear with me. Every gift God gives us, every experience we receive is His investment in us. He grooms us for a specific purpose. As if that were not enough, He even places His own Spirit in us. That kind of investment gives Him the right to define both our ministry and the standard for our success. That often means a fresh, dynamic, and effective ministry but not always

It’s a subtle distinction but an important one.

Faithfulness, not fame.

--Sarah Elizabeth

Broken Expectations (A Love Story)

I want to share with you something that rocked me.

This is a quote from God-sized dreams, a post written by a lovely lady named Holley Gerth. I'm falling in love with her words. Especially these ones:

"It’s a story of broken expectations, of little being much, of nothing working out the way anyone planned."

Now I'm a sucker for a tragedy. I love some good drama, but I wasn't prepared for this story. Because she's talking about Christmas.

Christmas with all the hope and joy? Christmas with the celebration of friends, family, and food? Christmas with the lights and music?

But it's true.

I know it's true because I cried on Christmas Eve. I know it's true because I was mad at Christmas this year. I was mad because I was disappointed and tired when I should have been full of joy and hope. I was mad because God was not meeting my expectations.

He does that doesn't he?

But He doesn't leave it at that. Here are some more words that I'm going to borrow.

“I know, my son, I know. I know, my daughter, I know. That thing you wanted is not going to happen. Not the way you’ve always dreamed. I know this hurts. I know this stings. I know you feel like I am distant or not aware of where you are and who hurt you and what you think life was supposed to be like. I know in moments like this you doubt that I can count the hairs on your head or have your best in mind. But please, I am not done. I have barely started to reveal your life to you. I am the God who satisfies your desires with good things. That is me! And when it comes to your hopes and your fears and your dreams, I know, my son, I know.”
--Jon Acuff, Stuff Christians Like: "The soft X"

Today is Valentine's Day, another holiday intended to be a celebration of love that, amidst saccharin-sweet marketing messages and cheap paper hearts, usually falls short of our expectations.

Expectations are a killer. If we are disappointed often enough, we learn that it is safer not to have them at all. But let me offer you a bit of hope: when God breaks down our expectations, he doesn't leave us alone amidst the rubble. But that doesn't mean that it is any easier; the aftermath of disappointment is always painful and rarely short-lived. Whether we are the ones disappointed or the ones offering comfort, it is important to recognize this.

But here's another thought: The birth of Christ couldn't have fulfilled expectations.

Messiah was a first in history, something that had never occurred before and will never be repeated. Prophets had been sent, kings had been anointed, deliverers had overcome oppression; but there had never been a Messiah before.
If you are a living a life that never disappoints and always meets your expectations, you are living a life without novelty. Unless you are disappointed, this is as good as it is going to get. Maybe your love-life isn't meeting expecations because you weren't designed for a paper-heart romance.

Let your Valentine's day be filled with the freshness of a new kind of love, something unfamiliar and, yes, maybe even painful or frightening. Let Christ break down that house of banality you've built, let Him show you something new.

Can we learn to be disappointed together?

--Sarah Elizabeth

Vocabulary Lesson

I learned a new term last week:

"soft market"

Basically, this refers to a market that has more sellers than buyers. In Econ 101 this translates to "lower prices." Awesome if you're looking for good deal on a used bike, somewhat less awesome if you're trying to sell a house.

After a brief meeting with my realtor on Thursday, I texted my friend Leah:

"God's setting me up to be humbled..."

I say this with a wry smile on my face because, though I know that He's going to prove me wrong, I still can't change my heart.

Yet, it also excites me just a little to know that this is something I would never have believed four years ago. This does not mean that, four years ago, I wouldn't have welcomed the surprise provision of the Lord, but rather that I could not have admitted that I didn't trust him.

Growth

Sometimes it’s painfully slow. Sometimes we move sideways before we move forward. Sometimes we have to be broken down before we are built up again.

Four years ago, even one year ago, I would have told you that I was exactly where God wanted me to be, that I was happy in that place. But the truth is that God had called me to higher ground and I was afraid. I didn’t see how I could walk to that place without stumbling or failing outright. So I stopped walking on His path. I started laying out my own side paths along the leveler ground.

I bought a house.

I walked into a situation, led by my fear and pride rather than the Lord. But this is one situation I cannot control; God has to perform a little real estate miracle and that puts me in an uncomfortable position.

I have to trust Him.

Ah trust, remember that one?

God lays a path and He shows us the steps to take, but only He can give us the grace to walk. When our path starts going uphill, we have two options. We can start walking, knowing our strength will fail, or we can decide that we’re satisfied with less than God’s plan.

Four years ago, I chose the second option. I chose to accept less rather than give God permission to disappoint me or even humble me.

For the first time in my life, I see the insufficiency of my strength…but I’m walking.

And that’s exciting.

So...wanna buy a house?

--Sarah Elizabeth

Patience and Perfection

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4 NKJV

I have trouble finishing things; I am a natural born quitter. I dont just mean I'm a quitter when things get difficult, I quit when things get moderately uninteresting.

So you can imagine how easy it would be for me to say, "God, you know this Trust thing? Well I think I'm done. Thanks anyway, though!"

"Do you ever just want to walk out of your life?" I asked a friend.

But there is a snag that we find in this verse in James. God makes us a promise here: that, if we will simply let patience exist in us, an amazing thing will happen:

We will be complete. Whole. Perfect.

(That's pretty good incentive.)

The part I find fascinating is that it is the act of being patient that will work a miracle in us. Wholeness is a natural product of patience. I am reminded of the miracle of a baby.

A pregnant woman does not need to struggle every day to knit together the little human inside of her, she simply allows the natural process to take place. It certainly affects her in strange, sometimes scary, and often uncomfortable ways, but if she will simply allow the natural process to have its perfect work in her, a perfect little child is the natural result.

Defects and problems happen when something hampers the process, either by the choice of the mother, sickness, an accident, or by a sad chance of genetics. But the intended, natural product of pregnancy is a healthy baby.

Likewise, the offspring of patience is wholeness.

So my desperate prayer is that I would not abort the process of patience in my life, that no accident or weakness in me would prevent the birth of wholeness and perfection in my life. Like an uncomfortable, nauseated, and exhausted mother (am I being overly dramatic here?), I can feel the effects of the thing growing inside me.

But quitting would be a tragedy.

So I hold on to that promise and I pray you would to. Because the One who plants the seed of perfection in us is not a quitter.

--Sarah Elizabeth

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Bring it On

Sometimes I don't like God very much.

I used to think it was just that I didn't like the Old Testament God, that God of the law full of wrath and judgment, and that I preferred the meek and mild New Testament Jesus who would grow up, heal the sick, forgive sinners and die on a cross for me.

OT God does things that I don't understand, like hardening the heart of Pharaoh:

And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Ex 4:21 

This passage has plagued me for ages. Like the testing of Job, it reveals an aspect of God that I cannot understand that, frankly, just seems kind of mean. Don't sit there talking about "context" and the mysteriousness or sovereignty of God, pretending you don't agree with me. This isn't like the predestined for salvation brain teaser game we often play, arguing that God "foreknew" who would choose salvation. God is not like Biff Tannin and his ill-gotten sports almanac, simply betting the ones He knew would choose Him anyway. God takes ownership of Pharaoh's hard heart.

We can maybe forgive God for the Pharaoh incident because, let's face it, Pharaoh wasn't exactly a saint. He made slaves of God's Beloved and he did not fear God to begin with. Job we may have a tougher time with because he was one of the good guys. But, since it was actually Satan doing the afflicting and everything turned out alright for Job in the end, we can still get over it.

It’s God's unapologetic manner that we choke on.

Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer Me...Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Job 38:2-3, 40:8

"For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"  Romans 9:17-22

Okay, OT God is kind of a jerk. It's a good thing I live in the NT Jesus era, right?

Not right. 

And the disciples came and said to Him "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them'" Mt 13:10-15

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him, Luke 19:26

Hold up, how did OT God's words find their way into the mouth of the sweet baby Jesus?

I made what was probably a bad joke earlier about bible scholars using "context" as an excuse for God's actions. Let me dig myself out a little bit by saying context really does matter. Scholarly exegesis does shine some light on the actions of God in these passages and that light can also bring us some peace, so please don't think that I really don't respect these things.

My point here is that both Old-Covenant-Jehovah and Jesus-the-Christ say some things that are really difficult. These passages reveal a side of God that challenges our understanding of God's justice and purpose and God makes no apology for them. He does not wish us to coat these passages with some chocolately verses on grace to hide the bitter taste. Neither does He want us to grit our teeth like a martyr and swallow the nasty pill. He wants us to truly know every aspect of Him and to love Him more for knowing.

I have to make a confession at this point: I am not in a very faithful frame of mind. The past few months have not been the most exemplary of my Jesus-career. I have questioned God extensively about my life and why the desires He's placed in my heart continue to exist outside of my grasp. At the beginning of the year I agreed to go on a journey with God toward trusting Him more but I haven't taken the first few steps of that journey with grace. But I also believe that, because I do not currently have a rosy attitude toward God, these lessons will be richer and more meaningful.

So I'll admit, sometimes, especially now, I don't particularly like God. I don't like these passages. But there is one more that I want to share that has brought me a bit of peace.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: "...if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.”But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go."'" Ex 9:13-21

God still makes no apology to Pharaoh or to us for hardening Pharaoh's heart, but He does something unexpected here:

he tells Pharaoh exactly what He is doing.

He says to Him, point blank, that He could have simply destroyed him, but that He is instead using Him as a vessel for His wrath, a tool to make his name famous in all the earth.

God hardens Pharaoh's heart, but He also tells him what He's doing.

I can't go back and ask Pharaoh why, even after God let's Him in on the plan, He endures four more plagues before letting the people go and then decides to chase them through the wilderness only to be drowned in the Red Sea. I don't know if Pharaoh, in fact, could have done any differently than He did. But I do know that I have a bible in front of me that clearly shows me that there are times when God does difficult things that seem to lead us into sin and then He holds us accountable for it. I may not understand why, but it gives me some peace to know that God is at least honest about it.

Would you think me odd if I told you that this gives me an odd kind of thrill? If I shared with you that, reading these passages last night, I thought to myself, "Aight, God, it’s on!" would you think that sacrilegious?

Though my initial thought was, I admit, a bit cavalier, let me give you an exhortation nevertheless:

When God sets an impossible situation in front of you, instead of crying out against God for His unreasonable demands, why not accept the challenge?

If you've walked with God for any length of time, I guarantee that you've experience His goodness and grace. You know that God is good or you wouldn't be here. Don't you think that His goodness even extends through this impossible situation? Why not be bold and make a sucker bet on that goodness?

Be wild, step into the lion's den with me and say:

"Okay God you brought me here. I might be ripped to pieces and the spectators may mock my idiocy, but I will not be an easy mark like Pharaoh and exalt myself against You. I will not cry out against You so I can be rebuked like Job. I refuse to walk away from my faith and be condemned because of it.

Bring it on, Mufasa."

--Sarah Elizabeth

Haiti: 1 Year Later

"Dear Jesus, please bless India, Haiti, and Uganda. Please help the poor people to get money from the rich, and help the rich not to mind."   --Adrianne, 7

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." --Luke 18:17

I feigned a more pious prayer by burying my head in my hands as Adrianne prayed. The truth was I was embarrassed by my tears at her prayer. As I explained my reaction to her simple, pure prayer of faith for the people of Haiti and for the poor to her parents, longsuffering smiles appeared on their faces,

"Yes, she prays almost that exact prayer every night."

Every night. This sweet, beautiful girl prays for Haiti every single night. "When was the last time I prayed for Haiti?" I thought in panic. A few days ago? Last week? "But," I comforted myself, "I talk about Haiti a lot. I blog about it. I send money." Isn't that always the way? We so quickly tire of "just praying." We either feel a need to do "more" or we simply get frustrated with praying the same prayer every night, as God has called us to do, and move on. I realized, as we marveled at her unwavering faith that, what we write off as simplicity or a lack of creativity, God sees as faithfulness, faithfulness that puts me to shame.

God help me to be more like Adrianne.

On January 12, 2010 Haiti was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. This disaster came on the heels of a catastrophic hurricane season and was followed by severe aftershocks and a year filled with devastation and disease.

A year has passed and God has been amazingly faithful. Much has been done, but Haiti is still in severe distress. Even a cursory glance at photos or the first hand accountsof those who are currently serving in Haiti makes this painfully obvious. Educate yourself, let your heart be broken for Haiti, let yourself be moved.

Please join Adrianne and continue pray daily for this deeply troubled country, pray for the hurting people, pray for the leadership, pray for those in Haiti who are working tirelessly not only for healing and reconstruction but for lasting and sustainable justice and security in a country that has never experienced such things.

For some great information on the state of Haiti today, World Vision has a comprehensive one year report available here. You can also watch this short video from Richard Stearns, president of World Vision: Haiti Earthquake 1 Year Later.

You can also donate to help Haiti through Compassion International: Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Current photos of Compassion's work in Haiti are available at haiti.compassion.com.

But if simply giving money is not enough for you, you can now sponsor a child from Haiti or from an equally desperate region. Child sponsorship is not an investment in a cause, rather it is an investment in a person. When you write your letters and send your support, you are telling that child that you believe in them, that you choose them. The value is incalculable though the cost is right around $1 a day.

For a firsthand account of the impact of encouraging a child in poverty, you can read Elissain Jean Jacque's story here.

If you do not currently sponsor a child, I deeply encourage to you seriously consider doing so. It is one of the greatest things you will ever be part of. If you do sponsor a child, pray about sponsoring another! Visit www.compassion.com or www.worldvision.org to find out more information.

"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." --1 John 3:17-18

God, may we be moved not by guilt or by a need to "do something" but by your spirit. Lord, may we not tire in the work that you've put before us, may we not tire of being brokenhearted for the people of Haiti.

God, please help us all to be more like Adrianne.

Thanks for loving Haiti,
--Sarah Elizabeth