The other day I was feeling the weight of the verse in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of man has no place to lay his head.” We get moved from place to place and although sometimes we are extremely blessed by our living conditions, they are not always this easy. Even when they are wonderful, continually being on the move leaves no room for any place to feel like home. I live out of a bag, wear the same clothes, sleep wherever I can lay my head, and it is wearing on me. I sat in the bathroom alone the other night because there really is no other space to be alone and then I went to sleep hoping that the promise of the next morning being a new day with new mercies would ring true.
However it didn’t. It was Sunday and I didn’t want to get out of bed. Even when you don’t feel good emotionally or physically, you are forced to put on a smile and do ministry. I couldn’t stay in bed all day, I had to speak in church about Zimbabwe and I was the one in charge of running the pictures on the screen for the church. Plus, I didn’t want to give in to the weariness I was feeling; I wanted to push through it, but I needed God to come through for me and speak to me and give me strength.
While in service, everyone was standing and saying “multumesc” this “multumesc” that, and I knew they were giving thanks to God. God softly whispered to me,” Amy, beloved, you can be filled and you can have joy and always be content with wherever you are, with whoever you are around, and with whatever you have as long as you choose to give thanks.” So I joined them. My eyes filled with tears as I began to give God thanks for the good and the hard and as I released a string of praise before Him, He washed over me and filled my heart.
Before I shared about Zimbabwe with the congregation, God reminded me of the verses in Mark 10:29-30, which say, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”
That morning, I told stories of our time in Zimbabwe and encouraged the church that blessings follow obedience. We have to be obedient to the call of the Lord and the daily things He puts on our hearts. If we want to see God and know Him more, then we must be obedient even when it is difficult. What we do on the race isn’t always easy and fun, and being away from home this long is certainly stretching, but it is all for the glory of God and that is how I am able to keep going.
Thank you Jesus for the reminder to give thanks in all things. And thank you for a family that prayers over me. (The same night my family was able to pray with me concerning this weight and God has given me endurance!)
