A few times within my correspondence with people from back
home this year, I have been asked how I respond to the difficult things that I
see and encounter every day. I think its interesting, because often as I run
around the streets playing with children, or walking house to hut doing
evangelism, I’m not really thinking about the poverty or sadness of my
environment. Sure, at times things can be really dark like when I’ve worked in
prostitution ministry or visited dangerous barrios, but often in ministry I
feel joyful and the people around me though sick or poor, are full of life.
After 10 months, traveling around developing countries has become somewhat
normal. That’s what I think on the surface anyways…
But then when I really get down to it and try to think more
deeply about the subject I realize why I often miss the pain. There are moments
when I let myself really feel the effects of the sadness I have seen and in
those moments I mourn for the harsh realities that are often masked by the joy.
This month in Uganda I was asked to preach at one of the
Sunday services for the church we are working with. Eagle Mountain Church has
the largest congregation and sanctuary that I have stood before thus far, so I
was a bit intimidated. Plus as I began to prepare for my message I felt that
God was calling me to talk about Suffering. Obviously a light and pleasant
crowd pleaser (Why God why!?!) How was I supposed to talk to a huge church full
of Africans about suffering? Me -a “mzungu”- which by reputation (where I have
traveled) in Africa means I am rolling in the dough and have never had a day of
hardship.
It all started with Job. In two days I read the 42 chapters
that consist of Job’s anguish and groaning as he loses everything he has, his
body festers, and all the people who once respected him, rebuke and abandon
him. I had a lot of questions and frustrations for God as I read about an
upright man who walked well with the Lord, but whom God allowed Satan to test.
As I sought the Lord on this issue I decided I wanted to take a break from Job
and listen to a podcast. One of the only ones left on my ipod that I hadn’t
listened to just so happened to be “Joy in Suffering” by Mark Driscoll of Mars
Hill Church in Seattle. If you like listening to podcasts I would really
recommend listening to this one (you can find it for free on itunes). Anyways,
the pastor gave me a lot of good perspective as he spoke about Paul suffering
well. It was at that point that I realized that God was truly calling me to
speak to the church about suffering well and changing the perspective and
question from “Why do we suffer?” (since suffering is inevitable as a result of
sin entering the world), to “How is God in the midst of suffering?” and “What
does He intend to accomplish through it?”
Back to my main point though…there are a few times when the
sadness of the realities I have encountered hit me. And of course the girl who
doesn’t like to cry in front of people would be broken in front of an entire
congregation. I started sharing about some things that I have experienced this
year that have really broken my heart:
children abandoned by
their parents
women selling their
bodies to provide for their families
men so empty and
hopeless that they are consumed by alcoholism
families forced to
leave their countries because of persecution
and I could hardly make it through the list as tears
streamed down my face.
But I will tell you- there is hope. Because those who called
on the name of Jesus, who trusted him in those situations and clung to his promises-
those were the ones who brought me joy and lived in its fullness. In the midst
of their suffering, we shared in God’s love and hope. Yes, horrible things
happen in the world, but God is sovereign. I have seen the power of prayer and
of God’s presence in peoples lives:
Cure AIDS orphans
from disease
Redeem beautiful
women and give them dignity through other job opportunities
Sober up men addicted
to drugs and alcohol
Reunite families and
knit communities of believers together
We may see suffering from time to time. It may be hard for
us to think about it for too long before we have to somehow rid our minds of
the tragedy and go back to our happy places. But God never gets a break. He
sees the suffering of men, women, and children that he loves. He hears their
cries and must endure it endlessly. Sometimes people ask where God is in the
midst of suffering.
He is eternally present, mourning for us as we grieve and
struggle. Never forget that our God loves us, and even though suffering is
present on this Earth as a result of man’s evil intentions, we should not waste
the opportunity of our pain to grow and find our way closer to the Great
Comforter- our Hope.
