Rejoicing and Morning
Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15
This verse encapsulates the journey my heart has been on this week. It has traveled the gamut of rejoicing and mourning with those God has brought into my path these past few days. The roads I walk here are filled with both extremes - reminding me often of the surprising connection between the two: deep pain leading to a joy of the Lord that surpasses any earthly joy, great desperation leading to the only true Hope, and utter emptiness leading to complete fulfillment in the only One who can truly fill us. Let me share a bit of the mourning and rejoicing God allowed me to enter this week…
First, there is Pauline who Pastor Peter and I went to visit yesterday. We were actually on our way to visit someone else when he got word that Pauline was desperately calling for him (I’m so thankful for the way God continues to interrupt and change our plans here – truly, no day ever goes as I expect it to). As we arrived at the home, we found a very old, frail Gogo (grandma) groaning a bit as she leaned over on a bench, scraping saliva out of her mouth with a stick. My heart broke as I learned that her throat is swelling shut, her tongue is heavy and very hard to move, her mouth area is numb, and talking and swallowing are basically impossible. Because of this, she hasn’t been able to eat in weeks and is literally starving to death. Sometimes she manages to swallow a bit of water, but as we witnessed, she often chokes on it as she tries to swallow. The hunger pains are so bad that she has tied material around her stomach to try to ease them at least a little. And to add to it all, every bone, joint, and muscle in her body is in intense pain. My heart broke to see someone in such agony and tears filled my eyes as I silently mourned with one who was mourning. A light massage with some Tiger Balm for her aching muscles, and a heartfelt prayer were all we could offer at the time. We are working with her family to try to get her to a hospital tomorrow and will see if there’s anything the doctors can do. (She did stop her groaning for a minute as she broke into laughter after looking at the picture I took of her. I rejoiced to see her smile even for a few seconds).
Then there’s Lucy, who I met today. Pastor Peter and I were visiting one of our Samaritan ladies whose son was killed last week after being hit by a truck on his bicycle. We were already mourning with one family when a neighbor asked if we could please come look at a hurt girl. Entering a tiny shack in the slum, we met 9-year-old Lucy. Lucy’s mom is extremely sick with AIDS and has been in the hospital for the last few days. 5 days ago, Lucy was trying to cook for the family and spilled boiling water all over herself. She has third degree burns covering her entire stomach and arm. With no money in the house for transport or medical bills, Lucy has stayed in the shack for the past week in that condition. Unable to wear clothes because of the burns, she has just draped a piece of material over her bony frame. 50 cents would have paid for her transport to a clinic, but the 5 children in the family were unable to come up with even that meager amount. Again my heart broke for the desperateness of the situation. We prayed with all our hearts and then helped provide the transport and medical fees to bring her to the nearest clinic. Lucy lit up with one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen as we asked her if she wanted to go to the clinic, and my heart was touched beyond words as she snuggled her head into my neck to look at the picture we took together. I don’t know the road ahead of her, but God does and He cares and I pray he allows us to walk more of it with her.
But the week hasn’t been all mourning - there has been great rejoicing too. There’s Prisca, a pregnant single mom, who I was blessed to lead to the Lord on a home visit. I rejoiced that day, and rejoiced even more as she arrived to our training center a few days later to do a Bible-study with us. I am excited to watch God continue to transform her. Then there’s little 3-year-old Noah who received braces for his crooked legs last week from an American team. His legs have already made a huge improvement in just one week, and the tears of joy in his mom’s eyes as she testified to God’s goodness ushered me into a place of rejoicing beyond words. The list of victories goes on and on, but let me stop here for now.
My heart has been moved this week and I pray that yours has been also through these stories. As followers of Christ, we are called to truly enter the rejoicing and mourning of others. We cannot numbly sit by. I was challenged by a friend this week (who grew up as a street boy until he was rescued by a good Samaritan and met Christ) and I will leave you with the same challenge. It’s from Lamentaions 2:19: Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
Will we happily sit by in our lives of comfort while children faint from hunger at the head of every street, or will we choose to mourn with those who mourn, pouring out our hearts through the watches of the night for the lives of the suffering in this world? I’m not sure I know what it is to intercede throughout the night for the Paulines and Lucys of this world, but I desire to learn. Oh Jesus, please teach us what true love, compassion, and sacrifice look like.
This verse encapsulates the journey my heart has been on this week. It has traveled the gamut of rejoicing and mourning with those God has brought into my path these past few days. The roads I walk here are filled with both extremes - reminding me often of the surprising connection between the two: deep pain leading to a joy of the Lord that surpasses any earthly joy, great desperation leading to the only true Hope, and utter emptiness leading to complete fulfillment in the only One who can truly fill us. Let me share a bit of the mourning and rejoicing God allowed me to enter this week…
First, there is Pauline who Pastor Peter and I went to visit yesterday. We were actually on our way to visit someone else when he got word that Pauline was desperately calling for him (I’m so thankful for the way God continues to interrupt and change our plans here – truly, no day ever goes as I expect it to). As we arrived at the home, we found a very old, frail Gogo (grandma) groaning a bit as she leaned over on a bench, scraping saliva out of her mouth with a stick. My heart broke as I learned that her throat is swelling shut, her tongue is heavy and very hard to move, her mouth area is numb, and talking and swallowing are basically impossible. Because of this, she hasn’t been able to eat in weeks and is literally starving to death. Sometimes she manages to swallow a bit of water, but as we witnessed, she often chokes on it as she tries to swallow. The hunger pains are so bad that she has tied material around her stomach to try to ease them at least a little. And to add to it all, every bone, joint, and muscle in her body is in intense pain. My heart broke to see someone in such agony and tears filled my eyes as I silently mourned with one who was mourning. A light massage with some Tiger Balm for her aching muscles, and a heartfelt prayer were all we could offer at the time. We are working with her family to try to get her to a hospital tomorrow and will see if there’s anything the doctors can do. (She did stop her groaning for a minute as she broke into laughter after looking at the picture I took of her. I rejoiced to see her smile even for a few seconds).
Then there’s Lucy, who I met today. Pastor Peter and I were visiting one of our Samaritan ladies whose son was killed last week after being hit by a truck on his bicycle. We were already mourning with one family when a neighbor asked if we could please come look at a hurt girl. Entering a tiny shack in the slum, we met 9-year-old Lucy. Lucy’s mom is extremely sick with AIDS and has been in the hospital for the last few days. 5 days ago, Lucy was trying to cook for the family and spilled boiling water all over herself. She has third degree burns covering her entire stomach and arm. With no money in the house for transport or medical bills, Lucy has stayed in the shack for the past week in that condition. Unable to wear clothes because of the burns, she has just draped a piece of material over her bony frame. 50 cents would have paid for her transport to a clinic, but the 5 children in the family were unable to come up with even that meager amount. Again my heart broke for the desperateness of the situation. We prayed with all our hearts and then helped provide the transport and medical fees to bring her to the nearest clinic. Lucy lit up with one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen as we asked her if she wanted to go to the clinic, and my heart was touched beyond words as she snuggled her head into my neck to look at the picture we took together. I don’t know the road ahead of her, but God does and He cares and I pray he allows us to walk more of it with her.
But the week hasn’t been all mourning - there has been great rejoicing too. There’s Prisca, a pregnant single mom, who I was blessed to lead to the Lord on a home visit. I rejoiced that day, and rejoiced even more as she arrived to our training center a few days later to do a Bible-study with us. I am excited to watch God continue to transform her. Then there’s little 3-year-old Noah who received braces for his crooked legs last week from an American team. His legs have already made a huge improvement in just one week, and the tears of joy in his mom’s eyes as she testified to God’s goodness ushered me into a place of rejoicing beyond words. The list of victories goes on and on, but let me stop here for now.
My heart has been moved this week and I pray that yours has been also through these stories. As followers of Christ, we are called to truly enter the rejoicing and mourning of others. We cannot numbly sit by. I was challenged by a friend this week (who grew up as a street boy until he was rescued by a good Samaritan and met Christ) and I will leave you with the same challenge. It’s from Lamentaions 2:19: Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
Will we happily sit by in our lives of comfort while children faint from hunger at the head of every street, or will we choose to mourn with those who mourn, pouring out our hearts through the watches of the night for the lives of the suffering in this world? I’m not sure I know what it is to intercede throughout the night for the Paulines and Lucys of this world, but I desire to learn. Oh Jesus, please teach us what true love, compassion, and sacrifice look like.
posted by Kierra Higgins at 11:40 AM
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