The Tension of (Im)maturity

I recently tweeted:  “Don't blame God for the pain your own immaturity drags you thru. Grow instead!”  Some wondered if I was talking to them.  I wasn't.  I was talking to us, all of us.  We all live in a tension between immaturity and maturity.  This reality compasses our own state, as well as those of the people we encounter.  We are all located along the maturity continuum, somewhere between being a novice, and person of understanding.

We know that immaturity is unavoidable, as everyone has to begin, right? Continue reading “The Tension of (Im)maturity”

You are Needed for Destiny

“No, Haiti needs you. The people here need you. The children need you. You could make a big difference here.”

These simple words were spoken to me in a tiny kitchen almost 2 years ago in the remote mountain regions of Badon Rouge, Haiti. My Haitian friend, Julian, sat across from me on a wooden chair. The smell of fried plantains, tea, beans, rice, and goat stew wafted through the air. Her eyes were piercing and sincere.

“Haiti needs you. It is not a mistake that you are here.”

As many missionaries have, I had begun to doubt that I could make a difference in a country like Haiti. The poverty was intense. I was white, foreign and a woman. I often felt like even the good work I was doing was only having a miniscule effect in the sea of suffering I saw on a daily basis.

“Haiti needs youElaine_Blog_Kids

Her simple words hit my heart. They firmly strengthened my resolve to love this desperate country and spend my life on it. In addition to this, what finally nailed everything into place was the 4.5 months of experience being “mom” to 19 children in an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. It was then that I realized that I would have children in this nation. It was then I realized that my future children were there. Continue reading “You are Needed for Destiny”

1Thought On The Centrality of Jesus Christ

Following God / the Lord Jesus, is not a religion, tho much religion has been constructed that makes this claim.  Religion is a system, and religions systemic, whereas following the Lord is centered on Him, the Living God.  As such, these systems have complexities, principle tenets, etc., and create assurances based on adherence to regulations.  As Christ's followers, assurance doesn't come to us in that way. Continue reading “1Thought On The Centrality of Jesus Christ”