Saturday, August 11, 2012

So Sad

August 10

The other day a lady came with her baby to our gate saying they have no food and needed help. This is not an uncommon event but this time Lydia was so upset by it she just cried and cried. She was overcome with emotions for this lady and child. She was so sad that they didn’t have food, a home, or a daddy. We talked about how God tells us in the Bible He loves His people and will provide for those in need and how sometimes suffering is the result of sin and not obeying God’s way. She just kept crying and saying how she hates satan and how she wants people in America to understand how sad it is to see people suffer. While I was comforting Lydia Josh went out to talk to the lady. Come to find out she does have a husband, some food, and a home (a leaky hut). Josh encouraged her to go to her church and ask them for help.
It is difficult to see people in need and to know what to do. I understand Lydia’s heart because it feels like mine. This is the first time she expressed it like this. I am thankful she loves God’s people that much and hates the suffering caused by sin. But it is hard to see your nine year old experience such big issues already. I know she will be a better person because of it. She was so concerned that Americans don’t understand so we encouraged her to help them understand because they don’t live here and see what she does. She was also upset about her uncle who doesn’t love Jesus and isn’t apart of our family. She has cried over this many times over the years. It does break our hearts. I encouraged her to write what she was feeling and see if that helped. So here is what she wrote:
So Sad by Lydia
It is so sad to see people that don’t have enough things to survive, like not enough money or food.

It is so sad if people get divorced and the mom doesn’t have enough money to care for the kids. It is sad that kids don’t get to learn as much as Americans do because they do not have enough money for school fees.

And it is sad when people lose the people they are related to because that person doesn’t know about God.

It is sad that a lot of Americans do not know God and just care about earthly things.

It is sad that some churches really aren’t churches because they don’t really preach what God really says.

It is sad to know that some people choose to be pastors instead of missionaries when there are more pastors than missionaries in the world.

It is sad that some missionaries don’t go where God sends them too. For example, God told some missionaries to go to China but they didn’t go to China because they were scared of the emperor throwing them in jail.

I pray Lydia’s heart always loves and weeps like God’s.

1 comment:

Busy Days Worthwhile said...

Mandy,

Your daughter is growing and seeing her world around her through your teachings and humble heart. Praise God for his Promise!!!

I use to also find it hard to see where such pain and violence could breath life into the Glory of God...

I now actually can see that pain and violence (the problem of evil) in this fallen world proves the truth of the Bible, for the Bible explains why there is evil in the world, and that one day it will be gone forever. For me, it was helpful to realize that if God can take the most wicked, violent thing that ever happened on the face of the earth (the crucifixion of the Son of God), and use it for the greatest good the world has ever seen (the salvation of God's people), then He can take ANYthing that happens and use it for his glory and our good.