Thinking On Scripture

Second Corinthians 6:3-12 talks about Paul’s hardships that he experienced.  Now I don’t know if my house burnt because I am a follower of Christ, but I do know that as Christ followers, we do experience hardships.  My house burning to a pile of rubble is a hardship. 

A side note:  This house fire is hard for my little Rayna, who came crying to me 12 days after the fire, “Why did our house have to burn down?”  She asked me over and over again.  She’s three and just does not understand.

Anyway, I found this passage of Scripture encouraging and strangely comforting.

“We faithfully preach the truth.  God’s power is working in us.  We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.  We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us.  We are honest, but they call us imposters.  We are ignored, even though we are well known.   We live close to death, but we are still alive.  We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.  Our hearts ache, but we still have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”  (2 Cor. 6:7-10, emphasis mine)

Some days, some moments, we feel like we have been beaten, like we can’t get up, like this is just too hard, another thing we have to get through.  I praise the Lord daily that every one of the little ones in my care made their way safely out of the house, that NO LIVES were lost in our February 7^th fire. 

My heart aches for my little ones who just don’t understand why we have to live in “this house” and not our “real house”.  My heart aches for my little boy who was ecstatic to receive a small box of building blocks.  And I am filled with joy and rejoicing over the abundance of donations.  I am overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends, neighbors and complete strangers who have given to my family, in our time of need.  As I sit and type this, I am warm, I am clothed, I have a clean, safe house; my children each have their own bed and bedding. 

And I think of the people who sent these items, and I have tears streaming down my face.  I can hold back no longer.  I am blessed beyond measure.   By many standards we own nothing, and yet we feel as if we have everything.

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,