Beauty from Ashes

This past month Lawrence's wife, Joyce, has been very ill and went into a coma for several days. Through the Lord's mercy she has been raised up, and is slowly recovering under the support and care of their children and relatives. We praise the Lord for His grace during this difficult time, which has included a lot of financial strain on the family. How wonderful to know God is in control and is purposing good for all who will fully trust Him!

"I have learned that such shaking occurrences have deeper impacts spiritually," brother Lawrence writes. "I am praying and waiting to know how much this has enriched [our family's] spiritual lives, and of those others involved. Please, pray with us. Though Mommy was breathing while in her coma, it looks like she was raised as from the dead, for she had lost her memory. It is coming back to her bit by bit now..." The trauma of the experience has deepened the brother with a greater desire to stay close to the Lord: "We want to stay so connected, like Enoch, and always walk with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Please, please, pray on for us." 

Do the troubles we experience press us closer to God - or do we try to solve things in our own way? Only when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God will we be able to be used for his purposes. Only God can bring beauty out of ashes. The brother continues: 

"The beauty of the whole wife's episode is the ministering that has occurred around Mt. Kenya, and Nairobi, when I thought I did not have room to be there. We have met with several people who have been wanting to hear the message of truth and I was blessed, too. We have been booked for meetings in Mt. Kenya area, the first one being on Feb. 3, and the next on  Feb. 15 to Feb.17. Please, pray for these meetings and that the Lord blesses and provides for them.

We held meetings in these areas in the past, and truly saw miracles and wonders, but we did not have the vision we have now. Our vision this time is that of unity IN CHRIST JESUS. Gal. 3:26-28: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Such a oneness cannot be achieve by our own efforts, but by allowing God to cleanse us from everything that hinders within us and around us, and to allow Him to knit us together in Christ Jesus in His love. It cannot happen if we are not humble and if we hold to ourselves and lift the idols of “I’s” and “We’s,” worshiping whatever pertains to “ME” and what is “OURS.” We have to acknowledge Christ as our ruler and give ourselves totally to Him to live His life in us so that this life is manifest in all our actions, words, and thoughts. This ONE life (Christ’s life) in us knits us together in Him. Please, pray that this message is humbly received by all who hear and understand it..."

It is wonderful to know the meaning of these words: "For me to live is Christ." This is the life Jesus suffered to give us - the only life worth living. Yet only when we realize that our own ideals and efforts are mere ashes can we begin to receive the beauty that God wants to give us.

Updating about the construction of the residential house, Lawrence writes: "Our building at Makindu is now just getting ready for roofing. Though I have been much away, it has progressed to that extent. We thank God for blessing us this far and to the extent that we now see the possibilities of housing several visitors who come for spiritual help, and also those who will come to minister to us. Glory to God. We now await His will and blessings as to the roofing. Please, pray for us to be able to roof it in time. 

We have had moderate rains around Makindu Town and the surrounding areas. There will be a moderate harvest and according assessments, there will be enough food for the next two months in every family that planted some.  The other areas have adequate rains for a very good harvest. Those who have began selling dry beans are selling at a very low price, compared to Makindu. Dry maize will be in the market from end of this month. I am thinking of buying, the Lord willing, and transporting food, (especially grains, beans and peas),  from other areas to Makindu as soon as it is possible so that we can have some in store for the children and meetings, and also some for resale to make a living."

As God has promised: "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes..." (Isaiah 61:3-4)

When God Limits

I wanted to write earlier, but when God limits us it is for our good. It qualifies us to share depths that far outreach our flights of fancy. And we need the deep well of living water in times like this.

After all, it is a time of crisis. Perhaps our mind rivets on the big ones. Earthquakes and tsunamis that turn society upside down. Perpetual drought and famine that drain all resources and vitality. But we all face crisis situations. We feel the stretch of being at our limit. When the stresses of life wash over our head, or a difficult situation drags out unbearably long. Crises are the things that show us our need of God more than anything else. It is at times like these that we find out where we are building - the unshaken Rock or the shifting sands.

Some dangers are harder to recognize. It is easy to see the crisis of being deprived of our resources, our loved ones, our health, or our sanity. But what struck a cord with me recently was the reality of another type of crisis altogether. I was looking over a life summary of king Hezekiah described as four crises. The first was the choice to forsake his father's idols, where he emerges as righteous king. Later, in the crises of enemy invasion and sickness, his faith takes hold of God and mighty miracles are wrought. But it is in the crisis of prosperity that he fails.

Prosperity.
That's what we are all after, aren't we?
And surely that's why we need a God who limits us. We don't know when we have too much. We don't know when we getting "too big for our britches" and setting our hopes on air castles, instead of the mansions eternal. So, in faithful love, our heavenly Father crosses our wills and reproves our attitudes.
Do we then bawl and kick like a rebellious child?
Give the cold shoulder to such cruel authority?
Let us not miss the heart of it all! He strips us "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." (Heb. 12:10) Breaks up our rough earth and wrenches out our vain desires that He might grow His fragrant lilies there.
How are we responding to being reduced?
It is time to catch a vision of the beauty He is after!

It also puts a heavenly perspective on the recent news from Makindu. As usual, progress is painstakingly slow.

Among other spiritual labors, Lawrence updates on the Bible Center: We have been collecting the building stone for quite a long time. It is slow work as we cannot engage transport as we did at the beginning, so we transport it slowly using the bicycles. It will be some time till we will be able to collect enough at this rate. We also had to make bricks and burn them--just by ourselves as we are not able to engage paid labor. We will be sending some photographs as soon as we start the building work again.

And regarding the drought conditions: The rains came quite heavily on the night of 18th March and never came back again. It rained enough to get the vegetation sprouting again, but we could not sow until we had enough rains to get the seeds germinating. Now as I write, it is cloudy and we are expecting the rains to fall any time now. Praise the Lord.

Among the many blessings of being limited by God is our greater awareness of His mercies and goodness. It is a privilege to be small enough to fit in God's hand, and to witness Him working moment by moment. Let us not despise the day of small things.