A Faith Like This...

 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

-Matthew 7:25-26 

It has been brought to my attention that some perceive my recent heart for missions as taking the place of the call God has placed on my life to write and speak. That is not the case...AT ALL!

The way I described it to my husband last week was that this missions outreach is only a slice of the the whole ministry pie that God has given me.

You see, God has given me a heart to minister to women everywhere and I do my best through my book, Arm Yourself, and sharing life experiences and lessons learned. I do it through speaking events and getting to verbally explain this heart change that started as a flame and grew into a fire for Him! I do it through the many outlets of social media. 

When you have been rescued from what felt like the pit of hell and was shrouded in darkness that you doubted everything in your life, you can't keep quiet about that. I can't keep silent, I won't! 

So when I hear stories of women like this....

-Women who brew alcohol for a living, desperate to feed their children, giving it to their little ones so they can sleep instead of fighting hunger pangs at night.

-Women who sneak out of their homes after their children are sleeping to prostitute themselves all night so they might be able to afford food for their families the next day.

-Women who work tirelessly at back breaking jobs all day to maybe provide one meal a day for their children. But when work is not available, having to fill their children's bellies with mud and salt so it might camouflage the pain hunger causes. 

I can't just sit and watch. I can't just read the book that brought this situation to my attention and do nothing. I want to do something for these women too. Yes, these ladies that live an ocean away from me in Uganda, I want them to know someone in Texas is thinking about them. So the only thing I know to do is throw a community garage sale and help support these ministries that give back to these impoverished communities. Click here for more info and how you can help.

What amazes me the most is that some of these women believe in the same good God that I do. They have  a faith so deep and heartfelt, they are able to live a life of thankfulness and gratitude for that one meal or those few cents they earn from a day's wages. I want a faith like this. 

I was humbled by the stories of these incredible women and their stories of hope, faith and perseverance.  I am grateful the book Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis crossed my path. Books have such an incredible way of actually putting you into an author's shoes. They take you on a journey with them and you can visualize the circumstances or situations going on. At least, that is how it works for me. When I read a book it plays out like a movie in my head and I can almost reach out and touch the person I am reading about.

I recently conducted a poll on Facebook asking how books have changed people's lives and the response was amazing! Usually the catalyst for anyone's life change or heart change came from a book unless they had a supernatural experience or a miracle from God. But what so inspired me from reading Katie's book was that it was so inspired by THE BOOK. I am talking about the Bible here. If one woman at nineteen years old can be so moved by her God and the power of His word, then can't we all? We don't have to be nineteen to allow God to take over and have complete control and access to our hearts. It doesn't mean you have to pack up and move to Uganda and become a missionary either. 

God wants to use you right where you are, with the influence you have around the people you see on an everyday basis. I want a faith like this. A Faith that emboldens me to speak up and speak out and stand up for injustice. I want a faith that empowers me to live confidently for Jesus Christ when it may not be the popular vote. I want a faith that is formed on the rock so that when the wind blows and the storms rage, I am still standing.

I want a faith that when the odds are stacked and nothing goes the way I planned, I can still lift my hands and praise my God, thankful at the end of the day.

Is your faith built on the rock or shifting sand?

Today's song is "You Don't Miss a Thing" by Bethel. God sees these women in Uganda and loves them dearly as children of God just as much as He loves me and you. Isn't is a privilege to know that God doesn't miss a thing?

What a mystery
That You notice me
And in a crowd of ten thousand
You don’t miss a thing