Live By It

     

     It's taken me nearly a week to even begin organizing my thoughts and feelings from my time in Kenya. I remain overwhelmed at all I saw and did during my time there. I'm not surprised by this emotion. I knew it would be an unforgettable experience. Sorting through the wide range of my emotions - from pure joy to pure heartache - takes time.

     As I look back over my life since April 24, 2010, I see a life reliant on God. I see a life in mourning. I see a life grieving many losses. I see a life attempting to live. I see a life seeking purpose. I see a life that has changed. 

     Going near has been life-changing. Not that I'm surprised by that. Going near has changed my children's lives. I'm not surprised by that, either. Yet God, as He so often does, has taken our going near and rewarded it in a way that is nearly indescribable. Going near with Go Near Ministry is what our family was called to do. Our family that was changed over 4 years ago in a way that we didn't want or expect. I knew, though, that God had a plan. A plan that we couldn't see. A plan that we still don't see. A plan that we are living. How blessed I was on that Saturday night in April when God gave me a peace that passes all understanding. That peace is still with me, and is what guided me to go near.

     It wasn't a coincidence that beautiful afternoon when God crossed my path with Melody Taylor's. I still remember it as if it were yesterday. Her mission for the people of Kenya has become mine. Go Near's driving force, James 1:27, has become mine. 

     James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

     During my quiet time over the last few days, I've sought God through His word in what He wanted me to share. I read through several books in the Bible, reading some very fitting and encouraging scripture. I kept coming back to the book of James. How silly of me to think God would want me to use any other word! When I read God's word, I like to look at several different translations. It gives me reason to pause and really think about what God is saying. To that end, I found myself in The Message translation. However, I found myself drawn to the verses preceding verse 27. 

     James 1:23-24 If some fail to do what God requires, it’s as if they forget the word as soon as they hear it. One minute they look in the mirror, and the next they forget who they are and what they look like.25 However, it is possible to open your eyes and take in the beautiful, perfect truth found in God’s law of liberty and live by it. If you pursue that path and actually do what God has commanded, then you will avoid the many distractions that lead to an amnesia of all true things and you will be blessed.

26 If you put yourself on a pedestal, thinking you have become a role model in all things religious, but you can’t control your mouth, then think again. Your mouth exposes your heart, and your religion is useless. 27 Real, true religion from God the Father’s perspective is about caring for the orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence of the world.

     Open your eyes to God's law of liberty...and live by it. Pursue that path. Do what God has commanded. Care for orphans and widows who suffer needlessly. Go near. 

     I look forward to sharing all of our experiences. I want to say a special thank you to those who helped sponsor us financially. May God bless you ten-fold!

     God's Blessings,

     Jennifer