Africa

God’s Child

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

“He reacted like it was the best news he’d ever heard!”

 

I listened as my friend Carol

recounted one of her interactions in Uganda…

 

As she taught village children about God’s Word

and encouraged them to memorize the precious words,

 

She led some in a prayer of surrender

to Truth

 

And told a young one,

“You are now a child of God!”

 

 

The boy reacted with sheer

uninhibited excitement

 

With elation

inside and out

 

It was the best news

he had

ever

heard

 

No one could curb his enthusiasm

over the unbelievable message

 

And a life was changed that day

 

Because a young one

embraced His Father

 

And God’s grace

and love

and forgiveness

enveloped the child

 

He was grafted into the family

he longed for

 

An orphan’s hope,

to be adopted by God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.

– John 1:2 (NLT)

 

Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

– Matthew 18:2-4 (NLT)

 

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.

– Mark 10:13-16 (NLT)

 

You are all God’s children by believing in Christ Jesus.

– Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

 

“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

– John 14:17-19 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Love Always Trusts

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love always trusts…

– 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

 

In other translations – “love believes all things”.

Believes – Greek pisteuo = faith, trust, belief. In context it implies that love sees the best in others or gives the other person the benefit of the doubt, choosing to believe the best about them, not the worst…Paul is not saying that love is gullible and believes everything and does not exercise qualities such as wisdom and discernment…love will believe well of others unless convinced otherwise.

-Bruce Hurt

 

When love has no evidence, it believes the best. When the evidence is adverse, it hopes for the best. And when hopes are repeatedly disappointed, it still courageously waits.

-Robertson & Plummer

 

I’m thankful that my parents trusted me as a teenager; it made me want to live up to that trust. One of my friends had parents who did not trust him, and he lived up to their distrust! Sometimes you will get ripped off when you trust, but love persists in trusting.

– Steven Cole

 

You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

– Isaiah 26:3,4 (NIV)

 

People are not always trustworthy.

God is.

 

Instead of mulling over broken trust from the past,

and approaching every person with a leery eye,

may I seek to be trustworthy

and love people with openness,

believing that my God

Who is faithful

will guard my heart

and wants me to trust.

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Photo by Nicole Stewart

Love Always Protects

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love always protects…

– 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

 

Love protects in many different ways. Love protects from the harm of gossip from our own mouths or others’. Love protects physically, even to the point of giving up our lives for our loved ones if necessary -there is no greater love. Love protects by praying spiritual, emotional, and physical protection over a person. Love seeks to protect one’s marriage. Love steps up to protect the vulnerable. When dating, love protects the virtue of the other person. Love covers over a multitude of sins.

– Susie Stewart

 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

– Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

 

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

– John 15:13 (NLT)

 

You are my hiding place. You will keep me out of trouble and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free.

– Psalm 32:7 (VOICE)

 

He who takes refuge in the shelter of the Most High
will be safe in the shadow of the Almighty.
He will say to the Eternal, “My shelter, my mighty fortress,
my God, I place all my trust in You.”
For He will rescue you from the snares set by your enemies who entrap you
and from deadly plagues.
Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers,
will protect you under His great wings;
His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.
You will not dread the terrors that haunt the night
or enemy arrows that fly in the day
Or the plagues that lurk in darkness
or the disasters that wreak havoc at noon.
A thousand may fall on your left,
ten thousand may die on your right,
but these horrors won’t come near you.
Only your eyes will witness
the punishment that awaits the evil,
but you will not suffer because of it.
For you made the Eternal [your] refuge,
the Most High your only home.
No evil will come to you;
plagues will be turned away at your door.
He will command His heavenly messengers to guard you,
to keep you safe in every way.
They will hold you up in their hands
so that you will not crash, or fall, or even graze your foot on a stone.
You will walk on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the lion and the serpent underfoot.
“Because He clings to Me in love,
I will rescue him from harm;
I will set him above danger.
Because he has known Me by name,
He will call on Me, and I will answer.
I’ll be with him through hard times;
I’ll rescue him and grant him honor.
I’ll reward him with many good years on this earth
and let him witness My salvation.”

– Psalm 91 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Sam Magumba

Mind The Gap

/ Susie Stewart / 5 Comments

You are there.

I am here.

There is a gap.

I cross the gap and I see you, truly see you.

And you live in extreme poverty

The walls of your home are mud and sticks

Your front door is a piece of torn fabric.

My door here…

Well it opens to a very large house

With too many rooms for the few people who live here

The echo of your voice heard in these large spaces

And your family, all of you, sleep on a mud floor in one room

And you don’t have a bed

And you are tired.

I’m tired too.

I’m tired of the huge gap between me and you

Between how I live and how you live.

That’s why I’m moving.

Out of this familiar and comfortable home

Where rooms are plenty and I forget….

How you are not comfortable

And you may only have one meal a day

And you are a servant to the relatives who took you in

When your parents died…

The gap is too large.

I want to mind the gap

I want to do more, and then more, and then more

And acknowledge that you are suffering.

Acknowledge that you are there.

And I am here.

And there is a gap.

Not just in distance

but in tolerance of suffering.

Just enough is not enough

Radical is what God is after.

Minding the gap

So that you will have a place to call home

With a bed

And a family

And I find joy and purpose and I am blessed

Because I know for you, life is better

Because life for me,  has changed.

– Susie Stewart

Let us not love with words or speech, but with action and in truth.

– 1 John 3:18 (NIV)

Friends, please search your hearts for ways that you can love radically.  There is still so much need in the world.  God calls us to different things, but there is no doubt that He calls all of us to DO something.  This has been a journey for me of how to live more simply so that others can simply live.  I have been inspired by my daughter Nicole, who for so long has set an example of simplicity and a lack of materialism.  The book “Crazy Love” has had a huge impact on our family and this sermon by Joshua Clemmons.  No judgment cast on anyone else, just challenging all of us to find ways to do more.

http://www.trueimpactministries.com – a ministry that is minding the gap.

* “Mind the Gap” is a phrase that originated in London as a warning to passengers as they cross from a station platform to a train door.   

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Photos taken by  Susie Stewart

Alone

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

Loneliness.

Ever been there?

Everyone has.

Sometimes loneliness lasts for hours.

Sometimes days.

Sometimes years.

Loneliness cuts deep.  It is a place where thoughts can run wild.  It is a place where discouragement can settle in and make itself at home.  It can be a place of overwhelming self-focus.

Loneliness.

Even the word brings sad sighs.

Loneliness is real, right?  But is aloneness a reality?

Am I ever truly alone?

Webster says loneliness is a sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote, isolated…

Jesus knows alone.  On that cross.  Everyone had turned away, even the Father who loved Him perfectly.  He knows alone.

Amazing, isn’t it?  Jesus knew loneliness like no one has ever felt.

And yet.

He never leaves us in that state.

He never leaves us alone.

Aloneness is not a reality!  It is an illusion!

We are never alone.  Even when we are.

What a glorious fact to ponder!

Even in my isolation.  Even on my island.  Even in my seasons of being companionless, there He is.  And He knows.

He knows the feelings.

He knows.

And He is sitting there by me, and looking into my distant eyes, and loving me, and reminding me with blessing after blessing after blessing….

And yet sometimes…

Instead of noticing, instead of being there with Him, and listening to Him, and sharing my heart with Him…

I choose instead, the path of self-pity.  I’m worn-out and dwelling on the muck.

Why can’t I see with my spiritual eyes that He is RIGHT THERE.

It’s because loneliness dwelt upon shuts out.

It shuts out gratefulness.  It shuts out pursuing others.

It shuts out God.

The One who faithfully and lovingly pursues me, and is present always,

gets. shut. out.

He reminds me, even just this morning, that I am serving beautiful, forgotten, lonely children half a world away.  As I sit in a quiet house day after day by myself, clicking away at these keys, Jesus the Rescuer, is taking that time of island-dwelling to reach down with His loving hand outstretched and leading precious ones to a place of refuge.  A place of belonging.  A place of abundance.  A place of love.

Small and innocent, abused and forgotten, hungry and hurting…. what is my loneliness compared to theirs?  They are not forsaken.  And neither am I.

What we do with our aloneness matters.

Love God, love people.  The two greatest commandments.  How simple, right?

Keep me from eyes that study myself way too much, Lord.  Thank you for taking on ultimate loneliness so that I didn’t have to.

– Susie Stewart

 

Click here – “Alone Yet Not Alone” by Joni Eareckson Tada

 

Photo taken by Susie Stewart