My Hero

Everyday I wake up realizing if I don't become aware of Jesus' abiding presence within and around, I won't survive.   I surely won't thrive.  All glory to HIM for all he has done.  I've turned on worship music a lot lately and one of the songs that I keep coming back to is by Misty Edwards, Arms Wide Open.  And the first thing she sings has been in my head a lot, at the front of my mind.  

"What does love look like?  Is the question I've been pondering.  What does love look like?"

I'm wrecked even typing it out.  Because I know the answer.  

"I once believed that love was romance, just a chance.  I even thought that love was for the lucky, and the beautiful.  I once believed that love was a momentary bliss but love was more than this.  All you ever wanted was my attention, all you ever wanted was love from me, my affections to sit here at your feet, to tell me what does love look like."

What does love look like?

Many have tried to counterfeit Love.  

God is Love.  And one of the most well known bible verses (john 3:16) tells us that for God so loved the world, all of us, that he gave His only Son.  We believe in Jesus, repent from our sinful way, trust in Him completely and we are His.  But that verse goes on in John 3:17 it says "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  What is that word saved mean?  And why am I being so preachy?   Because what we do daily must be founded on the principles of the gospel of the Kingdom.  

I'm not looking for popularity.  The comments and encouragement from yesterdays post was nice and encouraging, but don't make us out to be someone we're not.  We've simply encountered love and can't do anything but respond how He calls us to respond and must testify to what he is doing around here.  

And in case someone reading this doesn't know what love is, here it is.  It's Jesus.  It's what He came to do, save us.  Saved from what?  Are we just hanging on tight until the day comes to be in heaven?  Absolutely not.  Jesus died for more than that.  Jesus conquered death for more than that.  Sure, eternal life is a BIG deal and we rejoice in it but what side of the cross are we living on?  The sad, suffering side or the victorious, more than overcomers side?  The word saved in the greek is "sozo".  Sozo or soteria means eternal life, healing, deliverance, protection, wholeness (shalom).  

4982 – sozo, sode-zo; from a prim. Sos (contr:For obsol. Saos, “safe”); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.); - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.  

4991 – soteria – rescue or safety. KJV: deliver, health, save, saving, salvation. “…continue to work out your salvation [soteria] with fear and trembling…” Phil. 2:12 . “therefore he is able to save[soteria] completely…” Heb. 7:25

7965 – peace – shalom,shaw-lome; from 7999; safe, i.e. (fig.) well, happy, friendly; also (abstr.) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace; do, familiar, fare, favour, friend, greet, (good) health, (perfect, such as be t) peace (able, ably), prosper (ity, ous), rest, safe (ly), salute, welfare, (all is be well, wholly

Jesus saved (heals, delivers, protects, wholeness) us out of His great love for us.  

And until we have received this love, we can't give it.  

“We love Him because He first loved us.” I John 4:19 

“And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.” I John 4:16

And then from that place of walking with Love, we love those around.  And what does that look like?  Well, yesterday I saw one of the most beautiful pictures of love. 


Ruthie is my hero.  

 

Ruthie is a widow and follower of Jesus Christ.  She is love in action.  Watching her nurse Esnas back to health, loving on her as her very own daughter, its beautiful.  I found out she is part of a widows program in the slums that our friends at Transformed International have.  (transformedinternational.org)  Yesterday we tried to give her a break since she had been there day and night for several days.  Full of energy and with no exhaustion in her eyes, she said no, that she was ok.  I have a lot to learn from Ruthie.  


A few days ago Esnas was having a hard time knowing what was going on around her.  She asked for her mom to come, forgetting her mom passed away recently.  Ruthie just wrapped her up in her arms and said she would be her mom, she was here for her.  Since then, Esnas has been referring to her as her mom.  Beauty out of ashes.  


Esna is improving daily.  She was having seizures a few days ago and yesterday they were completely GONE!  She actually wanted to sit up while we were there.  She had to lean into Ruthie, but she was able to sit up and get some blood flowing. She also kept down all her medicine all day.  She hasn't let go.


Yesterday we were given an update on Esnas' hospital bill so far.  It was a bit unreal how expensive it is, up to around $500 at this point, but she's so worth it and worth so much more.  If you feel led to help, please contact us or click on the donate tab at the top.  


Thank you Jesus for your provision before we even see it.  Thank you Jesus for sending us Ruthie.  Thank you Jesus for your continued healing in Esnas.  Thank you Jesus for showing us love.