Rachel's Reflections

Last Saturday Holding the dead puppy in my hands released all the emotions that had been building up for two and a half weeks and it all came crashing down on me: I had not slept well since the cyclone and I was exhausted . Stress and mental trauma from the cyclone and the ensuing flooding. A wet house because of leaks. The bathroom walls started to mold. Confrontation with a worker who was making his 11 year old niece do all his physical work that I was paying him to do. Then, no water in my house. My cistern was completely dry. To name just a few of the problems and stressors I was facing. And now my dog had puppies and one of them was already dead. I started crying. I fled to my bedroom, hugged my knees tightly, and just wept, repeating over and over what I hadn't been able to admit for two and a half weeks: " I'm not okay, I'm not okay. " I knew I needed to talk to someone. I tried calling my leaders wife. No answer. I tried callin

I cried out " Why Lord?!  Don't these people suffer enough?" Homes destroyed from cyclone winds. Mud walls washed out from days of pouring rain. Possessions lost in the flooding. (Destruction on Ibo island) But nothing arrives that hasn't first passed before the eyes of Jesus. He is Sovereign.  He is in control. His ways are higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). I heard yesterday a Mozambican told someone: "It's worth it to turn to Christianity because the churches are the ones reaching out to help people. The Mosque's are doing nothing." Obviously, it's not about religion (Christianity or Islam) but about a relationship with the One, True God only reached through Jesus Christ, His Son (John 14:6; 17:3).  But it's great to see people recognizing the church as the Body of Christ. His hands and feet in this fallen world.  The church has become a channel of God's love to these hurting people.