I've always struggled with the concept of God's all-encompassing mercy and grace. This struggle mainly rears its head when I look at others.
My basic understanding of grace is that it is undeserved, unearned and
unmerited favour. Humans are capable of showing grace to others, but of
course God demonstrates the greatest example of this. Every day,
millions of the people He has created and loves basically give him the "middle
finger salute" with every breath they take and the way they live their lives. Yet He lets them live, and often allows them to prosper. That's grace.
The internet can be an ugly beast. It brings out the worst in people. Occasionally I'll have a look at an atheist website or page on Facebook. There is so much arrogance, foolishness and profanity in people's hearts, and it all comes out on the internet. It's like a sewer. The Bible says "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks [and fingers type]" (my paraphrase).
I was going to put an example of something I read here, but it makes me sick even thinking about it. The person pretty much called God a certain type of deviant in reference to the virgin birth. It was vulgar and breathtaking in its arrogance. And that's not even the worst that's out there. Personally I struggle to come up with a reason why those people shouldn't be smote on the spot. Yet God lets them live.
In my struggle I need to keep remembering this from the Good Word: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and then "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus."
I consider myself to be a person who is doing my best to live a life that God is pleased with by serving others. I care deeply for the poor and have sacrificed much to help other people. I have left everything behind and am now working in an orphanage. So I'll be honest and say I sometimes wonder "How can God think of me the same way as the arrogant, profane, violent fools that seem to be growing in number every day?" On the surface this doesn't seem 'fair' or 'just'.
Then I remember the above verse from Romans 3:23 - ALL have sinned. That includes me. I am still deserving of death because I haven't measured up to God's perfection. Just like those others. I am also in desperate need of God's grace. I can do, or have done nothing to earn it or deserve it. It's a free gift.
Onto the recent lesson I learned about grace.
I am a teacher. I have little time or patience for rascals. My expectation is that you follow my instructions or there are consequences. I have not had to teach many "special needs" kids, but when I have, there has naturally been disobedience, defiance and disrespect, which has led to confrontations, which has led to frustration, annoyance and anger on both sides.
Patience is something I always pray for, but I have failed to display it far more times than I care to remember. As a teacher I have not handled things as well as I would have liked on occasions.
On Saturday I was at PH268 Compassion Project in the Philippines. I have started helping there since I moved there 6 weeks ago to work at an orphanage called The Ruel Foundation.
The kids were in their classes, so I was on the playground, throwing a ball with the little son of one of the volunteer mums. One of the Compassion kids came out and sat on the playground. I could tell he was in trouble. I asked "what did you do?" and got no reply, along with averted eye contact.
I have developed a personal 'policy' of not acknowledging or giving attention to kids when they are being disciplined, so I kept throwing the ball with the little guy, while this kid just sat there.
All of a sudden I felt massively convicted. Compassion kids are from families that are often dysfunctional and violent, the poorest of the poor in their communities. I have made my goal in life to be like Jesus, to show every person the love of God in the way I treat them. Was I being Jesus to this young fella?
God reminded me of grace. There have been far too many times I have been grace-less to others. He has shown it to me, and I need to show it to this boy now. So we had a play, and the smile returned to his face.
Please understand, grace does not mean there are no consequences to our actions, and we can just get away with anything and do what we want. However, sometimes we just need to give people another go, remembering the grace and mercy God shows us every day of our lives.
I, for one, am thankful for grace.
If you spend yourself on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like noon. The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs and give you strength (Isaiah 58)
Friday, March 14, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
My Compassion Journey Continues in the Philippines (no surprises there!!)
In June 2013 I made a life-altering decision. I decided to volunteer at an orphanage in the Philippines, called The Ruel Foundation.
This decision had many consequences and "what ifs" and "what the hecks?" One of these was what would happen to the many children I sponsored with Compassion International. I wasn't worried, because I knew God had it under control.
In mid-November I made my decision "Facebook official" and invited people to help me by sponsoring my kids. Over the next two months I witnessed miracle after miracle, as 27 of my 29 kids were sponsored by my amazing family and friends.
I was really sad at the prospect of my seven-year association with Compassion ending. I've been a sponsor, advocate, traveller and general maniac. Before I left for the Philippines, as a bit of a longshot I guess, I did some research and found out that there were two Compassion Projects in the city I would be working.
I knew that Saturday in the Philippines was Compassion Project activity day, so on my third day in the country, armed only with the name of the neighbourhood and some rough directions I set out to find this mystery Compassion Project and partner church.
I traipsed around Barangay Lalud for an hour in the rain, looking for anything that looked remotely church-y or had some kid activity. No success. I was just about to go back to Ruel when I had a brainwave: why not try the other side of the main road? ( I was convinced my directions were the right hand side).
The second street I tried, I stumbled across a church and I could see kids wearing yellow shirts. I looked for a Compassion sign but couldn't see one, so I decided to try my luck. I entered the church grounds and the kids in the nearest class turned around and saw me coming. Their teacher came out to meet me and I asked if they were a Compassion Project. He answered yes and I was ecstatic: I WAS HOME!!
The Project is PH268 and currently has 118 children registered. I met the Project Director (who is also the Pastor's daughter) and she took me on a tour. I sat in on some classes, helped serve the lunches and introduced them to Australian football.
I have joined the church and have now been back to the Project six weeks in a row. While I can't do much due to the language barrier, for now I am happy being the bringer of songs, balls, and UNO cards, and help serve the lunches. We have discussed me possibly teaching English or maybe running a guitar class. I am excited about the future possibilities and am so thankful to God that he plonked me right near a Compassion Project and I can stay connected with Compassion despite having moved on to other work. I think of it as amazing, but not necessarily surprising.
I have to say that after spending the past few Saturdays helping at the Compassion Project, my perspective has been forever altered. In the past, on all my visits, I have breezed in, been the centre of attention for a couple of hours, had fun with the kids and nicked off. I have now spent a few hours sitting in on classes and have been frustrated at some of the behaviour I've seen with the kids. Pinching, poking, incessant talking, plain disrespect. I have been reminded: these kids are from economically poor, often dysfunctional homes, they are often not well-adjusted. They need extra servings of patience, grace and love. This is why my admiration and respect for the Project workers, teachers and volunteers has gone up even more: they give up their time and their lives to form relationships and show these kids some love and give them a fun safe place to be, all in the name of Jesus. Compassion is not a quick-fix instant solution to the mess of poverty. It's a hard slog, and a grind. It's a long-term strategy that involves building relationships and loving people when you may not get loved in return. It's high-risk, but high-reward. I'm honoured to be a part of it.
Here are some pictures - Australian football, soccer, UNO and checking each others teeth.
This decision had many consequences and "what ifs" and "what the hecks?" One of these was what would happen to the many children I sponsored with Compassion International. I wasn't worried, because I knew God had it under control.
In mid-November I made my decision "Facebook official" and invited people to help me by sponsoring my kids. Over the next two months I witnessed miracle after miracle, as 27 of my 29 kids were sponsored by my amazing family and friends.
I was really sad at the prospect of my seven-year association with Compassion ending. I've been a sponsor, advocate, traveller and general maniac. Before I left for the Philippines, as a bit of a longshot I guess, I did some research and found out that there were two Compassion Projects in the city I would be working.
I knew that Saturday in the Philippines was Compassion Project activity day, so on my third day in the country, armed only with the name of the neighbourhood and some rough directions I set out to find this mystery Compassion Project and partner church.
I traipsed around Barangay Lalud for an hour in the rain, looking for anything that looked remotely church-y or had some kid activity. No success. I was just about to go back to Ruel when I had a brainwave: why not try the other side of the main road? ( I was convinced my directions were the right hand side).
The second street I tried, I stumbled across a church and I could see kids wearing yellow shirts. I looked for a Compassion sign but couldn't see one, so I decided to try my luck. I entered the church grounds and the kids in the nearest class turned around and saw me coming. Their teacher came out to meet me and I asked if they were a Compassion Project. He answered yes and I was ecstatic: I WAS HOME!!
The Project is PH268 and currently has 118 children registered. I met the Project Director (who is also the Pastor's daughter) and she took me on a tour. I sat in on some classes, helped serve the lunches and introduced them to Australian football.
I have joined the church and have now been back to the Project six weeks in a row. While I can't do much due to the language barrier, for now I am happy being the bringer of songs, balls, and UNO cards, and help serve the lunches. We have discussed me possibly teaching English or maybe running a guitar class. I am excited about the future possibilities and am so thankful to God that he plonked me right near a Compassion Project and I can stay connected with Compassion despite having moved on to other work. I think of it as amazing, but not necessarily surprising.
I have to say that after spending the past few Saturdays helping at the Compassion Project, my perspective has been forever altered. In the past, on all my visits, I have breezed in, been the centre of attention for a couple of hours, had fun with the kids and nicked off. I have now spent a few hours sitting in on classes and have been frustrated at some of the behaviour I've seen with the kids. Pinching, poking, incessant talking, plain disrespect. I have been reminded: these kids are from economically poor, often dysfunctional homes, they are often not well-adjusted. They need extra servings of patience, grace and love. This is why my admiration and respect for the Project workers, teachers and volunteers has gone up even more: they give up their time and their lives to form relationships and show these kids some love and give them a fun safe place to be, all in the name of Jesus. Compassion is not a quick-fix instant solution to the mess of poverty. It's a hard slog, and a grind. It's a long-term strategy that involves building relationships and loving people when you may not get loved in return. It's high-risk, but high-reward. I'm honoured to be a part of it.
Here are some pictures - Australian football, soccer, UNO and checking each others teeth.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Live From the Philippines....
Hello,
As you may be aware, I am currently in the Philippines, teaching in an orphanage called The Ruel Foundation, located on the north of Mindoro Island (south of Manila). It's been two weeks, and God has really looked after me.
I have four students in my class aged 7-10 (three of whom are going to be adopted out in the next couple of months) and have connected with a local Compassion Project and church.
Part of my job involves promoting Ruel with pictures, stories and videos through their Facebook page, website and I have started up a blog.
As a result, I probably won't be using this SupernintendoChalmers blog very much.
Here's how you can keep in touch with me:
* If you are interested in receiving regular updates/prayer needs etc., you can join my email list. My address is dachalmers@gmail.com
* The new-look Ruel blog is http://ruelfoundation.blogspot.com
* If you're on Facebook, look me up: https://www.facebook.com/david.chalmers.14
and the Ruel Foundation's page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruel-Foundation/287014418846
Thanks.
As you may be aware, I am currently in the Philippines, teaching in an orphanage called The Ruel Foundation, located on the north of Mindoro Island (south of Manila). It's been two weeks, and God has really looked after me.
I have four students in my class aged 7-10 (three of whom are going to be adopted out in the next couple of months) and have connected with a local Compassion Project and church.
Part of my job involves promoting Ruel with pictures, stories and videos through their Facebook page, website and I have started up a blog.
As a result, I probably won't be using this SupernintendoChalmers blog very much.
Here's how you can keep in touch with me:
* If you are interested in receiving regular updates/prayer needs etc., you can join my email list. My address is dachalmers@gmail.com
* The new-look Ruel blog is http://ruelfoundation.blogspot.com
* If you're on Facebook, look me up: https://www.facebook.com/david.chalmers.14
and the Ruel Foundation's page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruel-Foundation/287014418846
Thanks.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Five Songs That Have Shaped The Journey
Those of you who know me even just a little bit will know that MUSIC is a huge part of my life and who I am. Here's a sample:
It all started with piano lessons from my wonderful mother from about age six.
I progressed to the recorder at school, then tried guitar in third grade but my fingers were too small.
Bass guitar and drums were both taken up at about age eleven, and I still play to this day.
I have taught classroom music at school, as well as private music lessons in keyboard and guitar.
Having grown up in church, there came a point where I was just singing the words to songs, without taking time to understand or appreciate what I was singing. As I grew as a Christian, I realised that considering the songs were about and for God, the Creator of the Universe, this probably wasn't a good idea, since we "will all be accountable for every careless word we have spoken." (Matthew 12:36)
So over the last few years, there have been some songs which have had a huge impact on my life. Even though as a musician I am interested in song structure, timing, a great melody or bridge, ultimately it is the lyrics that get me. The lyrics of a great song settle in my soul and affect the way I see God and the world in general.
I wanted to share the lyrics and video of five songs that have shaped my journey over the last few years. Please enjoy, and take some time to soak in the lyrics.
Song # 1 - "Alive" (Natalie Grant)
I first heard this song two years ago at my church on Easter Sunday. I think the occasion, combined with the visual just got me. The reality of God leaving heaven and coming to earth as a man to be with us is just too amazing for me to wrap my mind about.
Who but You, could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me?
What kind of Love is writing my story till the end with Mercy’s pen? Only You.
What kind of king would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?
What kind of Love tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay inside the grave?
You. Is it You? Standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries
Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome; Death has lost and Love has won Alive! Alive!
Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before
I am His because He is alive.
Who could speak, and send the demons back from where they came with just one Name?
What other heart would let itself be broken every time till He healed mine?
You. Only You could turn my darkness into dawn; running right into Your arms
Emmanuel, the promised King the baby who made angels sing Son of Man who walked with us, healing, breathing in our dust
The author of all history, the answer to all mysteries The Lamb of God who rolled away, the stone in front of every grave
Song #2 - Oceans (Where feet may fail) - Hillsong
When I first heard this song, I was considering the move to the Philippines, so I particularly related to the line "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders; let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me."
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior
Song #3 - I Saw What I Saw (Sara Groves)
Having seen poverty up close in 12 countries over the last four years, this was the cry of my heart. I was humbled and inspired by their faith, joy, generosity, contentment and kindness. They know that with God, there is always Hope.
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
Something on the road
Cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire
Your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
And what I know of love
We've done what we've done and we can't erase it
We are what we are and it's more than enough
We have what we have but it's no substitution
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
Your courage asks me what I am made of
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
And what I know of God,
And what I know of God.
Song #4 - How He Loves Us (David Crowder Band)
Top line: "If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." I can't get past this line. Every day we have on earth is evidence of God's grace, and I am indeed sinking.
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...
Song #5 - Red Letters (DC Talk)
Just in case you are unaware, Red Letters refers to the words of Jesus from the Bible, and it stems from some translators choosing to print the words spoken by Jesus in red ink. I know many people have differing opinions about Jesus and the Bible, and you might be reading through this and not really be a "God-person" but in the words of Whispering Danny, "I cannot deny something that has revealed itself to be true to me." The words of Jesus are powerful. I know, sitting in the homes of the poor, I had nothing to offer them except the Hope of Jesus.
Pages filled with a holy message
Sealed with a kiss from heaven on a scroll long ago
Phrases, words that were bound together
Now have the power to sever like a sword evermore
Heed the words divinely spoken
May your restless heart be broken
Let the supernatural take hold
There is love in the red letters
There is truth in the red letters
There is hope for the hopeless
Peace and forgiveness
There is life in the red letters
One man came to reveal a mystery
Changing the course of history, made the claim he was God
Ageless, born of a virgin Mary
Spoke with a voice that carried through the years, it's persevered
What You say moves me, revelation, come and take me
The more I look (the more I look) the more I see (the more I see)
The Word of God (the Word Of God) is what I need
It all started with piano lessons from my wonderful mother from about age six.
I progressed to the recorder at school, then tried guitar in third grade but my fingers were too small.
Bass guitar and drums were both taken up at about age eleven, and I still play to this day.
I have taught classroom music at school, as well as private music lessons in keyboard and guitar.
Having grown up in church, there came a point where I was just singing the words to songs, without taking time to understand or appreciate what I was singing. As I grew as a Christian, I realised that considering the songs were about and for God, the Creator of the Universe, this probably wasn't a good idea, since we "will all be accountable for every careless word we have spoken." (Matthew 12:36)
So over the last few years, there have been some songs which have had a huge impact on my life. Even though as a musician I am interested in song structure, timing, a great melody or bridge, ultimately it is the lyrics that get me. The lyrics of a great song settle in my soul and affect the way I see God and the world in general.
I wanted to share the lyrics and video of five songs that have shaped my journey over the last few years. Please enjoy, and take some time to soak in the lyrics.
Song # 1 - "Alive" (Natalie Grant)
I first heard this song two years ago at my church on Easter Sunday. I think the occasion, combined with the visual just got me. The reality of God leaving heaven and coming to earth as a man to be with us is just too amazing for me to wrap my mind about.
Who but You, could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me?
What kind of Love is writing my story till the end with Mercy’s pen? Only You.
What kind of king would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?
What kind of Love tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay inside the grave?
You. Is it You? Standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries
Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome; Death has lost and Love has won Alive! Alive!
Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before
I am His because He is alive.
Who could speak, and send the demons back from where they came with just one Name?
What other heart would let itself be broken every time till He healed mine?
You. Only You could turn my darkness into dawn; running right into Your arms
Emmanuel, the promised King the baby who made angels sing Son of Man who walked with us, healing, breathing in our dust
The author of all history, the answer to all mysteries The Lamb of God who rolled away, the stone in front of every grave
Song #2 - Oceans (Where feet may fail) - Hillsong
When I first heard this song, I was considering the move to the Philippines, so I particularly related to the line "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders; let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me."
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior
Song #3 - I Saw What I Saw (Sara Groves)
Having seen poverty up close in 12 countries over the last four years, this was the cry of my heart. I was humbled and inspired by their faith, joy, generosity, contentment and kindness. They know that with God, there is always Hope.
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
Something on the road
Cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
Your dream inspires
Your face a memory
Your hope a fire
Your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
And what I know of love
We've done what we've done and we can't erase it
We are what we are and it's more than enough
We have what we have but it's no substitution
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
Your courage asks me what I am made of
Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
And what I know of God,
And what I know of God.
Song #4 - How He Loves Us (David Crowder Band)
Top line: "If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." I can't get past this line. Every day we have on earth is evidence of God's grace, and I am indeed sinking.
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...
Song #5 - Red Letters (DC Talk)
Just in case you are unaware, Red Letters refers to the words of Jesus from the Bible, and it stems from some translators choosing to print the words spoken by Jesus in red ink. I know many people have differing opinions about Jesus and the Bible, and you might be reading through this and not really be a "God-person" but in the words of Whispering Danny, "I cannot deny something that has revealed itself to be true to me." The words of Jesus are powerful. I know, sitting in the homes of the poor, I had nothing to offer them except the Hope of Jesus.
Pages filled with a holy message
Sealed with a kiss from heaven on a scroll long ago
Phrases, words that were bound together
Now have the power to sever like a sword evermore
Heed the words divinely spoken
May your restless heart be broken
Let the supernatural take hold
There is love in the red letters
There is truth in the red letters
There is hope for the hopeless
Peace and forgiveness
There is life in the red letters
One man came to reveal a mystery
Changing the course of history, made the claim he was God
Ageless, born of a virgin Mary
Spoke with a voice that carried through the years, it's persevered
What You say moves me, revelation, come and take me
The more I look (the more I look) the more I see (the more I see)
The Word of God (the Word Of God) is what I need
Thursday, January 2, 2014
2013: A Year of Tests, Blessings, Provision and Preparation
For me, 2013 was a magnificent year, full of unimaginable
blessings from God, fully due to His grace and mercy in my life.
It feels kind of wrong writing that, because it seems that when most people speak publicly about the year that was, it’s all about how hard, challenging and tragic it was, and they can’t wait for it to be over.
That wasn’t the case for me though, and for that I boast in God. I repeatedly experienced His protection, provision and faithfulness. I have dedicated and committed myself to be an instrument to be used for His Kingdom, and this year He used me, BIG time.
Looking back, I can see 2013 as a year of preparation. In less than a month I will be heading over to the Philippines for an indefinite period, working in an orphanage called The Ruel Foundation, doing a combination of admin, teaching, finance and computer stuff. I am equal parts excited and terrified, as I am “stepping out of the boat” and fully trusting God to provide for my needs.
In 2013, I believe God put me through four tests, in order to prepare me and develop my character for what I will experience in the next phase of my life. I like to think I passed them.
Test #1 – Waiting on God’s Timing
This was a hard one. I first got in contact with Pauline from Ruel in October 2012, when she needed a teacher. At that point I didn’t have a job for 2013 and I was ready to go there and then. I mentioned it to my church leaders, and they said that if I went they wouldn’t send me with their blessing because they believed there were areas of my character that needed working on before I could do something like that. As much as I didn’t agree with it, I accepted the Pastor’s decision as a man of God, and held off.
I immediately benefitted from this decision. A couple of weeks later I got a job at my old school back in Werribee where my family was, teaching Grade 1.
Also in 2013:
- I was able to visit 11 countries on 3 trips visiting my Compassion sponsored kids,
- I had a great year in the classroom, giving me an extra years teaching experience
- I was able to spend lots of time with my five nieces and nephews aged 1 to 5 and see them grow
- God blessed me so much financially that I’m better off now than I’ve ever been
I could very easily have packed up my stuff and headed over to the Philippines in 2013, but because I showed humility to accept a decision I didn’t agree with, God blessed me in so many other ways. I am glad I waited.
Test #2 – The Pride Test
As many of you know, over the last seven years I have turned into a bit of a “Compassion lunatic”. I have been absolutely sold out for this child development organisation because I have become so convinced that it is God’s business and it is so effective in releasing children and families from poverty in Jesus name. I have sponsored 54 kids in that seven years, and God has also blessed me to be able to see it in action in 12 different countries.
Unfortunately some people close to me have challenged me about the way I go about my advocacy, claiming I have been self-promoting and prideful. For me it has always been about, for and because of God, and I am comfortable in my heart that God sees it that way too.
The pride test came in September this year. The public nature of my Compassion sponsorship and advocacy caught the attention of some friends and people at Compassion. My friend Chad Loftis did a little documentary on my sponsorship journey, and Compassion interviewed me for the September issue of their magazine. It turned out they were both released at the same time, and with the nature of social media, thousands of people were seeing what God was doing in and through me. To add to that, at the same time I was over in South America on another Compassion trip, publishing my God-adventure on Facebook and my blog.
With the “self promoting and prideful” label still stinging me, I was all too aware that this was a Pride test, and there was a risk I could get caught up in all this exposure I was getting, which I wasn’t used to.
Ultimately, I believe I handled it in a godly way, and it’s between me and God. I left the promotion of the doco and the article to others, and while I appreciated the many encouraging comments that were made, I made sure to keep my distance, so as not to be seen to be revelling in the attention. I believe that both the article and the doco pointed people to Compassion, the church and God, viewed through the lens of my personal experience.
Test #3 – Stewardship Test
Earlier this year, I started delivering a couple of local newspapers in my area. Not sure why. A bit of exercise and it kept me humble I guess. Certainly wasn’t all about the dosh. Right from the start I was receiving a couple of extra bundles and they were over-paying me. Not by much, only a single-figure amount, and for a while I went on undisturbed, thinking “It’s their mistake.”
However, once the Ruel job was confirmed for 2014, one day I was massively convicted. The following verses speared through me: “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:10-11)
If I was happy compromising even over a few bucks, how could I be trusted with the responsibilities I would have at Ruel, and even one day in heaven? I was reminded that honesty and integrity is hugely important to God. What I have belongs to Him, and I am accountable for how I use it.
I knew action was needed, and I wouldn’t feel right in my spirit until I had righted the wrong. So, I wrote a money order for an amount less than $100 and sent it back to the company, for what I owed. I believe God blessed me in response, as I am now financially better off than I have ever been, despite sponsoring 30 kids, taking three trips and paying rent all year. That is the God-economy.
Test #4 – The Heart Test
As I have mentioned, this year I was incredibly blessed to be able to visit communities in 11 different countries, seeing the work of God through Compassion, and visiting the wonderful children that I sponsor. In January I went to seven different countries in Central and South America; in April I did a group tour to the Philippines and in September I visited four countries in South America again.
I have already written extensively about these visits (to read about them, please click on September/October 2012, January, February, April, September or October 2013 in the menu to the right). My heart was stretched and broken in a million different ways by the things I saw and experienced. The situations that these kids and families find themselves in are unimaginable, and as Christians we cannot shut our eyes to it. However through the church and Compassion there is Hope for a better future, both in this life and the next.
God needed me to see these things to develop my character and to help my heart become more like His. I believe I could have reacted one of two ways after these trips. I could have processed it all and then sunk more snugly into my privileged life of wealth, abundance and prosperity, feeling some measure of pity but keeping my distance from it.
Instead, God used the heartbreak and agony of the realities of poverty to confirm to me my purpose, that He has prepared and equipped me to GO and BE WITH the poor. To use what He has given me in skills, gifts and talents to care for and share His love with others, in particular people in the developing world.
And so that’s where I find myself at the start of 2014: about to go on a great big adventure, with God as my guide. It is an amazing feeling to realise that all the experiences, gift, talents and abilities that I’ve been blessed with have led to this point. I honestly believe that this job is what I’ve been created to do. Everything I love to do and everything I’m good at is all lumped into this one role.
I’m loathe to put a timeline on how long I will be away, since I am not God and that would be presumptuous, but I’m hoping my first stint will be three or four years, God-willing.
A verse that has often challenged me is Jesus ultimatum to any potential followers: “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” There is certainly a cost involved in that. It’s a big ask, and I have often wondered what that really looks like, especially for people who call themselves Christians in the developed world – we are, on the whole, rich, affluent, prosperous, comfortable and secure.
In the end, all that matters is what that looks like for me. I am not accountable for anyone else. While I can look around at “Christians” in places like Australia and the US living for themselves and their own comfort and lifestyle and feel frustrated and angry at them, all I can do is set an example of a life lived with generosity, simplicity and contentment, and hope that some people follow.
I am not trying to win a holiness competition, or say that everyone should do exactly what I am doing. That would be arrogant and foolish. But I do know that for me, Jesus’ command to deny myself and take up my cross involves giving up everything, in terms of material possessions and GOING to serve. I am literally giving myself. It is a scary place to be, but God has proved Himself faithful far too many times for me to have any fears and doubts that He is with me and I am doing His will.
I need your help, reader. If you are a Christian, can I ask you to pray for me? Prayer is powerful, important and it works. I am under no illusions about this next period of my life and I’m not going in with my eyes closed. It is going to be extremely difficult and challenging in many ways, and I cannot do it without God’s help and strength, and your support. Thanks.
It feels kind of wrong writing that, because it seems that when most people speak publicly about the year that was, it’s all about how hard, challenging and tragic it was, and they can’t wait for it to be over.
That wasn’t the case for me though, and for that I boast in God. I repeatedly experienced His protection, provision and faithfulness. I have dedicated and committed myself to be an instrument to be used for His Kingdom, and this year He used me, BIG time.
Looking back, I can see 2013 as a year of preparation. In less than a month I will be heading over to the Philippines for an indefinite period, working in an orphanage called The Ruel Foundation, doing a combination of admin, teaching, finance and computer stuff. I am equal parts excited and terrified, as I am “stepping out of the boat” and fully trusting God to provide for my needs.
In 2013, I believe God put me through four tests, in order to prepare me and develop my character for what I will experience in the next phase of my life. I like to think I passed them.
Test #1 – Waiting on God’s Timing
This was a hard one. I first got in contact with Pauline from Ruel in October 2012, when she needed a teacher. At that point I didn’t have a job for 2013 and I was ready to go there and then. I mentioned it to my church leaders, and they said that if I went they wouldn’t send me with their blessing because they believed there were areas of my character that needed working on before I could do something like that. As much as I didn’t agree with it, I accepted the Pastor’s decision as a man of God, and held off.
I immediately benefitted from this decision. A couple of weeks later I got a job at my old school back in Werribee where my family was, teaching Grade 1.
Also in 2013:
- I was able to visit 11 countries on 3 trips visiting my Compassion sponsored kids,
- I had a great year in the classroom, giving me an extra years teaching experience
- I was able to spend lots of time with my five nieces and nephews aged 1 to 5 and see them grow
- God blessed me so much financially that I’m better off now than I’ve ever been
I could very easily have packed up my stuff and headed over to the Philippines in 2013, but because I showed humility to accept a decision I didn’t agree with, God blessed me in so many other ways. I am glad I waited.
Test #2 – The Pride Test
As many of you know, over the last seven years I have turned into a bit of a “Compassion lunatic”. I have been absolutely sold out for this child development organisation because I have become so convinced that it is God’s business and it is so effective in releasing children and families from poverty in Jesus name. I have sponsored 54 kids in that seven years, and God has also blessed me to be able to see it in action in 12 different countries.
Unfortunately some people close to me have challenged me about the way I go about my advocacy, claiming I have been self-promoting and prideful. For me it has always been about, for and because of God, and I am comfortable in my heart that God sees it that way too.
The pride test came in September this year. The public nature of my Compassion sponsorship and advocacy caught the attention of some friends and people at Compassion. My friend Chad Loftis did a little documentary on my sponsorship journey, and Compassion interviewed me for the September issue of their magazine. It turned out they were both released at the same time, and with the nature of social media, thousands of people were seeing what God was doing in and through me. To add to that, at the same time I was over in South America on another Compassion trip, publishing my God-adventure on Facebook and my blog.
With the “self promoting and prideful” label still stinging me, I was all too aware that this was a Pride test, and there was a risk I could get caught up in all this exposure I was getting, which I wasn’t used to.
Ultimately, I believe I handled it in a godly way, and it’s between me and God. I left the promotion of the doco and the article to others, and while I appreciated the many encouraging comments that were made, I made sure to keep my distance, so as not to be seen to be revelling in the attention. I believe that both the article and the doco pointed people to Compassion, the church and God, viewed through the lens of my personal experience.
Test #3 – Stewardship Test
Earlier this year, I started delivering a couple of local newspapers in my area. Not sure why. A bit of exercise and it kept me humble I guess. Certainly wasn’t all about the dosh. Right from the start I was receiving a couple of extra bundles and they were over-paying me. Not by much, only a single-figure amount, and for a while I went on undisturbed, thinking “It’s their mistake.”
However, once the Ruel job was confirmed for 2014, one day I was massively convicted. The following verses speared through me: “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:10-11)
If I was happy compromising even over a few bucks, how could I be trusted with the responsibilities I would have at Ruel, and even one day in heaven? I was reminded that honesty and integrity is hugely important to God. What I have belongs to Him, and I am accountable for how I use it.
I knew action was needed, and I wouldn’t feel right in my spirit until I had righted the wrong. So, I wrote a money order for an amount less than $100 and sent it back to the company, for what I owed. I believe God blessed me in response, as I am now financially better off than I have ever been, despite sponsoring 30 kids, taking three trips and paying rent all year. That is the God-economy.
Test #4 – The Heart Test
As I have mentioned, this year I was incredibly blessed to be able to visit communities in 11 different countries, seeing the work of God through Compassion, and visiting the wonderful children that I sponsor. In January I went to seven different countries in Central and South America; in April I did a group tour to the Philippines and in September I visited four countries in South America again.
I have already written extensively about these visits (to read about them, please click on September/October 2012, January, February, April, September or October 2013 in the menu to the right). My heart was stretched and broken in a million different ways by the things I saw and experienced. The situations that these kids and families find themselves in are unimaginable, and as Christians we cannot shut our eyes to it. However through the church and Compassion there is Hope for a better future, both in this life and the next.
God needed me to see these things to develop my character and to help my heart become more like His. I believe I could have reacted one of two ways after these trips. I could have processed it all and then sunk more snugly into my privileged life of wealth, abundance and prosperity, feeling some measure of pity but keeping my distance from it.
Instead, God used the heartbreak and agony of the realities of poverty to confirm to me my purpose, that He has prepared and equipped me to GO and BE WITH the poor. To use what He has given me in skills, gifts and talents to care for and share His love with others, in particular people in the developing world.
And so that’s where I find myself at the start of 2014: about to go on a great big adventure, with God as my guide. It is an amazing feeling to realise that all the experiences, gift, talents and abilities that I’ve been blessed with have led to this point. I honestly believe that this job is what I’ve been created to do. Everything I love to do and everything I’m good at is all lumped into this one role.
I’m loathe to put a timeline on how long I will be away, since I am not God and that would be presumptuous, but I’m hoping my first stint will be three or four years, God-willing.
A verse that has often challenged me is Jesus ultimatum to any potential followers: “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” There is certainly a cost involved in that. It’s a big ask, and I have often wondered what that really looks like, especially for people who call themselves Christians in the developed world – we are, on the whole, rich, affluent, prosperous, comfortable and secure.
In the end, all that matters is what that looks like for me. I am not accountable for anyone else. While I can look around at “Christians” in places like Australia and the US living for themselves and their own comfort and lifestyle and feel frustrated and angry at them, all I can do is set an example of a life lived with generosity, simplicity and contentment, and hope that some people follow.
I am not trying to win a holiness competition, or say that everyone should do exactly what I am doing. That would be arrogant and foolish. But I do know that for me, Jesus’ command to deny myself and take up my cross involves giving up everything, in terms of material possessions and GOING to serve. I am literally giving myself. It is a scary place to be, but God has proved Himself faithful far too many times for me to have any fears and doubts that He is with me and I am doing His will.
I need your help, reader. If you are a Christian, can I ask you to pray for me? Prayer is powerful, important and it works. I am under no illusions about this next period of my life and I’m not going in with my eyes closed. It is going to be extremely difficult and challenging in many ways, and I cannot do it without God’s help and strength, and your support. Thanks.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
The Next Step In The Journey - Moving To The Philippines
So, the big news is that at the end of January 2014 I will
(God-willing) be moving to the Philippines to teach (and do lots of other
stuff) in an orphanage/children’s home called The Ruel Foundation. It is
located on Mindoro Island, south of Manila.
This post is to explain a bit about how I got to this point, and what’s ahead.
In October last year after I got back from visiting my Compassion kids in Brazil, I was sharing some photos with friends of mine when one of them showed me an email she had received. It was from an orphanage director in the Philippines, looking for a teacher. This was the job description:
* Young Australian or American male
* Qualified teacher
* Committed Christian
* Preferably single with few ties or commitments
* Financially secure
* Able to teach sport and English to 6-10 year olds
My first thought was “You might as well put my name on it!” It was just so “me”, and the timing was just superb. My contract at the school I was at was about to run out, and because of lack of student numbers they were unable to keep me on, so I would be able to pretty much just go.
With the help of my friend Sarah Hayden, I contacted the Ruel director, we had a couple of Skype conversations and I basically signed on the line there. I then informed my Pastor, who is also an extended family member. He told me that if I went, it would not be with the church’s blessing, because they did not feel I was ready. While I strongly disagreed, I had seen what happened when people just left this church and went and did their own thing – they failed miserably. So I respected his decision, as family and as a man of God, and put it off.
As God would have it, not a week later I got a teaching job back in Melbourne, at the school I used to attend, so my immediate future seemed assured, though the job at Ruel was always in the back of my mind as a possibility.
As many of you know, in 2013 I went on three separate trips, visiting my Compassion-sponsored kids in 11 different countries, including the Philippines in April. I treated it kind of like a test – if I absolutely hated it and couldn’t stand the culture, living conditions or weather, I knew the Ruel possibility probably wouldn’t happen. Even though it was only a week, I thrived and had a great time.
What I saw and experienced on these trips really impacted me, and each time I came back to Australia, I struggled adjusting and settling in to our culture. Such affluence, abundance and prosperity, yet we are so greedy, prideful, self-sufficient and ungrateful for what we have. I have carried an increasing sense of discomfort and discontent, along with a feeling that I may be called to serve God somewhere else.
In June, I received an email from Pauline, the director of Ruel. She had been following my Compassion trips on my blog and Facebook page, and could see my obvious heart for kids and for God. She asked me if I would consider coming on board to Ruel as a part-time teacher, part-time administrator, since they already had one teacher going, but could use my skills and giftings in other areas. This confirmed things for me immediately, and I said YES straight away.
The first challenge was telling my parents. I love them dearly and they are Christians as I am, but I knew they would have trouble with my decision. Security, comfort and safety are very much ensconsed in their worldview, but I have come to see that fully following Jesus to where He wants you to go isn’t always going to be safe, secure and comfortable. My younger brother and sister were both married by 22, have five kids between them and have done the “settling down” thing, and I’m sure my parents envisaged the same thing for me. However, even though it’s what the majority of the developed world does, the suburban, domestic comfortable life has never grabbed me as something to aspire to. I can’t see that changing. I’ve been wired up differently.
From the animated discussions that followed, this seemed to be the gist of their “concerns” about what I was doing. Mum wanted me to stay to help with babysitting the grandkids (aged 1 to 5). Admittedly that will be the part I’ll miss most when I’m gone. Dad’s concern centred around the fact that I seem to jump from thing to thing, never committing long in one place, which following the same pattern he did when he was younger. That is true. In six years of teaching, the longest I have been in one place is 18 months. This is partly my insecurity in my ability at being able to handle the demands of full-time teaching, but I also think it also goes back to the restlessness and discontent I’ve felt, particularly over the last three years, and the sense that I am “not where I should be.”
Now I can’t guarantee how long I’ll be in the Philippines. Only God knows that, and I’m hoping it’s a long term thing. But I do feel in my heart that this job at Ruel is what I’ve been created to do. Everything I love to do and everything I am good at is lumped together in this one job: teaching music and sport, doing the website and blog and some office admin stuff. This does not mean that it will always be easy and fun. I know it is going to be THE most challenging thing I’ve done in my 32 years, particularly the fact that many of the kids at Ruel have physical deformities, which is something I’m not used to.
I consider my “life verse” to be Isaiah 58:10 “…and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail…”
Many of you are aware that I sponsor lots of kids with Compassion, 29 at this point. God has used these last 7 years of Compassion sponsorship to change my life in many ways: heart for the poor; contentment; living simply; giving generously; investing my time, money, emotions and resources in something greater than myself – His kingdom. For me, going over to the Philippines and serving is the next step.
So, to the question you might be asking: what will happen to them? Well, since Ruel is a voluntary position (I will actually be paying to work there), I won’t be able to continue financially sponsoring them for much longer. However, I definitely will NOT be “dumping and running.”
What I would LOVE, dear reader, if you have been encouraged, inspired or challenged in any way by the way I’m living life and the way God is using me through Compassion, is for you to consider sponsoring one of my kids, and giving them some of the love I have been. I currently have 27 kids who need a sponsor, and you can read about them here. As an added bonus, if you sponsor one of my kids I will give you a copy of all the photos and videos I took on my visits, as well as a copy of the letters they have sent, to help you get to know them better. If you are an advocate or have a blog, please put the word out. I am not abandoning these kids.
I also discussed another couple of options with Compassion. They told me there are organisations out there that like to be seen to be doing the social justice thing, and are happy to financially sponsor a bunch of kids, without the letter-writing commitment. That would be ideal for me, as I could continue the relationship I have built up over the last few years through letters and visits.
It’s certainly an exciting adventure ahead, and it comes down to this: On my Compassion trips, I discovered what it was to completely and utterly depend and rely on God, and I want that in my life. In my life I want to put myself in a situation where I have no choice but to depend and rely on God to meet my needs. I cannot get that in Australia, surrounded by affluence, abundance and prosperity. I don’t want “stuff” to stand in the way of my relationship with God, and though I live more simply than most (I don’t even have a couch in my house, and my TV is maybe 25 inches!), I still find myself falling back into self-sufficiency, self-reliance, pride and ingratitude. So I’m following where I believe God is leading me.
Here are some links to The Ruel Foundation from Youtube and Facebook so you can find out more about who they are and what they do:
The Ruel Website
The Ruel Facebook Page
Ruel History on Youtube
Ruel Foundation - Introduction
Ruel House - Take a Tour
Ruel Foundation - Making a Difference (contains images of children with physical deformities)
This post is to explain a bit about how I got to this point, and what’s ahead.
In October last year after I got back from visiting my Compassion kids in Brazil, I was sharing some photos with friends of mine when one of them showed me an email she had received. It was from an orphanage director in the Philippines, looking for a teacher. This was the job description:
* Young Australian or American male
* Qualified teacher
* Committed Christian
* Preferably single with few ties or commitments
* Financially secure
* Able to teach sport and English to 6-10 year olds
My first thought was “You might as well put my name on it!” It was just so “me”, and the timing was just superb. My contract at the school I was at was about to run out, and because of lack of student numbers they were unable to keep me on, so I would be able to pretty much just go.
With the help of my friend Sarah Hayden, I contacted the Ruel director, we had a couple of Skype conversations and I basically signed on the line there. I then informed my Pastor, who is also an extended family member. He told me that if I went, it would not be with the church’s blessing, because they did not feel I was ready. While I strongly disagreed, I had seen what happened when people just left this church and went and did their own thing – they failed miserably. So I respected his decision, as family and as a man of God, and put it off.
As God would have it, not a week later I got a teaching job back in Melbourne, at the school I used to attend, so my immediate future seemed assured, though the job at Ruel was always in the back of my mind as a possibility.
As many of you know, in 2013 I went on three separate trips, visiting my Compassion-sponsored kids in 11 different countries, including the Philippines in April. I treated it kind of like a test – if I absolutely hated it and couldn’t stand the culture, living conditions or weather, I knew the Ruel possibility probably wouldn’t happen. Even though it was only a week, I thrived and had a great time.
What I saw and experienced on these trips really impacted me, and each time I came back to Australia, I struggled adjusting and settling in to our culture. Such affluence, abundance and prosperity, yet we are so greedy, prideful, self-sufficient and ungrateful for what we have. I have carried an increasing sense of discomfort and discontent, along with a feeling that I may be called to serve God somewhere else.
In June, I received an email from Pauline, the director of Ruel. She had been following my Compassion trips on my blog and Facebook page, and could see my obvious heart for kids and for God. She asked me if I would consider coming on board to Ruel as a part-time teacher, part-time administrator, since they already had one teacher going, but could use my skills and giftings in other areas. This confirmed things for me immediately, and I said YES straight away.
The first challenge was telling my parents. I love them dearly and they are Christians as I am, but I knew they would have trouble with my decision. Security, comfort and safety are very much ensconsed in their worldview, but I have come to see that fully following Jesus to where He wants you to go isn’t always going to be safe, secure and comfortable. My younger brother and sister were both married by 22, have five kids between them and have done the “settling down” thing, and I’m sure my parents envisaged the same thing for me. However, even though it’s what the majority of the developed world does, the suburban, domestic comfortable life has never grabbed me as something to aspire to. I can’t see that changing. I’ve been wired up differently.
From the animated discussions that followed, this seemed to be the gist of their “concerns” about what I was doing. Mum wanted me to stay to help with babysitting the grandkids (aged 1 to 5). Admittedly that will be the part I’ll miss most when I’m gone. Dad’s concern centred around the fact that I seem to jump from thing to thing, never committing long in one place, which following the same pattern he did when he was younger. That is true. In six years of teaching, the longest I have been in one place is 18 months. This is partly my insecurity in my ability at being able to handle the demands of full-time teaching, but I also think it also goes back to the restlessness and discontent I’ve felt, particularly over the last three years, and the sense that I am “not where I should be.”
Now I can’t guarantee how long I’ll be in the Philippines. Only God knows that, and I’m hoping it’s a long term thing. But I do feel in my heart that this job at Ruel is what I’ve been created to do. Everything I love to do and everything I am good at is lumped together in this one job: teaching music and sport, doing the website and blog and some office admin stuff. This does not mean that it will always be easy and fun. I know it is going to be THE most challenging thing I’ve done in my 32 years, particularly the fact that many of the kids at Ruel have physical deformities, which is something I’m not used to.
I consider my “life verse” to be Isaiah 58:10 “…and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail…”
Many of you are aware that I sponsor lots of kids with Compassion, 29 at this point. God has used these last 7 years of Compassion sponsorship to change my life in many ways: heart for the poor; contentment; living simply; giving generously; investing my time, money, emotions and resources in something greater than myself – His kingdom. For me, going over to the Philippines and serving is the next step.
So, to the question you might be asking: what will happen to them? Well, since Ruel is a voluntary position (I will actually be paying to work there), I won’t be able to continue financially sponsoring them for much longer. However, I definitely will NOT be “dumping and running.”
What I would LOVE, dear reader, if you have been encouraged, inspired or challenged in any way by the way I’m living life and the way God is using me through Compassion, is for you to consider sponsoring one of my kids, and giving them some of the love I have been. I currently have 27 kids who need a sponsor, and you can read about them here. As an added bonus, if you sponsor one of my kids I will give you a copy of all the photos and videos I took on my visits, as well as a copy of the letters they have sent, to help you get to know them better. If you are an advocate or have a blog, please put the word out. I am not abandoning these kids.
I also discussed another couple of options with Compassion. They told me there are organisations out there that like to be seen to be doing the social justice thing, and are happy to financially sponsor a bunch of kids, without the letter-writing commitment. That would be ideal for me, as I could continue the relationship I have built up over the last few years through letters and visits.
It’s certainly an exciting adventure ahead, and it comes down to this: On my Compassion trips, I discovered what it was to completely and utterly depend and rely on God, and I want that in my life. In my life I want to put myself in a situation where I have no choice but to depend and rely on God to meet my needs. I cannot get that in Australia, surrounded by affluence, abundance and prosperity. I don’t want “stuff” to stand in the way of my relationship with God, and though I live more simply than most (I don’t even have a couch in my house, and my TV is maybe 25 inches!), I still find myself falling back into self-sufficiency, self-reliance, pride and ingratitude. So I’m following where I believe God is leading me.
Here are some links to The Ruel Foundation from Youtube and Facebook so you can find out more about who they are and what they do:
The Ruel Website
The Ruel Facebook Page
Ruel History on Youtube
Ruel Foundation - Introduction
Ruel House - Take a Tour
Ruel Foundation - Making a Difference (contains images of children with physical deformities)
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The Divine Economy
I want to share with you a story about what I call The
Divine Economy.
It’s very clear from the Bible that God wants us who have much to share what we have with those who don’t have much. Here are a couple of verses which I LOVE, that illustrate this:
It is possible to give freely, yet become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything (Proverbs 11:24)
When you give to the poor, you are giving to God, and He will repay you. (Proverbs 19:17)
I want you to know that God and His Word are true, and I am living proof of the truth of these verses.
The story I’m about to share happened to me in 2011, and I want to make it clear that I don’t intend to sound like I’m boasting. I’m not that foolish, and I know that everything I have and everything I am comes from God.
At the start of 2011 I sponsored seven children with Compassion. I had a nice little secure full-time teaching job at a Lutheran School and I felt like God was pushing me to do more. I got this thought in my head:
“Imagine the impact I could have if I sponsored at least one child from every country Compassion works in” (which at that time was 26). I called it my “Crazy Compassion Plan”, and over the course of the year I put that plan into action and by the end of the year I sponsored 40 children.
Keeping in mind the above verses, during the year the following things happened:
* Soon after I sponsored 10 more kids, I was paid an extra $400 a week by my school for supervising a group of bus travellers before and after school.
* I started up after-school music lessons, and my number of students increased at the same time as my Compassion family increased.
* I made the intentional decision to become debt-free, and was able to pay off a five-figure car loan and my University loan.
* I ended up with more money in the bank at the end of the year than I had at the start.
That, my friends is called the DIVINE ECONOMY. It makes no sense in the common-sensical, scientific, natural world. Normally, the more you spend, the poorer you become financially.
However, what God taught me through this year, is that if you “give freely and receive loosely”, with a generous heart and for the benefit of others, God will bless you. I am proof of that.
And once again, none of this happened BECAUSE of me. God, in His grace and mercy, chose to bless me in this way, because He is true to His Word and His promises. Why not give it a go?
It’s very clear from the Bible that God wants us who have much to share what we have with those who don’t have much. Here are a couple of verses which I LOVE, that illustrate this:
It is possible to give freely, yet become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything (Proverbs 11:24)
When you give to the poor, you are giving to God, and He will repay you. (Proverbs 19:17)
I want you to know that God and His Word are true, and I am living proof of the truth of these verses.
The story I’m about to share happened to me in 2011, and I want to make it clear that I don’t intend to sound like I’m boasting. I’m not that foolish, and I know that everything I have and everything I am comes from God.
At the start of 2011 I sponsored seven children with Compassion. I had a nice little secure full-time teaching job at a Lutheran School and I felt like God was pushing me to do more. I got this thought in my head:
“Imagine the impact I could have if I sponsored at least one child from every country Compassion works in” (which at that time was 26). I called it my “Crazy Compassion Plan”, and over the course of the year I put that plan into action and by the end of the year I sponsored 40 children.
Keeping in mind the above verses, during the year the following things happened:
* Soon after I sponsored 10 more kids, I was paid an extra $400 a week by my school for supervising a group of bus travellers before and after school.
* I started up after-school music lessons, and my number of students increased at the same time as my Compassion family increased.
* I made the intentional decision to become debt-free, and was able to pay off a five-figure car loan and my University loan.
* I ended up with more money in the bank at the end of the year than I had at the start.
That, my friends is called the DIVINE ECONOMY. It makes no sense in the common-sensical, scientific, natural world. Normally, the more you spend, the poorer you become financially.
However, what God taught me through this year, is that if you “give freely and receive loosely”, with a generous heart and for the benefit of others, God will bless you. I am proof of that.
And once again, none of this happened BECAUSE of me. God, in His grace and mercy, chose to bless me in this way, because He is true to His Word and His promises. Why not give it a go?
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