Need is Insatiable
Thursday, September 05, 2013
When my husband and I first decided to join MAF, I spent a good amount of time thinking and praying about what my role should be while my husband would be flying. As I talked to people, I got such a variety of answers I thought that people were just giving me ideas off the top of their heads and not real options. However since I have been here I have realized that everyone was not trying to confuse me but were trying to express in a way that I (having not lived in a 3rd world country yet) could understand; they were trying to help me understand the verse in Matthew 9:37 that says “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
 |
| Photo Credit : Nicole Bradfield |
Since I have been here, I have been asked to help with a youth group, teach a class at a school, host visitors, take visitors around on a regular basis to go shopping, help full time with adopting families coming here, organize shopping orders, teach sewing classes, take photos for friends and organizations, visit a senior home on a regular basis, hand out food to street kids, go to a weekly book club, go to a weekly baby club, grow a garden, raise rabbits, chickens and guinea fowl, go to a bible study every Tuesday, teach girls bible study every Wednesday, visit a orphanage every Friday, play baseball every Saturday, volleyball every Sunday, make dinner, take care of the house my daughter and husband everyday! … * and breath *
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…
Some of those things on that list are things for me, and some are for others… but they are all things to do, sometimes its things I need and some are things that others need and they are all good needs, needs that ask to be filled.
Someone gave us some great advice or at least a great statement that I have always remembered before coming they said to us that:
“Need is insatiable”
Many people ask us to and will ask us to do something that is so important… Dont get me wrong, I love to help people where I can, I love all the things that I have been asked to do however I also realize that we will never be able to fill all the need that is here especially in a country like Congo where the need of the people here daily break your heart.
We have learned (not always perfectly) the art of saying No… sometimes with hurt in our heart and tears in our eyes, however I must if I am to keep things in priority; God first, my family second, my ministry third, all other needs after. If I do not I will drown in the sea of the needs of this world.
Luckily we serve a God who is capable and does not ask us to do everything and to fill every need but instead he continues on to say in Matthew 9: 38 “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” So let us continue to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out his workers to help us to be more effective in meeting the needs we can and for HIS help to meet the needs when we cannot.
2 comments
This reminds me of what our pastor pointed out yesterday. When Jesus said, "Give to everyone who asks." He did not say give them what they ask for. He simply said give. When people asked of Him as He walked down the street, He often gave them forgiveness of sin and words of encouragement or challenge (woman at the well). He did not give them what they asked for but what they needed. We don't always know exactly what we need, but we think we do and that is what we ask for. You are entirely right in your prioritization and need to say no to some things, but you can also offer something they are not asking of you. Point to the Father and to truth. Blessings, sister. May you be encouraged.
ReplyDeleteWow, wow, WOW! This post is amazing and I really LOVE your reply Abrielle! This just made my day! Blessings along your journey!
ReplyDelete