Kenya reflections and prayer requests
After coming back to Kenya, I’ve been struggling to gather my thoughts about the entire experience. So many things to share and pray about, and putting it all on paper seems inadequate because there is so much! But rather than concede to feelings of being overwhelmed, I will try to keep things simple and share a couple key thoughts.
God revealed to me was that He is much bigger than I’ve imagined Him to be. (Does that make sense?)
Here in the states, I am at best a nominal Christian and make God a very small part of my life. He’s but an afterthought when I go about my day and many times I make decisions without coming to Him first. I compartmentalize God in a small box, reserved for Sunday service, and small prayers with no heart.
After listening to Missionary Lee and Samonim’s powerful testimony, and witnessing the power of prayer in Kenya, I’ve come to realize that our God is sovereign, and is very active in our lives. When one gets distracted with all the insignificant things that we make important before God, its hard to see this. With all the doubts and hesitations I felt before the trip, I feel extremely blessed and humbled that God intended for us to go, that He pulled us out of our small bubbles in the US, and that He revealed His love for us and the people of Kenya. I learned the importance in building a relationship with God that centered on prayer, reading the Bible, and being obedient to his call.
Another thing I learned in Kenya is that God commissions each and every one of us to be an active member of His family. No one sits on the sidelines on God’s team. God has made each and everyone of us perfect for His plan and we shouldn’t allow our feelings of inadequacy hold us back. He asks that we relinquish control of our lives to Him and wonderful blessings will be bestowed upon us and everyone around us.
Tied into that, I also realized God has commissioned all of us to share His love. Its not meant for a privileged few, but for all people, regardless of where they live, what ethnicity they are, etc. etc.. He’s commissioned us to be his vessels for sharing the Good News, whether we’re in Kenya, or we’re in NJ. Sounds so easy, but what has been holding me back? Am I embarrassed to proclaim my faith to nonbelievers? Afraid of offending people? Often times,I feel God tugging at my heart to be more involved in His ministries, but I’ve become an expert at making excuses and/or pretending not to hear. But God doesn’t want excuses. He wants obedience. So I will try to obey.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:18-19 (NIV)
I have a lot more to share but I’l stop here. Thanks. Rob
Prayer Requests:
1. Disciplined prayer and reading of the Word: I want to make God a bigger part of my life. Kenya missions taught me that God will reveal His sovereignty and love through commitment to reading His Word and prayer.
2. Be more involved at Praise Presbyterian Church: I have been complacent, looking to be a nominal Christian. Go to church, do a few things here and there to help out, but deep inside, I know I can do more. The excuse has always been, I’m not qualified to do this, or do that. But Kenya taught me that God uses all gifts, as insignificant or inadequate as they may seem and multiples it to something much more substantial. Pastor Sam’s Sunday sermon on the feeding of the 5000 was a good reminder of that. Anyways, God has been leading me to be a more active member so I pray for an obedient heart.
3. Be a better husband: I want to be more encouraging and patient to Soo, especially when she’s struggling with work and personal issues. Rather than be the solution finder, be a better listener. Concede more to her wishes even when they don’t make sense sometimes because a happy wife leads to a happier life. Lead our relationship to more committed prayer and reading of the Word.
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