January-February 2013

DAUGHTERS OF

Promise

inside!

Special guest article by the editor's brother.

p. 6

JANUARY&FEBRUARY2013

CON

tENtS

INSIDEthisISSUE

theRELATIONSHIPexchange experiencing the relationships we were CREATED for

6 The 611 Man DAUGHTERSofGOD developing an INTIMATE relationship with our Heavenly Father

12

Stained Glass Windows

life&style applying simplicity and virtue to EVERYDAY living.

19

How to Beat the Winter Blues

legacy&impact discovering and LIVING God's heart for the lost.

20 The Weight of Blessing 26 Lessons from a Homeless Woman

insideevery

issue

JANUARY&FEBRUARY2013

18 PEARLofPROMISE a SPECIAL word from God

COMING SOON!

WHITEspaces

developing ourselves HOLISTICALLY through hobbies, nature, and art.

COMING SOON!

theARTofPlay creative activities to DEVELOP your child's imagination

COMING SOON!

theTHRIFTaddict Rae's fabulous finds in the veritable gold mines of unclaimed treasure

s

Stay tuned for these upcoming additions to DOP!

t

A Welcome

word

from RAE

back to Daughters of Promise! It’s

creativity

and

been a lengthy absence. This fall I traveled back to Mae Sot,

flow—the

possibilities

Thailand for 6 weeks of mission work with Compasio, the

almost limitless!

organization I worked with last year. It was a special time full

Even a short 6 weeks in a third-world country, working among

content

poverty-stricken refugees, provokes significant changes. I have

Promise, as well as new

many things to ponder and search out. Exposure to extreme

opportunities for you all to

many

lookout

are

Be

suffering

the

to

of blessing and new lessons about life, Jesus, and ministry.

human

on

vision

for

changes in the design and

brings

questions—

of

Daughters

of

contribute. My desire is to continue

to

develop

a

particularly regarding my

magazine which will bless

response and responsibility.

and inspire women of all

Living

in

automatically

America credits

ages in their walk with Jesus.

me

I am excited to see what this

with certain blessings: rights,

year brings. It looks like a

an education, career options.

blank canvas of opportunity

Growing up in a Christian

and I can't wait to see how

home and surrounded by godly friends has equipped me with

God

spiritual blessings that millions do not have. I have a houseful

growth, and meaning. May

of possessions. My needs are amply provided for. Are these

the promise of the new year

blessings just meant for me to enjoy? Or are they on loan to

ahead fill you with hope

me—gifts which God has given to bless and bring joy to my

unparalleled!

life AND which I am to use to, in turn, bless others? I believe it is the latter. I am still working out how this should play out practically in Athens, TN, and I am excited about the process!

One of my goals in returning to life here in the US is to make positive and meaningful changes in Daughters of Promise.

Expanding and redesigning the magazine will allow for

paints

in

Blessings—

Rae

adventure,

MEET

this month's

contributors Rae

RACHEL SCHROCK|

Editor, writer

Rachel is the founder and chief editor of DAUGHTERS OF PROMISE. She also writes for the magazine and is very excited to use her closet hobby of graphic design to weave creativity and beauty throughout each issue.

Rachel {otherwise known as Rae} lives in Athens, TN with her parents, 4 brothers, a lovebird, and a dog. She loves writing, nursing [especially starting IV's], traveling, Mae Sot, sunshine, meaningful talks with friends, problemsolving, photography, and anything that involves creative juices. She dreams of traveling to Greece one day and riding a hot air balloon.

JONATHAN SCHROCK|Guest Contributor "I am a 23 year old guy who enjoys traveling and having new experiences. I am a part-time student at the local college and have spent number of months in Asia teaching English." Jon is Rae's brother and friend.

VERA SMOKER| Guest Contributor "Six months ago I married my hero and best friend. I am enjoying the journey of learning what it means to be Help Meet and wife to my wonderful husband, Brandon.

I love to read, write and be with people. I am passionate about seeing women live authentically as they find freedom and discover their true identity in Christ."

Relationship

exchange

The611 man

One man's PERSPECTIVE on what every GIRL should SEEK in a husband.

By Jonathan Schrock

I distinctly

remember a

time two years ago when I was taking a class at IGo. The class was called Christian Family Living 2 and it was all about marriage, couples, and the relationship between men and women. One of our assignments was to write down what we wanted in a future spouse and, of course, everyone took it seriously. At least we guys did. When we had all written what we wanted, the guys compiled

their thoughts into a paper and the girls did likewise.

The thing is, the paper the guys wrote filled up less than two pages, and the paper the ladies wrote came out to about forty pages of fine print. Of course, we knew that there were not forty pages of stuff that they really wanted in a man, so they obviously were not taking this task seriously. The logical thought was that they were probably just trying to make us waste a lot of time

reading. So, we were having a few laughs at some of the micro details the ladies were looking for when a brave man stumbled into the room and dropped his paper on the table. “Guys” he said, “I think they’re serious.” With this newfound truth, we realized that we were all destined to be single our whole lives.

None of us could measure up to that list. After the initial thoughts of ski boats, and motorcycles, and snowboarding, we knew deep

A MAN with a good job may KEEP you from STARVING, but he may starve your HEART. He may PROTECT you, but he may not protect your heart. down that being single our whole lives was, in fact, not cool. We had to talk a few of the guys out of jumping off the roof, but in general we all handled it pretty well. We managed to pull ourselves together enough to go downstairs and have supper.

All girls dream of having a perfect man in their life: someone to care for, protect, and love them no matter what they face, and no matter who is against them.

This is a great dream, but sadly, many times it is met with disappointment. You look around and don’t see anyone that fits what you’ve always wanted, or in some cases, think you need. And then you find yourself at a loss… Where is the man you dreamed of? A list seems like

a good way to find what you want, but what you want goes far deeper than any list.

There is nothing wrong with making a list, but the truth is that probably none of the men from my story could measure up to those 40 pages of details. The thing is, I can honestly say that they were a really good group of men who will all make good husbands one day.

There is a lot of confusion in finding the kind of man you want. A man with a good job may keep you from starving, but he may starve your heart.

He may protect you, but he may not protect your heart.

He may do quite the opposite. This leaves you confused about what you want and what you need. You look around you and wonder

what you should actually be looking for. What I want to do is make it simple for you, and tell you what to look for in a man. I once heard a man use a term describing a good man. It has stuck in my mind ever since. My hope is that you will also never forget it and you will find this kind of man. I am a man and I believe that if you follow this standard it will help you in all your relationships with men-not just in dating, but also in friendships. It’s simple:

You need a 611 guy.

Yup, that’s it ladies, you can pick yours up down the street along with your Starbucks coffee. Just kidding, actually he’s not quite that common.

In fact, he’s down right rare.

A lot of the men around are busy perfecting their Xbox skills or screaming their heads off at a ball team. Ok, we all do that occasionally but you get my point. There is a generation of young men who don’t care about the things that truly matter in

relationship

exchange is that these qualities show up even before you know a person very deeply, so there is no wondering for a long time about whether or not this person is good or not, because if he is it will be pretty obvious.

where you find the 611 man. life. This generation cares more about getting what they want, and being gratified. Sadly, they then take this attitude into their relationships and that is when you suffer. It hurts everyone when this happens.

Too many girls end up with hurts and heartbreak that God never intended them to carry. You see, the problem with the world is men, and so the only answer to that problem is Godly men. That’s

To see what kind of man this is you have to look all the way back to first Timothy 6:11. Paul says, “O man of God... Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

That is pretty straightforward, and these are the exact things you should be looking for in a guy. The cool thing about this

Let’s break it down a little bit: The first is he has to be a man of God--a believer. This may seem like an obvious one but it’s also the most critical. The man should be a believer.

Too many women have ended up going to church all alone their whole lives because they didn’t listen to this one.

Next, does he pursue righteousness? Is he a man who pursues? There are many young guys out there

the PROBLEM with the WORLD is men, and so the only ANSWER to that PROBLEM is GODLY men.

who are not pursuing anything.

You do not want that kind of guy.

There are also a lot of guys who aren’t pursuing the right thing. Is he the kind of man that pursues righteousness? Ask yourself this question: is this man trying to do the right thing in his life?

Godliness: Is he trying to become more like God? Godliness is conforming to the laws and wishes of God. So does his life show it? It’s not too hard to figure out if he’s pursuing God because you’ll see it shape his decisions. Does he pursue faith? Is he trusting his future to God? The Bible says that Moses by faith refused to be called the son of Pharaoh, and by Next, doe

faith wasn’t afraid of the anger of the King. Does he trust God enough to leave what feels good and comfortable in order to do what God wants him to do?

Does he live for the present or does he live for eternity?

Does he pursue love? Does he love people? This is important because you’re going to want a man who loves people. The simplest way to know if he loves people is to see if he puts others first. A steadfast man is a solid man. Does he waiver a lot, does he flounder, or does he stand strong? You don’t want to be with a man that is one way today and a different way tomorrow. That’s not safe.

Pick a guy that’s constant.

This doesn’t mean that he always orders the same thing at restaurants. It means that he’s always going to be there for you, and the ups and downs of life won’t drown him. He may even be spontaneous, but who he is, is steadfast.

The last one is gentleness and this one is important. Does he know how to treat a

relationship

exchange woman? A gentle man knows how to respect and treat a girl. Probably the opposite of a gentle man is an angry man.

Proverbs says to stay away from that kind of person.

Gentleness doesn’t mean that he is weak. It means that he is strong; stronger than you, but knows how to control his strength to protect you, to care for you.

That is something that is so

probably won’t always be that kind of leader. He will do the best he can and when he falls short it is because he is a man, and that is when you need to let God carry you the rest of the way. Even though he may be a good man it doesn’t mean that he is perfect. He may let you down and probably will from time to time. Remember that the best, most amazing man in the world will Don’t base ATTRACTION on never be able to completely things that CHANGE. one meet and day we’re all going to be satisfy all your SLOW and OLD and needs. It’s just wrinkled. His CHARACTER is not possible so what will ATTACH you to it is important that you don’t him and KEEP you attached. expect him to. important if you’re going to Don’t expect that finding a spend your life with a man good guy will be what makes and especially if you have you happy. If that’s what kids. A man’s strength is like a you’re depending on, you will gun; its usefulness depends be disappointed. I have on the character of the user. learned that if I walk in a From all these things you will selfish love, I will be see character manifested in disappointed when my two specific ways: respect expectations are not met. and leadership. Does this Make sure your happiness mean that a Godly man will and worth are not found in be a dynamic wonderful other people. Even though leader? Perhaps, but he they may influence your

happiness, they can never carry it.

The man in your life will shape you in so many ways.

Make sure he’s the right one.

Remember, the things that attract you to a person are the same things that will keep you attracted to that person. Don’t base attraction on things that change because one day we’re all going to be slow, and old, and covered in wrinkles. His character is what will attach you to him and keep you attached. So many girls have scars and wounds and hurts that are a result of falling for a guy that didn’t have good character. So many women are alone because they were blinded by attraction and didn’t wait to see who their man really was. Don’t let that happen to you. Pray that God will bring a 6/11 man into your life, and wait for him.

Don’t believe the lie that there aren’t any men like this left out there, and don’t believe the lie that if there is, he won’t pick you. Trust God to bring him into your life, and when God does, you’ll know he’s a 6/11 man. |

stained glass windows

what God can do with broken pieces.

by vera

smoker Empty.

Aching. Longing.

Searching.

Identity…Who am I? I really want to know. And, God…are You even out there?? Endless search.

Significance…the quest for it was eating me up.

Value. Was I even worth anything? All the ’stuff’ that I had let define my life up to this point said I wasn’t. Value, to me, lay in surface smiles and laughter and my ability to make everyone happy. And now…now I was in a mess.

Everyone wasn’t happy with

me. And what if the black hole I felt I was in only got deeper? What if I never got out? What if I was left alone?

It was summer of 2007. My life was falling apart. The life I had tried desperately to hold together for years. Oh yes…it had been carefully stitched together with a happy smile…more laughter than one can imagine…lots of hard work and fun…and underneath, when I was alone, some tears. Insecurity drove me. Fear? Let’s not talk

about that one. No one could know. I was totally confused as to who I was, let alone who God really was. I couldn’t even feel Him. IS He real? In my head I knew the right answer, but my heart doubted it. I knew there had to be more to life, but it felt like everything I tried was only a mirage of joy. My life, to me, looked like a broken window. Sharp, jagged, ugly pieces in a hopeless, senseless mess that I didn’t even want to touch. Broken glass hurts. I avoid it. I won’t

"THe

jagged shards

Daughters

of gOD

that I feared would be a

bloody, unlovable mess turned into tiny seeds of

new life in

the hands of the

Healer.” mess with that unless I have to. Broken glass. To me it represented pain. For years I chose to ignore the pile of shattered glass in my life. If I came anywhere close to the pile, the most I did was a little dance around the perimeter and quickly turn my focus somewhere else.

But now…nothing was helping. It felt like every dance of fear I took to run from the broken heap I only stepped on another mean, hurtful, jagged shard. Nothing made sense. I begged God to take my life. He didn’t. Praise God He loved that hopeless looking pile of broken glass!

He saw beyond every jagged shard and, as any true Master Designer will do, He refused to leave the pile.

Turmoil because of circumstances beyond our control; fear; insecurity; loneliness; childhood hurts; loss: these are a few of the jagged shards we all face in life. They come as the result of this fallen world we live in.

Core pains, when not dealt with, are carried with us like broken windows. We choose to either carefully wrap them up in ‘pretty paper’, so to speak, so no one knows what’s there. OR, we can choose to bring out those painful, jagged shards and face the questions and fears life has thrown us as a result of them. For years I chose the

‘pretty paper’. You can imagine how exhausting it was to keep all those sharp, jagged slivers from coming through the paper! They came through at the most unexpected, inconvenient times!!! (argh!) They came through in forms of insecurity when I was in a crowd. They came out in church as I tried to impress people and fit in but just came up empty. The new cute outfit I wore…everyone liked it and it was chick. Why did I still feel empty, like I’m just not cutting it? The music I listened to, it wasn’t even

I took the risk and let go. The glass shards fell all around me. They fell around my gracious friend who, to my surprise, neither turned and ran, nor pronounced me unlovable. She stood WITH me in the shards and stretched out her hand to help me through.

working anymore. No matter how loud I pumped it. If I couldn’t please people my world would just fall apart.

But every time these things came up I would carefully push the broken shards back in. I would gracefully rearrange the pretty paper.

And I would sigh inside with a longing to be real and whole.

To be authentic and loved.

The sigh inside increased to unintelligible cries. The paper became too shredded to be pulled back together. One day

I had to face it. I was out of control. I didn’t know what to do anymore. If I totally released my exhausting control and grip on the pretty paper where would all the shards go? Would anyone even love me anymore? What if I was totally abandoned and left alone as ‘hopeless’ when people saw the real me? I couldn’t do it anymore…the stuffing of the shards and the shredded paper, which was no longer pretty. It wasn’t working.

End of story? No, actually that was just the beginning of a very long journey for me. It was a journey through years of questions and fears. A journey of healing and hope.

A journey of freedom, redemption and restoration.

A journey of trading lies I’d believed for years for truths that have stood before this old world even existed. A journey toward my Creator who loves each of us with an everlasting love and never gives up on us. A journey I am still on. The jagged shards that I feared would be a bloody unlovable mess and make everyone run, turned into tiny seeds of new life in the hands of the Healer.

Letting go and being authentic meant facing the pain I had run from for years.

It meant I no longer lived in an unrealistic world where nothing hurt. It meant being ok with the broken shards that fell around me. It meant

Daughters of gOD

shaking like a leaf in the cold November wind as I faced the realness of my struggles and pain. As I stood in the shattered mysteries I found myself gently scooped up in the arms of a caring Papa who proved to be bigger than any pain I have ever faced in life. And, to my surprise, when I faced my pain and insecurities I discovered that I’d met the Master Designer of stained glass windows! I had run straight in to the arms of the One who sees in every hopeless heap of shattered, jagged glass a beautiful stained glass window. Sharp jagged edges are smoothed off and put together gently in a most creative way in His hands!

I remember the shocking discovery I felt within myself the day it dawned on me that I wasn’t even asking who I was anymore. Instead I was asking, ‘GOD, who are YOU?’ The more He showed me who He was, the more I saw in my own life that had to go. As I released lies and embraced truth my heart slowly began to open up to receiving the Father’s love. I suddenly saw things I hadn’t seen before.

My own self righteousness even began to stink. I didn’t

need to be ‘perfect’ anymore in order to impress everyone.

I still wanted to dress tastefully, but didn’t need to run for the cutest outfit anymore so I could be in. I saw my fears and insecurities of what everyone thought vanish as I became secure in His love for me. The broken shards became my way to knowing the Father…what I’ve been hungry for all my life.

secure relationship with the Father. We learn to know who HE is. And it is also through our needs that we are drawn together in sisterhood. It is our needs that connect us. If no one ever had needs there would be no need for relationship.

But we do have needs. Every one of us. And we do have pain. And it’s real. We long for the comfort of knowing we are loved just the way we

She’s discovered a Papa who doesn’t

remove the pain and struggle but stands WITH her through the storm and keeps her secure in who she is in Him. We were made for relationships-first and foremost, with the Father Himself. And then through our relationship with Him, our relationships with others are enriched. Our pain, fears and insecurities, needs, the things we want to run from are the very things that, when we choose to face them, will mysteriously draw us into a deep, satisfying,

are and we are not alone. But as long as we choose the surface life and keep pretty paper over our jagged shards we will come up empty with the nagging feeling deep inside us that there’s got to be more.

Do I still face fears and insecurities? You bet I do! Do I ever struggle with control and wanting to keep my life together? Absolutely! But I’m

learning that whenever these come up they aren’t ugly shards to be stuffed back in but indicators of something deeper. And if I will quiet my heart and be real and face what is causing these things…if I choose trust over control and anxiety and take my heart to Him and open up to others…then I become more gloriously free... and restful... secure in the Father’s love. And the more at rest I am in Him the more secure I become with who I am IN HIM and the more beautifully the light shines through the stained glass window. People are drawn to it…a woman at rest, trusting her Creator who owns this whole universe and keeps the galaxies all in proper order.

She’s confident in Him. She’s radiant. She’s beautiful! She knows no pain or insecurity can come but to drive her closer to the heart of her

tender Papa who she’s discovered is bigger and safer than any heap of broken shards. She’s discovered a Papa who doesn’t remove the pain and struggle but stands WITH her through the storm and keeps her secure in who she is in Him. A Papa who transforms the stains and broken shards of life into blended colorful hues; masterpieces of beauty as His love shines through.

It doesn’t just happen. It comes through our choices.

We can choose to be authentic. We can choose to allow ourselves the glorious privilege of having needs. We can choose TRUST versus control and fear. Or we can choose the pretty paper and live a life of hunger. Till we are willing to let go of the paper and break the silence we will go on living a life of hunger. Breaking the silence is important!

If we are to have that deeper freer life of connection with Him and others then we cannot go on ignorantly thinking that we must do

it ourselves. We must throw away the lie that we need to protect ourselves and hide our needs. Our needs are the essence of our connections.

Be real. Be authentic! Life is too short to live on the surface! He has come ‘that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly’! And the same God who formed you in the womb has all your days written as though they’ve already happened.

I pray that wherever you are today and whoever you are that you will be able to simply receive the Father’s love.

Your pain and insecurities are no hidden mystery to Him. We have but to choose to take the risk of opening up to others, to be authentic and real and to trust Him. Only then will we discover He is not scared away by a single jagged shard in our life. Only then will we discover who He really is. And the more authentically we choose to live with Him and others, the more gloriously the light shines through our broken stained glass windows, drawing us closer to the Father and inviting the rest of the world to join the dance of freedom that comes straight from His heart!

Pearl

Promise

of

"The Lord your God is with you, The Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no

longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with

singing."

Zeph. 3:17 ESV

LIFE&STYLE

1. Take up a new hobby: Rather than enter a mental fog over the winter, pursue a hobby! Learn to sew; crochet; paint; whittle [ok, it's a stretch, but hey!]; or exercise. Use these cold winter months to develop as a person.

2. Exercise Regularly.

Studies show that exercise makes us feel better. It gets the blood pumping, released endorphins, and clears the mind. Instead of doing the typical winter thing of eating, hibernating, and staying indoors, get out at least 3 days a week for physical activity: a brisk walk, bike ride, jog, or snowball fight.

the

How to beat

winter blues

3. Grow an indoor garden. Start from seeds or buy plants for fresh vegetables all winter!

Make sure your plants get direct sunlight and keep house temperature fluctuations minimal.

Water as needed.

4. Read. Set a goal to read from a different genre every week. Reading is a great way to keep a sharp mind, preserve humor, and learn about the world around you.

5. Attend events.

Don't sit listlessly at home. Go out and forage for local events: festivals, art shows, orchestras, plays. Getting out is refreshing when you have cabin fever.

theweight

ofblessing

by Rae Schrock

This

fall, God led me

back to Mae Sot, Thailand, for 5 wonderful weeks. Last year, I lived in this small border town for nearly 4 months, and when I left, a part of my heart stayed behind. My eyes had been opened to new depths of suffering and new heights of love. I learned a lot in those weeks spent living among Burmese refugees.

This year, I returned to serve with Compasio, a nongovernmental organization created specifically to minister to at-risk Burmese women and children. Coming back t o Mae Sot was a little bit like coming home. There were many emotions, but I was surprised to realize how the year away had softened my memory of the harsh realities in Mae Sot. Mae Sot is a border town in southwest Thailand, about 5k from the Myanmar (Burma) border.

Because of unchecked and brutal oppression among Burmese ethnic groups by the Burmese

army, hundreds of thousands have fled to the safety of Thailand. Somewhere over 200,000 refugees live in Mae Sot alone. Many of these people were forced to flee when the Burmese military ransacked their villages, burning homes, raping women, and slaughtering the innocent. Many of them have survived landmine explosions, but bear the scars of blindness or missing arms or legs. Beggars are a common sight in the local markets.

An internationally documented refugee community in Mae Sot is located in the city garbage dump.

Twice a week Compasio visits the dump, providing medical care and building relationships among the people. I love this particular community. The people live in horrible conditions, and the needs are vast, but there is a certain beauty in their lives. They are survivors! They have endured horrors that most of us will never face. Their homeland is far away and they live in the stench and filth of a garbage heap and yet find reasons to smile.

Impact

The situation in Burma is one of decades of brutality, with the Burmese military employing unthinkable means to suppress uprisings among ethnic groups like the Karen. One online source cites that currently, “an estimated 500,000 people are displaced by conflict in eastern Burma and another 800,000 Muslims in western Burma, known as the Rohingya, are stateless and lack the most basic of human rights. On June 3, 2012, intercommunal violence erupted between the Rakhine and the Rohingya communities, which quickly evolved into largescale, state-sponsored violence against the Rohingya. Rohingya who subsequently fled were denied refuge by Bangladesh…..A number of conflicts with ethnic armed groups also persist, and have forced approximately 3 million Burmese to flee to neighboring countries.” 1 These are sobering facts that only scratch the surface of the situation. In Mae Sot my days were filled with encounters with people in need: beggar children in the market, standing silently and

1

http://www.refintl.org/where-wework/asia/burma

tiredly beside me, holding up their cupped hand; the homeless “crazy” lady who lives at the end of the road, talking to herself or sorting through her garbage bag heap of possessions; the little girl in the dump who carries around her baby sister all day while her parents work; the 7 year old boy at the drop-in center who is high on the commercial-grade glue he and his friends sniffed that morning.

Wherever you are, look around.

Examine your surroundings: the softness of the couch you’re curled up on; the warmth of your cozy winter home and clean clothes. Listen to the voices of the people around you and take a mental tally of all the possessions you own. Think about the fact that you still have both of your legs and that your Christmas tree was piled deep with gifts.

As I walked the streets of Mae Sot, I felt the heaviness of the burden that

sometimes we only feel when we stand next to those who are in the grip of deep, real suffering: I am wealthy. wealthy.

You

are

Stand back and feel the weight of your blessings.

God has been opening my eyes wider to the perspective of just how blessed I am. The troubles I feel so overwhelmed by are slight in contrast to what most of the world—some of them my personal friends—is facing today. My blessings are heavy and thick. There is no room for complaining.

To put perspective:

things

There is no need to bathe in a murky, muddy river.

I will fall asleep tonight without once fearing that I will wake to the sound of screams and torch-bearing soldiers setting fire to my home.

If there is an emergency, I can call 911 and count on police protection. If someone gets

in

I do not have to worry that there will be no dinner for my family tonight.

My small infant is not rented out to a neighbor’s child who is walking the streets tonight, begging; using my baby as a tactic to spark pity—and generosity—from the wealthy foreigners.

I can drink from the faucet without worrying I will contract a disease.

hurt, we drive to the hospital.

I do not have to run for miles, carrying my loved one, hoping and praying I make it to help before it is too late.

Every child in America is on Christmas vacation from an education that will always be available.

I have never seen my family members killed by military rebels. I have never been sold

into the sex trade so that my family would have enough money to eat.

I live in a warm, dry house and am surrounded by mountains of sentimental and comfortable possessions. My bedroom itself is bigger than most of the refugees’ homes in Mae Sot. I am protected as a citizen of the United States of America.

Have you ever thought about what this really means? It means I can own a car, buy a house, borrow money, travel internationally, vote, get an education, and not be abused when I visit neighboring countries.

Being American automatically garners respect. The Burmese have no rights in Thailand.

Forced to flee from their homeland, they are displaced people living on no guarantees of grace from the few countries who will give them shelter. They live in a constant readiness to flee into the jungles when police raid their communities, arresting, fining, and deporting illegal immigrants.

Life is unpredictable. “Home” is constantly changing. There is disease, poverty, abuse, and insecurity. I hear people

Impact complain about Obama and worry about where the US will be in 4 years, and it all seems so petty next to the atrocities taking place in other parts of the world. Not to mention Egypt. Or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Thousands and millions of lives are tattered

by AIDS, civil war, extreme political unrest, and famine.

Do we really have it so bad?

Is the weight of our blessings crushing us in our arrogant sense of entitlement or is it moving us to gratitude?

In Mae Sot, the weight of my blessings next to their suffering is unbearable. I wanted to do something extreme to join them in their suffering and not stand apart as the advantaged one. It doesn’t seem fair.

Does human

Does human suffering weigh more than hope? What is heavy enough to balance the weight of affliction and bring meaning to the atrocities in the world? And more personally, how do we cope with our own wealth and opportunity when the majority of the world has so little?

I am learning that the heaviness of the world’s suffering and the weight of my own blessings are only balanced through living in response to both with the heart of Christ. It is surrendering every blessing to His hand and living in humility with the knowledge that I could have been

suffering weigh more

than hope? What is heavy enough to

balance the weight of affliction and bring meaning to the atrocities in the world? And more personally, how do we

cope with our own wealth and opportunity when the majority of the world has so little?

born a Burmese refugee.

Why did God bless me?

So that I can be a blessing.

I am called to give to those in need. I have been set apart to reach with love to those who have never been reached. I have been blessed so that I can give to those who lack.

It’s straight out of Scripture:

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

Ii Cor. 8:13-15

Five weeks in Mae Sot carved heavy realities into my heart.

It has also filled me with gratitude. I think that in order to be truly useful to my Savior, He has to chisel the selfish, complaining spirit out of me. He has and is using the precious Burmese people to do this.

What will you do with your blessings? There so many whose needs correlate with your abundance. We don’t have to look any farther than our own hometown; even our own homes.

Exposure to needs makes us responsible. When we see trouble, we are called to act— in some way. My personal challenge and the one I give to you today is this:

Feel the weight of your blessings. Take 1.

a long, hard look at what you have. Let it turn your heart to gratitude and shed the selfishness

which

breeds

complaint..

2. Advocate for the needy. It is scriptural—we

are called to act on behalf of the poor, the broken, the weary.

3. Ask God to burden you with a specific need. It’s not possible for us

to minister to every need that arises, but God has given us a responsibility to minister.

Ask Him to give you a deep love and passion for a specific project, people group, or ministry.

It is a shock to come home to America after visiting a place like Mae Sot. I feel sobered and my heart aches with the suffering I observed among so many. But I also have a sense of expectation and excitement, because even in the darkness, I have seen hope come to life and I know that God is present and in control. There is work to do and relief to offer, powered by the love of Jesus Christ.

Together we can shoulder the weight of our blessings, open our arms wide, and share what we have to bring the hope of Christ to the nations!|

LESSONS

FROM A homelesswoman

BY RAE SCHROCK

This morning I took some of the pumpkin muffins to the homeless Burmese lady who lives at the end of our road.

According to the locals, she is crazy. Every day I see her at the intersection, crouching by her pile of trash bags. She wears the same filthy clothes day after day.

And all day, there she is, in a corner of a country road, under a stop sign. Sometimes she moves across the big highway; sometimes I see her on the other side of the little road, but she never goes far. I always see her as I come roaring up on my motorbike.

eye for needs. In ministry, it's easy to settle into a routine and forget that serving is more than fulfilling good tasks. It is living with a readiness for and expectation of divine appointments.

On that day, I was heading home when I saw her sitting there, at the end of my road.

I thought she was waiting for a ride. I also felt that I needed

Home is more than a PLACE; home is PEOPLE.

I've started to look for her.

I can't forget the first time I noticed her there.

My boyfriend had given me money and said to find somebody to randomly bless that day. "But...isn't that what I'm doing already?" I thought, rather piously. It turned out to be one of my favorite days in Mae Sot: I discovered a new, sweet joy to living with an intentional

to find a way to bless her. So I stopped and tried to ask her what she needed; if she was ok. She only stared at me blankly. She wouldn't even respond when I spoke in her native language. It was then that I realized she was not one of the hundreds on their way home from work, or trying to bum a ride into town. She wasn't on her way anywhere.

She was homeless.

It slowly dawned on me that I was crouching beside all the personal belongings she possessed: a pile of black and clear plastic trash bags, knotted shut, covered in dust from traffic. This hot corner of a country intersection was her home.

That took a few minutes to sink in. Her being there wasn't a one-time event. It is her life.

How had I driven by so many days and never noticed her?

On my way to the Compasio office, or the infant home, or medical work in the dump, I had flown right by and never once seen her. Since then, I have begun to take notice of this dear woman living at the end of our road. She burdens my heart. Every day I see her, sometimes sleeping; sometimes staring; sometimes talking to herself.

Often she didn't even seek out the shelter of the shade, but just sits there, in the glaring sunshine, sorting through her bags.

Impact Today I found her there as always, asleep on a pillow of black plastic and who knows what all inside. I parked beside her and gently woke her with the Burmese greeting.

She looked surprised, but not afraid. I gave her the food, asked her how she was doing, and tod her to eat the cakes. She nodded and smiled at me,

placing the bag down beside all the others. As I left and she laid back down, there in the white heat of the morning, I heard her give a shrill laugh. Honestly it sounded kinda creepy. I wondered what was going on in her mind that had struck her funny.

Or who knows….maybe she was just happy someone had taken the time to actually talk to

her.

I wonder why she chooses the end of our road to live.

What about it makes it feel more like “home” than the rest of Mae Sot? I’m leaving soon for my home– everything that represents warmth and closeness and comfort. My own familiar spot, where I begin and

to her to make her this way.

Did she see her family tortured or killed by the Burmese army? Did she destroy herself with drugs and alcohol, like so many trying to escape the horrors of life inside the Burma border? Was she abused? I’ll never know.

She has so little, but she has

where I end every day.

given me some special gifts:

Home is more than a PLACE; home is PEOPLE. “Home” is where I feel accepted and comfortable. Home is where there’s love and belonging.

What would it be like to be forced from that; to lose my mind and be abandoned on the end of a dusty road, in the middle of nowhere? My heart goes out to this lady. I’d love to know what happened

...a new gratitude for HOME; for the people and the special places and memories that make up who I am; that give me a sheltered place to land and unwind and let everything go.

She has also reminded me of my own narrow-sightedness.

How, in the middle of very good things, I can miss

something or someone more important. It makes me think of Peter and John on their way to the worship service at the temple. I wonder how many hundreds of people had already passed by the lame beggar man already that morning; I wonder how many times he had held out his can and called for alms.

The disciples were on their way to worship; to encourage

and fellowship with believers.

Yet, their eyes were open to divine opportunities, and they offered the man the greatest gift in the world: healing. Out of this miracle, a powerful sermon was preached and the next few chapters of Acts report the astounding things that happened to those who witnessed and heard of the lame man's healing.

All because two men traded in their own agendas for the plans of God. I wish I could have done more for this precious lady at the end of the road. She needs healing in so many ways. I thank God for opening my eyes that day, and using her to teach me gratitude, and to not just accomplish a set of tasks, but to live expecting divine appointments.

"Compasio is a faith-based, relationship-oriented group of people who work together to love, protect and empower those who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. With an ever-changing population of Burmese migrants and refugees, we seek to advocate on behalf of and empower those in the highest-risk situations among them."

Compasio ministers to Burmese refugees in Mae Sot, a Burmese border town in southwest Thailand. For more information about their ministry, visit: http://www.compasio.org.