wres·tle
"To struggle with a difficulty or problem. Take part in a fight, either as a sport or earnest, that involves grappling with one's opponent and trying to throw or force them to the ground."
We all wrestle with something(s).
We wrestle in the physical, the spiritual, and emotional realms.
We wrestle because we are unsettled.
No matter what continent's soil you sink your feet into.....
we all wrestle.
We may wrestle different issues.
But we wrestle.
Nine years ago, my husband's spirit wrestled.
He came face to face with a sponsor packet through Compassion International.
Something wrestled within him as he held a picture in his hand that would lead to a life long friendship with John in Kenya.
God stirred his spirit for that 5 year old little boy a million miles away.
And 9 years later, God continues to wrestle our family's heart as we think about John, pray for John and learn more about the world where John lives. We wrestle to teach our children about a world outside of their own. A world that does not afford them all of the luxuries of the modern world.
A world where people wrestle with issues such as: water, food, illness, and death.
There are days that I wrestle personally as a mom.
I wrestle thoughts of insecurities and not being able to manage it all.
I wrestle with thoughts of my children's future and the world they are growing up in.
I think about John's mom a lot and I know she wrestles.
My heart is somehow settled when I take the time to remember her.
When I take the time to shift my focus off my "wrestle" and pray for her "wrestle".
My feet walk down the hard wood floors of my home.
Her feet walk on dirt floors.
My water comes out of a faucet: clean and cold.
Her water, she gathers and carries: not always clean and rarely ever cold.
My table often has food left over for many to eat.
At her table every morsel is devoured.
My hands open His Word each day begging Him to breath more of Himself into me as I wrestle with all that I have and yet a heart that at times is unsettled.
Her hands open His Word each day begging Him to breath more of Himself into her as she wrestles with all that she has and yet a heart that at times is unsettled.
We've never met this little boy we support.
But we know him through his written word on paper for the last nine years.
We've never met his family.
But we can picture them through his description of them.
Our hearts wrestle as we long to meet.
To place a face with a name.
To embrace, through hug, a little boy who reminds us daily that the wrestle could always be greater.
Wrestle.
God may our hearts be forever unsettled against poverty.
Wrestle.
God may we teach our children about worlds whose wrestles are greater than their own.
Wrestle.
God stir our hearts to the point of wrestle. Where each day we long for more of you. Where we realize our shortcomings and beg for your blessing upon our lives.
"This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until down. When the man saw that he couldn't win the match, he struck Jacob's hip and knocked it out of join at the socket. Then the man said, "let me go, for it is dawn." But Jacob panted, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." "What is your name"? the man asked.
He replied, "Jacob."
"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won." "What is your name?" Jacob asked him. "Why do you ask?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
Jacob named the place Peniel - "face of God" - for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared."
Settle.
Settle our wrestle.....
Through the return of your Son!
To learn more about how you can sponsor a child through Compassion International please click on the link below. In 9 years of sponsorship we have given $4,104.00 to support John in Kenya. There is not a day that goes by that we think, wish we had that $4100.00 for ___________. There is no price you can put on wrestling out something as great as child poverty.
Do me a favor......just click on the link.
And if you need more reason to believe visit Ann Voskamp's link below.
The numbers are staggering and the statistics are amazing
And always....
Questions?
Email me!
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