Archives For suffering

God has chosen the weak

May 24, 2011
NZ Children murdered by parents or caregivers in the last five years.

NZ Children murdered by parents or caregivers in the last five years.

The hardest thing about having strength is not using it.

Controlling strength is particularly important for fathers of small children, outbursts of strength around young children is devastating to them, whether the outburst is physical, verbal or emotional. My own experience is that preventing angry outbursts at my children takes a huge amount of self-control, humility, practise and help from others. I am not good at this.

I am not alone unfortunately, New Zealand’s heart breaking child abuse record attests to this, and the statistics are but the tip of a destructive iceberg. The latest New Zealand figures are indicating that 2011 is likely to be another year of child abuse shame in our nation. People can and do look for many reasons and excuses why adults, men particularly, harm children. It is essential to investigate causes and prevention strategies, but that’s way outside my purpose here.

All I know is that my children are physically, emotionally and verbally much weaker than me and sometimes I turn this against the little people who I love the most.  God does not give His gifts to those who exert strength over others, he allows the meek to inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). He does not make greatness in His kingdom a function of strength or power, greatness in the Kingdom of God comes through humility (Matthew 18:3-4).

Controlling my frustrations, voice, irritation, anger, and physical strength is essential for the well-being of my children. It is also essential for my attainment in the Kingdom of Heaven. To attain to the Kingdom of God I must humble myself – especially before my children.

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
(1 Corinthians 1:27 ESV)

It does help me at least a bit to remember in my moments of frustration or irritation at my kids that once again I can thank God for using the weak to shame my strength into submission so that I may also become a child of our Father in heaven.

After writing this my wife, who is much better educated than I about these things, tells me that stress experienced by young children causes demyelination of cortex neurons, leading to learning difficulties and also causing the child to grow up tending towards emotional responses rather then rational responses when stressed.

Gifts I have noticed this week (#416 – #4):

416) Cleaning the kitchen floor, because the washing machine flooded.
417) Home-made Turkish coffee… Mmmm!
418) Traffic noise after the tragic silence yesterday.
419) Dwindling wood pile keeping us warm.
420) Hearth stopping hot coals from burning our house down!
421) Growing accustomed to an un-routine lifestyle.
422) Hot shower on a cold morning.
423) Toast at midnight.
424) Comfy woollen jersey.
425) Small people who quail before an unrestrained ranting.
426) Paradise ducks on the pond.

How the mighty have fallen! (2 Samuel 1:19)

427) Reminder that even the strong can fall.
428) Walking out of shade into sunshine.
429) Cicadas chirping.
430) Rope swing in an old tree.
431) Industry noises echoing around the hills reminding me there are echoes of Christ everywhere.
432) A small army of lancewoods.
433) Acknowledging a passing “I should have…” thought without beating myself up for it.
434) Blinding reflections of glory.
435) Cats lying on a roof to catch the last sunny warmth.
436) beauty of sailboats and steeples.
437) A church who accepts me in my strength and, more importantly, in my weaknesses.

Other posts related to this topic:

The collage of beautiful children is from various news stories – each of these children was murdered in New Zealand within the last five years, and there are many others also.

Links to other websites related to this topic:

If you are a sensitive soul only read these following articles on a day you are feeling strong – it’s reality, but not easy to consider.

holy experience

In Eucharisteo, Hard stuff , , ,
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Burma Quake Suffering

April 29, 2011

Are we obliged to care for all of the needy?

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In Burma , ,
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Please explain

March 16, 2011

I’m not quite sure where to start, I have things to do, stuff to read, prayers to pray and blog posts to write… Meanwhile Japan is deeply grieving a major catastrophe and fearful of a potential nuclear disaster on top of that. Despite our recent earthquake nightmare here in New Zealand I am finding it impossible to comprehend the magnitude of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, let alone the threat of nuclear radiation leaking from several damaged reactors.

In the days after February 22 it felt like our little nation had been kicked in the stomach, a much more vicious kick than the explosions at Pike River dealt us. On Friday evening the owner of that enormous boot sunk it into my guts again as we watched the ocean suddenly rise up to encroach upon peaceful towns and cities in Japan with complete disregard for life. Japan may have a much bigger population and economy than NZ, but their pain is the same. Their fear as the earth heaves is the same. Their terror as enormous waves crash upon them is something unknown to us. Apprehension at a potential radioactive menace is also foreign to our nation.

What are we really experiencing as we consider the tragic events in Japan? Surely there is empathy, mourning, shock. Yet if we are honest there is also fear – fear of the future, of what might yet be to come that may affect us more directly. The news is full of it, interviews of experts asking them why that building collapsed when others didn’t. Official inquiries into industrial accidents. Quizzing world experts on seismology asking whether more ‘big ones’ might be in store for us. Accosting theologians, ministers and pastors for an explanation of what God is doing. We are scared. The very fact that we are watching these events on our TVs and over the internet testifies that we are distant from them. Distant from catastrophe, fearful that it might happen to us.

Some like to blame God or other people, some say “I told you so“, some take the ‘let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die‘ attitude. Those of us who are trying to trust our Father commit ourselves into His hands (Luke 23:46), knowing He may lead our lives directly into suffering but also knowing He has redeemed us (Psalm 31:5). This certainly doesn’t take away the nagging questions or the fear, but it does help me to quieten my soul (Psalm 131). The future is supposed to be unknown to us (Ecclesiastes 8:17), we are called to trust the One who controls it all.

Other posts related to this topic:

Image of man praying: iStockphoto

In Hard stuff , ,
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I am inadequate, God is sufficient

December 9, 2010

Today I felt my feebleness, my insignificance, my powerlessness to create change and most of all my prayerlessness.

Why? Why were such feelings of inadequacy storming my soul?

Because they are true, and I was being faced with reality as I read an article by Compass Direct News about Christians fearing civilian casualties in Burma as the military junta gears up for a large scale assault upon ethnic troops in Karen State where approximately 40% of the 3.5 million population are Christians. It is widely believed that the ruling military junta are trying to systematically purge the country of minority ethnic and religious groups, meaning that in a predominately Buddhist nation Christians are on the list of those to be eliminated. From the Compass Direct article:

The junta perceives all Christians in ethnic minority states as insurgents, according to the pro-democracy Free Burma Rangers (FBR) relief aid group. The Burmese Army attacked a Christian village in Karen state four months ago, according to the FBR, and on July 23 burned all houses and the state’s largest church in Tha Dah Der village.

The situation for Christians in Burma is dire, especially for Christians who also happen to be in one of the ethnic minority people groups. They are facing one of the largest standing armies in the world, an army which is being given orders to subjugate or eliminate Christian ‘insurgents’. For the proportionally very few Christians in the Shan ethnic group the situation is even more difficult as their neighbours often consider them to be bringers of ill-omens to the village because they do not worship the local gods.

After October’s month of prayer for the Shan people of Burma, I can no longer ignore the suffering of the people of Burma. They are not just a news story. These people are my brothers and sisters, the Christians there are part of my family, I cannot ignore them. But what can I do? I may live in one of the wealthiest nations, have a secure job, have total religious freedom, be a citizen under one of the least corrupt governments in the world, yet I have no power to help the people of Burma. My spare change will change nothing, my good intentions will not stop a single bullet.

However, I am also a citizen with direct access to the most loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious and powerful being. I may be but a little child in the kingdom of God, but Jesus is God’s own Son and He has given me full fellowship and told me to ask for whatever I want in His name and it will be given (John 16:23-24). Therefore, I can do something of utmost significance, I can ask.

I was reminded of this by something else I read in the blogosphere today:

Satan dreads nothing but prayer.  His one concern is to keep the saints from praying.  He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion.  He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray. — Samuel Chadwick (quoted on Tim Challies’ blog).

So, just as Daniel set his face to pray (Daniel 9:3), and Hezekiah prayed (Isaiah 37:15-20) and God answered (Isaiah 37:21-22) and acted (Isaiah 37:36-38),  I also will pray to God in whose hands kings and dictators are His servants (Isaiah 44:28).

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24 ESV)

The enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian, and above all the minister, to neglect prayer. He knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected. — Andrew Murray

Image source: Free Burma Rangers

In Burma, Hard stuff , , ,
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Collateral damage

November 23, 2010

Only two days after the recent elections in Burma, fighting broke out in Karen state between the Burmese army and ethnic forces. Overall this was not directly targeted at Christians, but I have noticed one report which mentions ‘collateral damage‘ to buildings and property belonging to Christians:

Villagers wounded,  Church buildings and Pastor’s property damaged

9 November 2010: From around 6:00pm to 7:00pm Burma Army troops based in Kya Inn Seikkyi launched 30 artillery shells into surrounding villages, including Ta Ka Klo, Ta Ka Kee, Ta Ku Kee and Kya Inn villages. Sit Byu Ha Special Operations Commander Hla Pyo, based in Kya Inn Seikkyi, is responsible. Some villagers were injured and some building plants were broken. A Ta Ka Klo villager, Myo Aung, 32 years old, was badly wounded. A house belonging to Kya Inn villager Ma Myint Hlaing was hit and damaged. A mortar hit a rubber field that had been growing for four years and is owned by Pastor Doo Ko of Kya Inn Village. Forty rubber trees were damaged by the mortar blast. Also a Bible school dining room was hit in Kya Inn Village.

Please pray for these people as they try to cope with the destruction of war and fear for their lives. Especially ask God to give strength to the Christians and to shine the light of Christ into Kya Inn Village through the response of His people in their suffering.

For a full report of this and related incidents, see: FBR REPORT: School girl killed, villagers wounded and hundreds displaced as the Burma Army continues attacks in Central Karen State.

In Burma
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