Why do we have to struggle ?

Why do we have to struggle ?


There is a time in my house I bought a new TV, and both the remote and TV settings and guidelines were in Chinese language, which I don’t know. How do you change a language of the TV settings in a language you don’t understand?

There are only few possible ways. Either spend more time struggling to try every button, and tempt to change the language, there is hope on this if you had seen or used another TV of the same model, set in the language you know, or you have the courage to type every settings word of the Chinese words on your mobile phone or computer to translate them, and here it is only if you really know the Chinese alphabets or keyboard has them.

Lastly would be seeking the online help or YouTube guidance if there is any online. By all means you struggle for a while and tempted to give up. But to a Chinese? It is a piece of cake, because it the language he/she understand and can read. It would be also the same to him if the TV is set in Swahili or Zulu.

We all arrive into new places and are obliged to walk into new roads and path we have never passed, if we are wise enough we ask the directions to get where we want to get, and in the process we struggle for a time.

One thing I like most, the thing that encourage is that every struggle is not eternal. Either longer or short, it ends when we understand ourselves and the situation we are navigating.

The key

Where we are and where we want and pray to get, there is an open door which seems tightly closed. I always wondered why life is easier to some people but worse and hard to others. I lived on the street for years, going to school with shoeless feet, borrowed uniform from other kids, a lot of why’s formed a pain and anger in my heart. But one day I was able to recognized that I am poor, if I can humble myself and ask a friend to bless me with a pair of shoes… one did, another one did and more did. This reminds me a day I wrote a short letter to God.

I wrote:

Dear God, bless me with a pair of shoes, some clothes and a bicycle…

 

Story to continue...



 

home1-1

The power of a humble prayer

The power of a humble prayer

The power of a humble prayer

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

 

I understood what Jesus said in Matthew 18:2-5.

The power of a humble prayer

Two kids were brothers and friends, one was eight and another was six, they had a little dog which was friendly. The kids were living in a happy and loving Christian family. Every night their dad told the kids stories of Jesus, the faith of Jesus and His power, the kids’ faith and love in Jesus grew daily by hearing Jesus stories.

One day, one kid asked the father, dad... all those were done by the mature Jesus, the grown him. What did he do when he was our age? I would like to imitate him. The Bible does not say any miracle done by Jesus at his early age, before he spends 3 days in the temple, sharing wise words with the priests.

The father wouldn’t find the answer, so the kids went on research asking people, asking of any Christian person they meet, at church, at school, and everywhere they could see a pastor, a priest, etc.

With long search, the father read a story in Hebrew books. The story says:

At early age, Jesus were playing with other kids, Jesus and his group was playing near his home, another groups went to bushes. And there, one big snake bite one kid. The snake was venomous and dangerous; the kid was dying. Other kids run to tell parents. They came in rush to see if they can be of any help. The kid was suffering so bad and dying, people were rushing to take the kid to find help but the little Jesus tried to stop them and asked: where was the snake that bite him? He asked the exact location, people became angry of him, what a silly question, but other kids responded, it’s there…. Here Jesus again, please let’s take him back to that same place.

People were angry and said, you silly… we are rushing to the doctor, the kid is dying. But the way to the doctor was at the same location the snake bites the kid. Reached at the location, one kid said it was here. Then the little Jesus asked them to stop, angrily wanting to punish the little Jesus, they put the dying kid down. They Jesus said loudly: “you snake, that bite my friend, come here right now”. kids and other people who were there, thought this kid is crazy. But the snake came out of its bush and approached the kid down. They run few meters away, little Jesus didn’t. Then Little Jesus commanded the big snake to bite him at the same part by sacking all the poisonous venom in the kid’s body. The snake obeyed and sacked all the venom and went away. The kid became well again.

 

These two children became happy and decided to portray Jesus in their daily life.

One day, they small dog fell from the window to the ground, and hit the head on a machine and died. The kids were so sad and angry. But the younger said I know I can heal and bring it back to life. With many commands and prayers, the dog did not come back to life, until they buried it. They felt discouraged and lost their faith in Jesus. Their relationship with Jesus went on pause.

After a time, one brother was sick and died in the hospital. The family had to take the body at home for neighbors and relatives to say Goodbye. He was the elder brother of eight. It was very heart breaking on the younger. He asked all the people to leave the room and he wants to be alone with the body for few minutes. The kid said Jesus wasn’t here when our dog died, and now you die, Jesus isn’t still here. But I am sure if he was here you would come back to life if I call you. I wish I was Jesus; I could command you to live. And the kid finished by saying Jesus even if you are not here, I guess you are powerful to hear me from where you are… The kid went away from the body walking to the door, he heard a little voice calling his name, he returned and it was the elder brother back in life. Instead of hugging the brother, the kid went out screaming JESUS IS HERE, JESUS IS HERE, JESUS IS HERE.

All the people came in, and the house was filled cries of joy and amazements of what Just happened.

What teaches and humbles me enough was on how, this kid kept his faith in Jesus although he was feeling disappointment by losing both his dog and the brother. He knew that Jesus is able and can here and is the only solution. He let go his need, he let go what he wants, and kept the knowledge that Jesus can respond to his prayer. He let go his brother but being sure that Jesus is good and can heal, rise, respond, change.

 

Hello dads, keep sharing Jesus with your kids, every day.



God bless.

home1-1

We may yet find use for it

We might yet find use for it

When Jesus came, the people of Israel where under authority of the Roman Empire, this empire had authority over anyone and all the institution of the country, businesses were owned and ruled by the romans. Some Jews had to work under this authority for protection, money and freedom, etc.

 

Matthew was one of the Jews who chose to work for the Romans, it's clear that other Jews could not love him. Matthews parents were not happy of him because he chose to use his talents to serve the oppressing authority to his people. Serving the oppressing authority, it is also obvious that Matthew could be used to oppress his own people. I feel how his heart was heavy and trouble, lonely and unhappy. There was no an exit. If He could leave, many things could happen. He could be prisoned, or run away from his people because he was not loved by other Jews. I can feel how hard it was for him, how hopeless he was. Matthew was in captivity, between his career and his people. There was no way he could develop his career, the Jews had no authority neither services that would require Matthew's talents, yet he had to abide in his people's customs and lifestyle.

 

When Jesus-Christ passed through the way of the tax collecting point, He called Matthew. Oh how surprise it was for Matthew. It was very surprising for him because no Jew liked him, no Jew would talk to him, every Jew was ashamed of him. Matthew asked Jesus-Christ called him by his name and the name of his father... more surprises to Matthew, can you imagine the rate Matthew's heart was beating? I feel it.

 

Matthew responded to the Master's call, but the security guard who as protecting him and the tax collecting point tried to stop him and say you will regret it, no Jew has favors than you. Matthew did not look back, he found the way out, he found the call that restored his identity as a Jew. I can imagine how it was hard for other Jews who were following Jesus to feel safe and proud of Matthew the oppressor's servant. We all believe that Jesus called Matthew just only to join the team and become an apostle but Jesus healed Matthew's broken heart, restored Matthew's identity, Reintegrated Matthew into the family. God might have doing things to respond the secret prayers deep down there in your heart, those small words you even don't consider as a prayer. I focus so much on the previous life of Matthew to the point when Jesus called him. Only Matthew and Jesus knew what happens at that time.

 

Thank you Jesus for knowing the troubles and the pain that was in Matthew's heart, you heard and saw how desperate he was, he could not believe that there is a Jew who can call him, there was no help out. Same as to Zacchaeus, Nathanael praying under a tree. I and this friend reading this, have at some point things we cannot solve ourselves, the things we cannot even know how to express them. Deep in our heart you can see, and you can heal, restore and give us life in full.

 

Get in touch and let's pray together.

Blessings

profile Self

Author, Leonce Ngabo