I Laughed Too

Pastor Nahum worked the whole day building chalk boards for his school that is set to start next week.  He’ll do the same tomorrow.  Remember the 200 village children depending on his school for their education?  Their first day of school is just days away.  The school is not fully funded nevertheless this next Wednesday morning, the children will show up, eager to learn, hopeful for teachers available to offer them an education that will protect them from the crashing waves of poverty that beat down their families every single day.  

Pastor Nahum needs 45 people to give $30 to sponsor the school children to keep Gilbert Christian School operational.  We are praising our faithful God for the provisions we've received so far but we still need 28 people to respond.  We don't know where the remaining provisions will come from but Pastor Nahum is giving all he has, walking in faith and depending on God.  

He laughed tonight and I couldn't believe it.  On top of working hard all day to prepare for the school opening, his generator and inverter both stopped working today.  No generator means no water.  That generator is the power source that pumps their water from their well.  And with a genuine hearty laugh he said, “I have so much to be thankful for.  I don’t know what I’m going to do but I want to teach my children to have joy even when things are difficult.  Let’s pray.”  

Their pain is my pain so I'm struggling to produce even a slight half smile here in this moment...who can let out sincere joy filled laughter?  Can I just say I’m amazed?  Yes, I’m altogether both convicted and amazed.  Because I’ve heard it before, in lots of solid convincing sermons about finding joy in the midst of our trials.  But when the whole sky falls on our world, to actually choose laughter, to find joy in that moment…who can do that?  Only those whose eyes are fixed secure on Jesus.  He wasn't being sarcastic, he was really happy.  He laughed some more.  It was infectious and then I laughed too...I shared in the strange mysterious joy he had found and it was good.    

Pastor Nahum's life…a rare treasure, touching more lives than he’ll ever know.  

Please continue to stand with him and his children.  They need water.  They need provisions for their school.  Please don't say it’s become all too overwhelming.  It's their reality so if we are children of the most holy God who sits enthroned above all the heavens and the earth then this can't be too much.  Pray God will provide for his school and fix his generator…

That’s all for now.

If you want to sign up to sponsor the school children, go here:   http://back-to-life-ministries.blogspot.com/p/donate.html