God has called each of us to be His hands and feet on this earth. Yesterday, I got to bless the hands of a beautiful Gogo in Dwaleni. The lady’s name is Zodwa, and yesterday was her birthday. I asked the ladies to speak out what they love and appreciate about her. Here are some of their words…
When I was getting tired of being the only one making sure that the center was clean, God sent me Zodwa. She comes every day and cleans the center with joy.
She loves the children and wants to see them have plenty to eat.
Her smile is full of love.
As these words were spoken over her, I could tell that her heart was being encouraged. I also heard the Holy Spirit say, “Get where you can hold her hands, look her in the eyes, and bless her.”
The Holy Spirit took over as I took her hands and spoke life into her. I’m not sure of all that I said, but I remember talking about her hands and how God is using them to bless people.
Warning rabbit trail ahead!
Earlier, she had given me a shawl and a hat that she had made—in ONE day! I remember talking about how her hands had blessed me so much, and with those words, tears fell. You see, Zodwa is old enough to remember the hard times of apartheid. She is old enough to know that a white woman should never say that a black woman’s hands had blessed her. She is old enough to remember, and I am too stubborn to allow the color of our skin to separate us!
As we held hands and tears fell, we were knit together in Him.
Colossians 2:2 Being knit together in love; to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.
Getting out of the car, I see their faces and watch as they walk the fine line between trying to sell you their wares and not begging you to buy them. I listen as they call out and say, “Mama, I’ll make you a good price.” What I hear, however, is something entirely different. What I hear is, “Mama, do you see me? Do you see this is how I feed my child and support my family? Mama, I have a story. Do you want to know?” This all takes place in a matter of seconds. It’s in the final seconds that I see the line being drawn. Do I continue to try and sell this to feed my family, or do I look away with a look that says, “Oh well, someone else will come along?”
I have not thought of those ladies since I left their stalls by the waterfall, at least not until this morning. You see, I’ve found myself in that same place lately. Asking, “Do you see me? Have you forgotten all about me? Remember the promise you made? I have a story; do you want to know it?” I’m walking that fine line between not begging for support and trying to sell you my wares.
My wares are not tangible trinkets that can be looked at, admired, and taken home to show people I went to Africa. My wares are of the spiritual kind, the kind you can’t see with your natural eyes. My wares teach God’s Word at teatime to eight beautiful and unique ladies whose lives are being changed. My wares are standing by the bedside of a child stricken with Aids and TB, getting down on his level, touching his face, and saying, “Nbubani ligama lakho (what is your name)?” My wares are chasing children down the hospital hall, trying to brighten their days just a little bit. My wares are touching a mama whose child is in the hospital and saying, “Can I pray for you?” My wares are handing a plate of food to a tiny little body and praying as I give it to her, “God protect this small one. Heal her body.” My wares are singing, dancing, and telling stories to hundreds of children each week.
This morning, God gave me a fresh perspective on the ladies at the waterfall and broke my heart for them. They will no longer be just women selling their wares. I will see them. I will hear them. I will understand that just because I may never know their story doesn’t mean they don’t have one.
He also reminded me that, though others may not see me and the wares I sell, He does. Though others may not understand the intangible aspect of my wares, He does. He sees me. He remembers me. He keeps His promises to me and, most importantly, knows my story and loves me.
Psalm 37:25- I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
One last note…thank you to @HighRockWest! You have seen us. You still remember us. You have adopted us into your family; we are truly thankful and blessed for that!
**This could be the story of any missionary in the world. If you do not support a missionary, would you pray about starting? Missionaries need our financial support, prayer support, and encouragement. Here are the names of three that I know personally who could use a little extra each month:
Mzwandile and Lafo Ndlovu serve with Ten Thousand Homes South Africa. Swazi and Lafo are the leaders of TTH, who have the heart to see the most vulnerable have a safe place to call home. Click on the About Us tab, scroll down to Our Team, and then click on either one of their pictures to give.
Kenzie Caster serves with Ethnos 360 https://ethnos360.org/missionaries/kenzie-caster Kenzie serves the missionaries in Mexico by teaching their children so they can go out and teach in the communities.
I have a wonderful friend named Dee, and she notices things. The other day, she sent me a text, and the exchange went like this…
Dee…You ok?
Yes…why? Did I miss lunch? (We try to have lunch once a month, and I’ve been messing up dates big time this month!)
Dee…No…you seem nostalgic on FB.
Just trying to move old blogs over to the new site, it’s amazing how they are still so relevant. I’m really good.
Dee…I’ve been reading them…hard to believe it was 2012! End of text.
I’ve had some time to think about Dee’s inquiry, and you know what I’ve decided? While it is true that I am trying to get all the blogs in one spot, doing so has made me a bit nostalgic. Although I know I am exactly where God wants me at this moment, looking back at what God has done in my life, the places I’ve had the chance to go, and the people I have met reminds me of how much fun, though sometimes challenging, God’s plans can be!
As I went through my emails looking for something entirely different, I found this one from Pastor Charles Bagonza. I met Pastor Charles and his wife, Joyce, when I spoke at the Arise Women’s Conference in Masindi, Uganda. We were in Uganda from September 27 to October 8, 2012, and on October 7, I spoke at Pastor Charles’s church. On October 9, I awoke to the following email from Pastor Charles, which I hold near and dear to my heart.
The word of God is full of people who prophesied and saw visions. I believe God still gives visions and prophecies, and he used Pastor Charles to confirm our move to South Africa and the path I am on today.
On 6, October 2012, in the evening, I had a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the wonderful conference we heard in Masindi through the team from the US. God gave a message in that night of meditation after prayer. God showed me, Wendy Roseman, during her ministry in Masindi, Uganda. I saw the Lord taking me into the jungle area, a very swampy land. It looked like the place the brickmakers had been using to make bricks. The swamp has a lot of deep cutting by the brickmakers. That place looked like Africa. The jungle was busy and I saw Wendy with a team of African brethren in a night of prayer. The prayer was held in the jungle, you (Wendy) and the team were in an open pit where the soil was cut to make bricks. The pit was covered by water and you were inside together with others praising and worshiping the Lord God. It rained on you with the whole team that night and you didn’t give up the night prayer. That was the time I came across walking on foot in the jungle. Around you (Wendy) was a glorious light that I followed to reach where you were in the jungle. In a distance, you saw me and shouted, “Charles, why are you moving at such a time of the night?” I told you that I was sent to tell you, “You have been sent to serve in the dark part of the world, your purpose is to reach people in the jungle and minister God’s grace.”
Now I can hear some of your wheels turning as you say, “But you’re not in Africa; you’re in the US. No jungles are here, so how are you still in your purpose?” My response is this, “Though my feet are no longer on African soil, there are still jungles and dark places. A jungle is a wild, tangled mess of vegetation or other things. Our minds can be a dark jungle of unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, shame, and confusion. So, in essence, my purpose remains to shine the light of Jesus and minister God’s grace to those caught in the vines and the grip of unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, shame, and confusion.
Philippians 1:6 AMP I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in your will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of He return].
What is the point of the story? I may not be in Africa, but I will shine so bright with the love of Jesus that people will see His light through the darkness and jungle of their minds. When they ask, I will share with them, through mercy and grace, the only One who can bring them out…
The original date for this post was December 20, 2012, however, as I read back over it this morning, I realized that the message is still important. We must encourage those lost in the fog of life, just as we were encouraged by those who went before us.
Streams in the Desert December 19, 2012
If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back- It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track; And if, perhaps, Faith’s light is dim because the oil is low, Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.
Call back and tell me that He went with you into the storm; call back, and say He kept you when the forest’s roots were torn; That, when the heavens thunder and the earthquake shook the hill, He bore you up and held you where the lofty air was still.
O friend, call back, and tell me for I cannot see your face; They say it glows with triumph, and your feet sprint in the race; But there are mists between us, and my spirit eyes are dim, And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.
But if you’ll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry, And if you’ll say He saw you through the night’s sin-darkened sky- If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back- It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.
Why, you may ask, did I open today with such a poem? I’ll tell you why! As I read this yesterday (December 19, 2012), I recalled many stories of faith that my grandparents, aunts, uncles, mom, dad, and yes, even myself, have told through the years. Telling your story is a way to “call back” to those going through life’s struggles. People need to hear how God has brought you out of the storms of life. They need to hear how God’s light shone brighter when you were walking through darkness to show you the way. They need to hear that as you walked through the desert of a particular season, you found an oasis in Him.
Today, I am reminded of the story my granddaddy Robbins told of being in a foxhole and hearing a voice say, “Get out of this hole.” He asked his buddy Crawford, “Did you hear something” and Crawford said, “You’re dreaming; go back to sleep.” He covered up with his blanket, settled back down, shut his eyes, and again he heard, “Get out of this hole and get out immediately.” He grabbed his stuff and headed out of that hole with Crawford behind him. As soon as they got out of that fox hole, it collapsed! Every time he told that story, and believe me, it was a lot, I got goosebumps. Instead of being buried alive in a foreign country, he came home to preach the gospel. Every time he told that story, he was “calling back” to someone. Encouraging them that the voice of the Lord is real.
My dad is a giver…period. He loves to give! Many years ago he was out and someone bought his meal. I remember him telling us kids that his prayer was that one day, he wanted to be at the point where he would be able to do the very same thing. Today, he is at that point. He is at that point because he came to understand the value of the tithe and he began to act on it. When he shares this story he is “calling back” to those going through financial struggles that if you’ll do what God asks you to do, He will bless you!
I recall the time my mom spent many a night in prayer over her wayward daughter. The times that Brett lay on the floor crying out for God to restore our marriage. Now they can “call back” to those whose daughters, sons, wives, husbands, and children are not living according to the Word of God and say don’t give up hope! God answers our cries for the lost!
These stories of faith will carry us into the next journey of our lives. We are headed into a world that needs people willing to “call back” and tell them that the road they are traveling may be hard, but God is traveling with them. There may be times while we are gone that we will need someone to “call back” to us that God is doing a great thing and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I’m encouraging you today to “call back” to those struggling in their lives and let them know your story of triumph. “Call back,” as Abraham did to Isaac. As Isaac did to Jacob. “Call back” and tell of the goodness of the Lord! Call Back!!
A few weeks ago I posted a picture of these three notebooks…
These notebook are filled with over 100 scriptures that tell us of God’s healing power, and it took me a little over a year to complete. Using Blue Letter Bible, Bible Gateway, and Webster’s 1828, I took a deeper look into what the key words of the passage meant. Sometimes, we may think we know what a word means, like Vizzini in The Princess Bride, when in reality, we are way off base…
Working on this word study, I thought my eyes were the only eyes that would see it…I was wrong. At church the following Sunday, some friends at church were sharing a diagnosis with Brett and me. As soon as they told us what was happening, I knew the Lord was speaking to me about giving them my journals. Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you about giving someone your own personal journal? It is a very vulnerable moment. Why? I didn’t just write what the words of the verse meant in Greek, Hebrew, or Webster’s 1828; I wrote out what it was saying to me at that moment. Vulnerable! The moment I saw this couple the following Sunday, they shared how they were using them and how grateful they were for them…and they were even able to follow my rabbit trails! With all that said, I thought I would move into a different word study…wrong again! I tried to start a different word study but kept returning to healing. I knew I was to start again. In the last study, I focused only on the cross-reference that pertained to healing; this time, it feels like I’m to focus on all the cross-references…I’m pretty sure it will take longer than a year this time!
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray FOR (emphasis added) one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
NKJV
We will be focusing on the first part of this verse: confess your trespasses to one another, and pray FOR (emphasis added) one another, that you may be healed.
Strongs: confess G1843 exomologeō: to confess. Websters 1828: confess: to own or acknowledge. Own: in general, to acknowledge; to confess; to avow; to admit to be true; not to deny; as, to own our weakness and frailty.
Strongs: your sins G266 hamartia: that which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act.
Strongs: to one another G240 allēlōn: one another, reciprocally, mutually. Websters: mutually: in the manner of giving and receiving.
Let’s stop and clarify who we are confessing to. We are not confessing to our hundreds of Facebook, Instagram, X, or any other social media platform you can think of. We are not confessing to the person we know will share our confession as a “prayer request,” (please don’t be that person!) We are confessing to the people who are actually in our lives, those we do life with: spouse, trusted friend, small group, etc. This is a two-way street, we do it for one another. We confess to the people we know will take the next part of the verse seriously.
Strongs: and G2532 kai: and, also, even, indeed. Websters: and: is a conjunction, connective or conjoining word. It signifies that a word or part of a sentence is to be added to what precedes.
Strongs: pray G2172 euchomai: to pray to God. Websters: pray: to supplicate; to entreat; to urge. Supplicate: to entreat for; to seek by earnest prayer. Entreat: to make an earnest petition or request.
Strongs: for G5228 hyper: in behalf of, for the sake of. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: for, i.e. for one’s safety, for one’s advantage or benefit (one who does a thing for another, is conceived of as standing or bending ‘over’ the one he would shield or defend).
Normally, because I know what the words mean, I ignore the little words like and, as, in, for, etc., but on this particular day, I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to look a little deeper into the word for. When I read that for is conceived as standing or bending ‘over’ the one he would shield or defend, I was stopped in my tracks. Do we realize when we pray for one another, it’s like we are forming a shield of protection around them? When we pray for one another, we are using our shield to cover them. I picture it like this…
You can watch the entire clip, but my focus is on what happens between the beginning of the clip and the 1:46 mark. “Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.” As you will notice in the clip, those who panicked and separated themselves from the group, were quickly picked off. They had no protection from the enemy that was coming out of the gate. Sound familiar?
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
ESV
They needed one another to survive the arena. We need one another to survive the arena of life! Jesus, the Son of God, shared his joys, frustrations, and sorrows with twelve men. If Jesus, the Son of God, shared his life with people, what makes us think “all we need is Jesus” and nobody else?” Hear me…Jesus is our all in all. He should be the person we call on first. But! I firmly believe that Jesus knows we need others in our life to form a shield of prayer around us when life gets too much, we’re making dumb decisions, we’re facing a sickness, or any other reason you can think of.
Why are we confessing and praying for one another? Healing!
Strongs: that (so that) G3704 opōs: how, that. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: Used after verbs praying, entreating, asking, exhorting, to denote what one wishes to be done.
Strongs: you may be healed G2390 iaomai: 1. to cure, heal. 2. to make whole. a. to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation.
I don’t know about you, but I want everyone in my life to be healed! Healed from whatever would hold them back from receiving God’s best for them. I want my prayer to form a shield of protection around them so that the enemy does not devour them. And! I want others to do the same for me! But guess what? In order for that to happen, we have to go back to the beginniing of the verse and remember that it says to confess to one another. Tell others what we’re struggling with and allow them the opportunity to pray.
Wendy Roseman 