Worship

Christian music fills me. No matter where I'm at, Christian music allows me to worship my God and pour out my heart to Him. These are some songs that have recently been on my heart. 

These words were on my heart during the worship and prayer time at the end of one of the Bible studies that we have for the women on Fridays. All of the women were praying out loud in Lugandan or Lusoga and these words were heavy on my heart so I just started to quietly sing them to Him. Our God is great. In the midst of struggle or self-doubt, our God is always great. He is always sure. And he is worthy of all of our praise, no matter what is going on around us. 

Life isn't always easy. We lost that life when Adam and Eve sinned and got us kicked out of the garden. Jesus never promised us an easy life. But he did promise us salvation and life everlasting if we believe in him. Evil happens in this world because of Satan, but God will use that evil in his ultimate plan for good. We've been studying Joseph's story during our Friday Bible studies with the women in our program. We've spent weeks seeing how Joseph was enslaved, wrongly accused, imprisoned. But we see that God used those bad experiences to prepare Joseph. God uses it for good in his ultimate plan and uses Joseph to save Egypt. 

Recently, there has been a lot of drama going on with one of the organizations that is here in Jinja. People have acted rashly, trying to protect themselves without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Many people have gotten hurt, some have lost their jobs, and others are now living in fear of what is going to happen.  Many tears have been shed. But, through all of this craziness, I have also seen people turn toward God. I've seen people come together to pray. Often times we think that prayer is the only thing we can do. In reality, prayer is the best thing we can do in any and every situation.  

I am made clean because of Jesus' sacrifice for me.  I am set free. No more chains. He gave up his life for me. From death, life. 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:1-7 NIV)

I've been getting asked since before I left for Africa what I'm going to be doing when my year here is up. My answer has been, and still is, that I honestly don't know. At first that was very hard on me. I was watching my friends get real jobs, having contracts and actually making money. And here I was, picking up and leaving everything that I had ever known, to go to a place I had never been and where I knew no one. No income, no certainty beyond the year. Just coming to serve and trusting and following the Lord where he led me. Since being here, God has shown me that it is okay to not know what the future holds. He will reward me for simply following him. He will show me where I need to be in his own timing. I don't need to worry about anything because he's got me.

This song is basically the story of my life right now. Jesus called me to Africa and I followed him here to Jinja, Uganda. And my faith has been made stronger. I really have nothing to rely on but Jesus. He is so present here. In the states, it's so easy to turn and look to things for comfort or happiness or really just to fill whatever emotional need we have in that moment. There aren't many things here. People have less. Life is different. Witchcraft is very real and very present. It's just a different kind of life. With less things, it's easier to turn to Jesus. While it isn't ways easy being so far away from home and everyone I love, I am thankful for this time of needing to cling to Jesus. I love the relationship I have with him and I pray that it continues to grow and that no matter where I end up, I will continue to cling to and rely on my Jesus like I am now. 

I'm a girl who loves Jesus. He is the core of my existence, the center of my being. Through him, I can do all things. With him, I have no need to fear. By him, I have the ability to love others with a love that is beyond comprehension. My purpose in this life is to love like Christ does, to shine His light in this dark world, to be an example of what it is like to live in Him to others. Everyone can know Jesus. Everyone can accept the beautiful gift he gave us when he laid down his life for us. He yearns for everyone to know him. We just have to be willing to share. 

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (Jesus - John 10:14-18 NIV)