Bad to Good
We’ve had a ton of stuff stolen lately, including Faye’s cell phone out of her room while she was sleeping a couple of weeks ago, and my wallet in an overcrowded taxi just a few of hours ago. Feelings of fear, anger, despair, and vulnerability seek to submerge us like a churning ocean current. Yet perhaps these thefts are severe mercies, reminding us where we should be focusing our time and attention (Matthew 6:19-21). Hopefully, as we discipline our minds and our hearts to pray for the robbers, we will participate more and more in our Father’s love, which generously gives sunshine and rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
Please pray that we would not become bitter and closed up. Pray that we would love deeply and extravagantly.
Last week a Baptist pastor stormed into our Lighthouse meeting. He accused the boys of peeing on his office door, two floors up. Some of the teens returned fire, angry and hurt the church leader would just assume it was one of them. In the midst of the heated argument, one of the quieter boys, who wasn’t even around when the incident occurred, said, “WAIT! Where’s the soap and a bucket? I’ll clean it up.”
Please pray that we could follow the example of this young man, humbling serving and being gentle peacemakers.
One of the teenage girls in the Lighthouse program just had a baby. “So much for two years of abstinence camp,” I sarcastically mumbled to myself when I found out she was pregnant. During counseling with Pastor Zizer (the founder of Lighthouse), the father of the baby recently accepted Christ. Now he is growing in grace and doing his best to care for the infant.
Please pray that we would discerning and wise enough to see every situation as an opportunity for redemption, growth, and grace.
Many of the teens in Lighthouse used to gamble, drink, smoke pot, and pay for prostitutes. Now, when they have cash, most buy music or clothes. One boy, however, saves his money to send his kid sister to school, often sacrificing his lunch money.
Please pray that we would trust God enough to be as generous as this young man.
It is my prayer that you also would have the courage, faith, love, and wisdom to turn all the “bad” in your life to “good”.
Love,
cami
Turn all things to honey. This is the art of divine living.” Sri Aurobindo