Over the past few years I’ve had the privilege of accompanying a group of high school students to Haiti on a mission trip. The school that I work for in Canada had a partnership with a school and children’s home in Grand Goave, a small town some 30 miles outside of Port au Prince. Many of our students from Canada had sponsored children through this organization in Haiti so it was a wonderful opportunity for them to actually spend time with their Haitian “siblings.”
On one of those trips I was able to bring greetings to the church that met at the school, drawing on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16-19. What struck me was how differently Paul's prayer touched the Canadian visitors in comparison to the Haitian believers. In the midst of tremendous poverty, the Haitians seemed to have far more joy in their utter dependence on God than we North Americans exhibited. We Canadian visitors watched in amazement.
The reality is, all of us need God’s strength to get through our lives — both on a daily basis and in the midst of difficult seasons in life. It is his desire that we experience all that he offers. God wants to change us from the inside out and we need his strength to look beyond our earthly troubles to see the life he is calling us to live no matter our circumstances.
Dear Lord, we all need your strength. In all circumstances, let us embrace how vast your loving power can be in our lives. Then let us be a witness of that joy to others you bring into our lives. Amen.
Go Deeper — Click on the link to read Ephesians 3:16-19 out loud. Substitute “you” for “me”. Write down your thoughts in a letter to God.
Watch Further — this video on discovering how circumstances can draw us closer to God.
Photo Credit: Amy Humphries