Imagine.... that you are 17 years old, both of your parents have died...you are an orphan.
You have no home, you struggle to find food, you sometimes sleep on the cold, hard concrete of the city streets....you are utterly alone.
By some miracle and the generosity of strangers - you are chosen to be sponsored to complete your schooling! Hope is alive and you thrive at school...where you have a bed, clean drinking water, meals and stimulation for your mind. While at school it becomes obvious that you have been blessed with the gift of music and dancing! You are thankful to God for these talents and decide to nurture them, develop them and use them as a positive force in the world....you write and write and sing and sing!
Time passes and you are happy... After three years at the school you find you have successfully graduated...you are now an educated 20 year old - ready for the workforce! Unfortunately, your level of education is not enough to get you a job...and you will either have to go to university or start your own business - both of which cost money you do not have.
No longer at boarding school - there is also the question: where will you sleep? You are back in the city, no bed, no food, no shelter...thankfully an older brother agrees to have you stay with him and his family...but this only lasts a few months before they move away and again there is the question: where will you sleep? Luckily an old friend agrees to let you stay with him.. The space measures about 8 feet by 10 feet...you have no bed, no toilet, no running water....three people live there. At night you curl up on a chair and try to rest.
You continue to write and sing and take any opportunity to share your music with others...your music carries messages of Hope, of Truth, of Justice...these messages empower people and begin to stir up trouble for you...you are warned not to sing anymore...your life is threatened.
Every morning you wake up and go looking for work...you find a construction site who will let you haul cement and bricks up and down all day...for the meager wage of about 75 cents for the day. This money you take home to your friend...to contribute to the household, so that he will not see you as a burden and ask you to leave.
Each night, your body aching, and your stomach nearly empty, you return to that chair to try and get some sleep for the next long day of work. And, as exhaustion, hunger and pain threaten to overwhelm you, you wonder - will there be work tomorrow? will there be food? If anything happens to you, who will they notify? Who will come for you? You are alone in this struggle and you fight off the loneliness as you pray for strength and courage to go on...and mercifully, sleep comes.
Now, I ask you...would you be strong? Would your spirit still sing? Would you continue to strive and speak out for truth, for justice? Would your mind be fresh and your heart filled with JOY? Would you still feel generosity and show kindness to your fellow man? Would you still have faith that the God you know to be a loving God will take care of you? Would you be thankful for your life and hopeful for the future?
A lesson in courage...and abiding hope.
"This is courage - to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends." - Euripedes
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
You have no home, you struggle to find food, you sometimes sleep on the cold, hard concrete of the city streets....you are utterly alone.
By some miracle and the generosity of strangers - you are chosen to be sponsored to complete your schooling! Hope is alive and you thrive at school...where you have a bed, clean drinking water, meals and stimulation for your mind. While at school it becomes obvious that you have been blessed with the gift of music and dancing! You are thankful to God for these talents and decide to nurture them, develop them and use them as a positive force in the world....you write and write and sing and sing!
Time passes and you are happy... After three years at the school you find you have successfully graduated...you are now an educated 20 year old - ready for the workforce! Unfortunately, your level of education is not enough to get you a job...and you will either have to go to university or start your own business - both of which cost money you do not have.
No longer at boarding school - there is also the question: where will you sleep? You are back in the city, no bed, no food, no shelter...thankfully an older brother agrees to have you stay with him and his family...but this only lasts a few months before they move away and again there is the question: where will you sleep? Luckily an old friend agrees to let you stay with him.. The space measures about 8 feet by 10 feet...you have no bed, no toilet, no running water....three people live there. At night you curl up on a chair and try to rest.
You continue to write and sing and take any opportunity to share your music with others...your music carries messages of Hope, of Truth, of Justice...these messages empower people and begin to stir up trouble for you...you are warned not to sing anymore...your life is threatened.
Every morning you wake up and go looking for work...you find a construction site who will let you haul cement and bricks up and down all day...for the meager wage of about 75 cents for the day. This money you take home to your friend...to contribute to the household, so that he will not see you as a burden and ask you to leave.
Each night, your body aching, and your stomach nearly empty, you return to that chair to try and get some sleep for the next long day of work. And, as exhaustion, hunger and pain threaten to overwhelm you, you wonder - will there be work tomorrow? will there be food? If anything happens to you, who will they notify? Who will come for you? You are alone in this struggle and you fight off the loneliness as you pray for strength and courage to go on...and mercifully, sleep comes.
Now, I ask you...would you be strong? Would your spirit still sing? Would you continue to strive and speak out for truth, for justice? Would your mind be fresh and your heart filled with JOY? Would you still feel generosity and show kindness to your fellow man? Would you still have faith that the God you know to be a loving God will take care of you? Would you be thankful for your life and hopeful for the future?
A lesson in courage...and abiding hope.
"This is courage - to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends." - Euripedes
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
posted by Lola | 3:12 PM
1 Comments:
Hey Lola: Be of good courage. Know that God strengthens you and is with you and with the people whose lives you share.
I pray for "the singing of your heart". Blessing to you in this season of resurrection! The snow is melting and the warmth of the sun is reawakening the earth. Pick a glorious African flower on morning and think of me! I will pick my first spring crocus in your honour!!
Love, Dianne
Post a Comment
<< Home