Missionary of Charity

Wednesday morning I went to the Missionary of Charity Sisters of Mother Theresa Home of Peace and Joy. If I understand correctly it is a care facility for adults and children with terminal illnessess. Most are infected with HIV/AIDS. Some have other issues. Many go there to die. There is a section for men, a section for women, and a section for children. I went to the section with the women.

The morning started off in song. Someone brought a drum and one of the woman played it while another of the Liberian woman led the whole room in singing. These women that looked tired when we arrived lit up when they sang. It was an amazing beautiful sound to hear the room explode with African worship music. These woman can sing!! With the joy that was on there faces you would never guess they had HIV or AIDS. One of the woman then prayed. She thanked God that she woke up from her bed this morning and that God counted her from among the living today. Can you image saying that prayer? I have heard the Liberian Disciplers on the ward say similar prayers with the patients. They'll often say, "many did not even wake up from their beds this morning, many can not walk, you need to thank God you woke up this morning". It is so true, that we never know when God is going to choose to take us, but I think in Liberia they have suffered so much with the war, poverty, hunger, diseases that they are more aware that they are fortunate to be alive.

Melissa, one of our nurses shared a bible lesson with the ladies. It was a continuation on a lesson they had started the week before on fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..."

She made the lesson simple by talking about the steps it takes to grow good fruit. You need soil, a seed, water, sunlight, and pruning sheers.

John 15 reads "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Now, I have heard this verse many times. But the way Melissa spoke on it I had a new understanding. What things in our lives are holding us back from bearing good fruit? We should consider cutting them out of our lives. It made me think about how busy my life is at home. Are there things that are holding me back from moving forward-- producing good fruit? I think many of us clutter our lives with things that are not important to the big picture. I look at so many of the people that work on Mercy Ships and am in complete awe of how God is working through them because they are open to His calling. God is working through them, because they have willingly opened themselves to be used by Him. And it doesn't happen overnight. We will never be perfect on this earth, but allowing ourselves to be pruned--even though it hurts sometimes will help make us grow.

So I challenge you---what in your life needs pruning, and what branches need to be cut away? For me, the junk in my bedroom needs to go--all the clutter! Also, the thought process that I am not good enough, or qualified enough for certain things. If God wants to use me, He will equipe me with the skills and the courage to get the job done. That is true with all of us. I think the fruit of the spirit I will work on this week is self control. Let's see if I can control myself from eating so much junk food this week.

Ok, I hope that made some kind of sense. I just worked my 10hour overnight shift and probably should not be writing on no sleep but oh well...Have a good day!