Just One

At the beginning of May I tried to blog every day with different prompts to answer some questions about how I feel about life here. However, I spent some time in a village without electricity. I also spent some time traveling for various reasons. 

But then, there was the fact that parts of this past month have just been hard. Not the kind of hard where I just want to curl up with a good cup of coffee and my mom to tell me that I can do this, but the kind where I am feeling the weight of this journey. I am feeling heartbreak over people I absolutely love here. I am seeing how deceived people are, and it is completely wrecking me. There have been times this month where I see a glimmer of hope that truth is given a chance to grow, then I see the Enemy choke it out in such a way that I am left sickened over the fear that I see in people. Generations of lies. Such a huge burden that they are living with on a daily basis. I have looked into faces this month who have told me they believe what we are saying, yet they just can't give their life to it. I have looked into faces who have told me they want to know more, only to have someone hit them and tell them they can't do this. I have seen booth after booth after booth selling "home remedies" and "charms" that so many are putting their hope in for protection. This has left me with such a burden, such a sense of being overwhelmed. How do I love the masses? Where do I even start?

I start with one. That's what these past couple of weeks have shown me. 

I start with one.

 I start with the person I see as soon as I walk out of my door. I start with the little boy who is so excited to shake my hand. I start with the woman with the beautiful smile who sells vegetables, or the man who works so diligently in his tailor shop. In the masses are individual faces, individual hearts, individual souls. If I can love just one, then there is rejoicing above.

I think about the heroes of faith who have gone before. The promises they had to cling to during their times of trial and heartache, and I see how they persevered-never losing hope that God was going to do something so big they couldn't even fathom. When I hear these stories it amazes me how they traveled to lands they did not know, the faith that they prayed with, the fact that they just seemed to know in their soul that God was at work. But then I look closer and see why. They simply believed in the promise that they were told. Time and time again I see the simple faith that was woven into their daily lives. 

This past week I read in Romans, "No distrust made [Abraham] waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised."

I came here knowing what had been promised in my heart. Great things are going to be done. Yet, how easy it is to forget that when I am overwhelmed by the masses. However, this week, I am believing this promise over one. It was not told to me to go to the masses. I am told to just love who I come in contact with. However "small" I think the work is, He is doing something great. And through that one, He is reaching the masses.