Who Are Your Saints?

 

Today, the Christian Church celebrates All Saints Day. Growing up Catholic, this was an important part of life. We would go to church and remember those who have gone before us in the faith. We would remember those who have walked this earth to the glory of God and have now received their heavenly reward. Many of the people we remembered gave their lives for their faith.

 

Now I am a lot older, and, hopefully, a bit wiser. All Saints Day has a different meaning for me. Well, maybe not different, maybe just expanded. I no longer stop at thinking of the apostles, matriarchs and patriarchs of the faith. Now, I can put faces to names. I have read about modern day "saints". My concept of "saint" has evolved over the years.

 

Webster's Dictionary defines "saint" as:  one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness; one of the spirits of the departed in heaven; one of God's chosen and usually Christian people; one eminent for piety or virtue; an illustrious predecessor.

 

One of the definitions I would like to add is a saint is a person, who has lived their life for the glory of God. Many saints suffer in this world because of their faith. When I think of "saints," I picture Patience, a woman who attends my church in Lawra. She comes to church every time it is open, walking more than a half hour, and she is there at 5 am for morning prayer! She has a family, a business, and her husband is a Traditionalist. She has had to endure many hardships because of her faith. I think of another woman, whose husband took a second wife. Yet, the first one remains faithful and is growing in her faith. I think of Beatrice's mother, who carries her disabled 12 year old on her back to town, to church, and never loses faith. I think of the single mothers that I know, who face immense odds every day, yet, they have instilled a holy fear and love of God in their children. I think of those, both living and dead, who have impacted my life. Saints...maybe not in the formal eyes in some denominations, but, in my eyes, they are saints. And, too, I think of those many children whose lives have been cut short because of disease. Saints, each and every one of them.

 

Who are the Saints in your life? Today, stop and thank God for the impact they have had on your life.

Action or Reaction?

A few weeks ago,my sister and I were visiting my friend, Tula in Meadows of Dan, West Virginia. It was truly a relaxing time, but a time too short. The morning we left her mountain top cabin, it was foggy. As we went down the mountain, the fog thinned out more and more, making it much easier to see while driving. We thought we were making good time for the beginning of the trip.

 

Then, it happened...traffic was backed up. Ugh! we wanted to make it all the way to my house in the one day. I really thought we were cutting it close already, leaving a little earlier than originally planned. We really didn't need a delay. What was it? Was it road construction? Animals? A broken down car? An accident? Traffic wasn't even crawling. we were at a dead stop. People were turning around. But, not knowing the area and not having a GPS, we were kinda stuck where we were at.

 

So we talked. We wondered out loud what was going on. I was getting impatient, after all, we had "stuff to do" that day. Finally, traffic started moving slowly past the trees, past other parked cars, past emergency vehicles, pasted a very badly crunched car, past a person strapped onto a stretcher and being taken to an ambulance, past people directing traffic...

 

And I prayed. I prayed for the people involved in the accident, that God would give them peace and healing. And, I prayed for the responders, that God would give them wisdom and insight. I prayed for the families, that God would comfort them. ..

 

And I prayed for myself, that God would forgive me for my reaction, for my judgement, even if it was only in my mind or shared with my sister. Tears were fighting to crawl down my face. Here, I was complaining about a few minutes (in the big picture), something that would be to my advantage, and this person, these families had a major negative impact on their lives that day. Was it their fault? Who knows? All I know is that I begged forgiveness and thanked God for health, family, friends, a safe drive home, for His protection, etc.

 

Anyone can act like a Christian. Anyone can go through the motions of prayer. Anyone can go through the motions of worship. Anyone can look like they are a "fine, upstanding Christian." But, in a moment of reaction, how do you respond? Whose character do people see? Is it the character of the world? Or is it a Godly character? In a split second people can see who you really are inside. I want people to see Jesus.

Lord, forgive me for my quick, human reactions. Help me to develop so in a split second reaction, people see you and not my faults and failures. I want YOU to be seen and glorified. Amen.  

 

Reflections

I can't believe that a year ago today I said "good bye" to those I love and to all that was familiar to me and boarded a plane bound for Ghana. What a year! In many ways, it seems as if it was a lifetime ago. In many other ways it seems like it was only yesterday. I get a bit nostalgic with anniversaries, so please bear with me. I hope I've grown, matured, accepted and loved plenty since I have been here. I pray that when people see me, they don't see someone who is financially able to solve all their problems, or at least some of them. I hope they see someone who is being Christ to them, who speaks the truth in love and who points the way to the Father. I rejoice in what the Lord has accomplished in the past year. I invite you to celebrate with me.

Questionings

As one year ends and another begins I can't help but think about what I've done in the past year and stop and wonder what will be part of my life in this new year. At this time last year I was living in an almost empty apartment looking forward to moving to Lawra, Ghana. And as I meet with others with The Mission Society and hear their stories of ministry I wonder, "Why am I here? What have I done for the Kingdom of God in the last 10 months?" My ministry seems so insignificant compared to theirs. I haven't saved lives or built hospitals, I haven't built a library or provided safe drinking water. I haven't been used to plant new churches or build a new school. Then, I remember that I am still at the beginning of my what I hope to be 10 years in Ghana. They have been here 5 1/2 to 14 years. But still, does anything I do matter?

As tears fill my eyes I think of 18 year old Akos who calls me her mother. I think of a Ghanaian co-worker who has told me of the fear of HIV/AIDS in their family. I think of the children who call out "Mama Sue-ry" when I am at the children's centre. I think of Aa-Denuu who told me he had never heard the creation story before. I think of 2 year old Paul and his family on the day he died and how they came for comfort. I think of Gurggisberg, how grateful his family was that strangers tried to help Gurggisberg when relatives would not. I think of the women who come to visit so they can "talk." I think of surprised faces on Christmas morning and teary faces as some children moved back to the village.

Yes, with the grace of God I have made a difference. I am sharing God's love with the people in the Lawra area. To the human eye, it may not seem like much. I'm not doing big, grandiose things. It's the small things that count. The trust and the relationships I am making with all these people and more - that's what my ministry is all about. And, every time time I hear someone call out to me, "Dagaarapog," (Dagaara woman) I know that I am doing what God what's me to do and the questions in my mind cease.