Comfort & Afflict

While reading Wess Stafford's book, Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matter Most, I came across a phrase that's been on my mind.  On page 30, he wrote this:

"On one side of this international bridge, my role is to minister to the poor, to 'comfort the afflicted.'  And then I cross the bridge, coming back to the Western, more affluent world, where my role is to speak and write to 'afflict the comfortable.'"

I love this sentiment.  It resonated with me, because I feel like this is part of what God's calling me to do as well.  I long to comfort the afflicted - to provide security and love and hope to those who have none of these.  But I also want to afflict the comfortable.  I know I have only a handful of readers (and at least 3 of them are family members!), but my hope with the last few months of posts has been that something I'd write would help prompt those to whom God has given much to see where they can impact another person's life tangibly.  I long to be doing more, and wish I had the gift of writing that moves people emotionally. 

I don't know who said it, but it's true - God never promised that following Him would be easy; He only promised to never leave us to do it alone.  We aren't guaranteed a comfortable life.  We shouldn't be sitting in total comfort and ease when our cousins both here and abroad are suffering. It's not a comfortable life, it's a life of sacrifice and suffering, with joy and love.

I'm praying that God gives me the ability to do both of these things.  For now, let me leave you with a link and an opportunity to give from your heart.  A couple with whom I went to college, Brandy and Sam, have been on a journey to adoption for the past few years.  They are godly, loving people, and today they were informed that they have been matched to adopt a newborn.  The precious little girl's due date is in only 3 weeks!  They have been working for the past year or so to get everything in order, but they suddenly need to raise all of the money for the adoption immediately - as in the next few days!! 

If you want to share the blessings that God has given you to help this wonderful couple provide a loving home, please go to the blog that Brandy and 4 other friends from college manage - Cherokee Chix  - and donate whatever you can via the donation link at the top of the most recent post.  

If you are one of the millions of people who mourned the 40th anniversary of abortion on demand today and wished there was something you could do for Life, I hope you will give abundantly.