Saturday, October 3, 2009

Some sweet words from Jesus...

"My dear children, I am with you. I watch closely as you struggle for holiness. Often, you are uncertain of your spiritual condition. You strive to serve but feel conflicted by the times in which you are serving. There are some things that all humanity deals with regardless of where in history they are placed. First, there will always be a difference between the world’s path and heaven’s path. These two paths, while they can run along side each other for increments, will always separate. Ultimately, each man will have to choose. Every man, to a greater or lesser degree, will have to contend with choosing first good over evil and then he will have to make another choice and that is the choice of choosing My plan for his life over his own plan for his life. After that, the choices become even more studied in that the man must choose My plan in each day, in each task and even in each moment. You may say, dear apostle, that this is a difficult call for a man, to study his actions in each day. You may say, this is asking a lot. You are right. I, Jesus, am asking a lot of you. I ask for your full commitment and I do so without apology. Dearest apostles, if you give me your full commitment, there is no limit to what I can do. Look at your life. You have said yes to me on many days. Examine what I have done with your yes answers. Consider what I am building with the commitments of so many children of God who are willing to be directed by the Saviour, their King. I am building a structure of love. I am building a structure through which many are returning. Truly, your hearts, open and filled with My love, call out to others. You provide for Me a welcome to those who feel separated. If they can be taken into your heart for even a brief moment and experience Me, with My love, then they will have the courage to both approach Me directly and to accept Me directly. Please, do not count the sacrifices when you consider your service. Do not count the loss of worldly respect. Count only the souls who are comforted and consoled. Count the repentance and healing of so many who have been restored to unity with heaven. Count the humility that I have bestowed on you, dear apostle, since you began to learn about true holiness. I am your King. I can give you anything. I choose to give you peace and holiness. I choose to make of you a resolute servant. Accept My will in your life and you will then be able to accept all of the graces heaven has stored up for you. "

Message from Anne, lay apostle

Lord, may we seek you path, regardless of how alluring the world's path can look sometimes. May we choose good in an evil generation, may we choose Your plan even when it is harder, may we choose YOU every moment of every day. We want to be fully committed to You. We want the days we say "yes" to become every day. We repent from lukewarmness, from mediocrity, from normalcy. We want to shine so brightly for You that others can't help but see, can't help but feel your love. Let us look at EVERY encounter as an opportunity to show your love. Lord on the days where helping just one more person seems like too much, help me to choose You. On the days when satan whispers "you can't save everyone, why are you trying" let me choose You. On the days when it would be too easy to pop in a movie for my children instead of reading Scripture with them, let me choose You. When harsh words are easier to find than kind ones, let me choose You. Father, like Paul, I know what I want to do, what I should do, and yet I find myself failing, discouraged. Thank You for your grace. Thank You that You who sit so HIGH would look low upon people like me and use us as a vessel for you. How blessed we are to even be called servants, to be able to share in your Kingdom and share your love with others. Thank you for the cross, where you have given us peace and holiness. Father we long to say Yes to You.


He is teaching me to stop for ONE. And it is hard and it is ugly. Because every time I stop for that ONE sick child, that ONE hungry old man, that ONE new baby girl, my mind races with the statistics of how many more there are that I am not touching, not feeding, not saving. God whispers every time though that this ONE is enough. That this ONE is feeling His love and that is eternal. ETERNAL. I think of sweet baby Happy who died at 4 months after we did all that we could. I didn't understand how God had led me to feel so attached to that little girl if His plan was to take her all along. I think of Michael who is back at home with his step mom, healthy now, but more than likely still mistreated. God knows that as a single woman I cannot legally adopt a little boy, how could my heart be so knit to his. I think tonight of Gloria who's brain was so damaged from her high fever she may always be in a vegetable like state. God in His infinite wisdom KNEW that if I had been there a few days sooner, this could have been prevented. But then I think of 14 little girls who have a home and food and a Mommy and know Jesus. I think of 600 Karamajong children, modern day lepers in Uganda, singing about God's love for them and leaving with their bellies full. I think of 400 sponsored children who sometimes show up on Saturday in new clothes because now that Amazima is providing them with all their basic needs (food, education, medical care) their parents can afford to buy them a NEW DRESS. I see thousands of deep brown eyes and feel thousands of little brown hands and I know that even on the hardest day, stopping is worth it. A life changed is worth it, even if only ONE. God's love made known is worth it, even if only to ONE. I will not save them all. But I will keep trying. I will say Yes. I will stop for that ONE no matter how hopeless. Jesus, give us the stregth to say yes to whoever you put in our paths today.

27 comments:

Janell said...

Again. God's done it again. Spoken right to my heart through your words. Keep touching one Katie b/c when you do, the ripple goes on and on and on. It never stops. So many are blessed by your obedience.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your faithfulness to each ONE. And thank you for encouraging the rest of us.

Sarah said...

Each one is precious in His sight. Thank you for stopping for the one.

Many blessings to you!
Sarah

Anonymous said...

Katie, such sweet words!

Janel said...

Amen! This post really touched me and was just what I need to hear tonight.

Carissa said...

thanks so much for sharing words of hope and truth! truly when we seek Jesus, He is soooo faithful!!!
you are an inspiration to me, really it is amazing to read you blog and watch in which the AMAZING ways God uses you! i am only beginning a journey somewhat similar to the one you're on...i'm starting a daycare/kid center in Argentina...i'm still in the beginning stages of planning everything and getting it ready, but when i think of you it reminds me of God's faithfulness and the miracles He wants to do in our lives when we choose to submit to Him!!! many blessings to you Katie!

Julie Pederson said...

Katie,

Once again, as always, you bless me..and challenge me. And, I sit here with tears because I don't know what to do. How to love more, how to do more, how to matter more. For now, I am called to be here. Mothering my two youngest, one who is coughing in the next room with the flu, and the other who is in the family room waiting for me to join him to watch the Rockies baseball game. I am called to be a grandmother to my young grandson who has triumphed over so much adversity in his young life, just celebrating his second birthday and one year with his new heart. I am called to be a helpmeet for my husband who works so very hard to take care of us all. And, I am called to teach a group of 6th grade girls and love them and prepare them to be young women of God. I am leading these girls in a small group where we are studying the book of Acts--the birth of the Church, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the empowering of everyday people to do extraordinary things for Jesus. Tomorrow night, I will have a computer set up at church to show these girls your blog and your ministry. I want them to know that God still empowers people to do his work in this world. And, sometimes he chooses young women -- like Katie, maybe like one of them-- to be His hands and feet and head and heart to the lonely and hurting and forsaken of this world.

Katie, you are so right. Sometimes it is overwhelming to think of the HUGE need in the world and know you can never ever fill it. But, He can. And so we trust HIm to do that, using and activating the parts of His body to do that. So, dear and faithful Katie, touch that one. Make a difference to that one. And maybe that one will touch another someday. And maybe there are others in the body who will answer the call to act and to do and to touch..that ONE.

Thank you for helping me see purpose in my life and the things I do which sometimes seem so small and insignificant to me. And thank you for answering His call to touch so many in His Name.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Bless you,
Julie

Mandi said...

Oh Katie, thank you, thank you for your words, for sharing the words of Anne. I've been drinking in your blog, the Oatsvall blog. I'm a mom that God has blessed with 3 kids here in GA, and I relate to your challenges as a mom and a servant. I've been reading the writings of Watchman Nee, specifically about surrendering each day, and as you said, EACH moment. I long to be that obedient, that sensitive to the Holy Spirit. God is drawing me to adoption, I just don't know how yet. The Lord spoke to me so powerfully through this post. God bless you my sister. I am praying for you and everything and every life that you are touching. I know you give God all the glory, as do I, but I'm 34 and I want to grow up to be like Katie, you inspire me.

Anonymous said...

Wow... this was seriously soul stirring! Dear Katie, how I love you!

Jami Janelle said...

you continue to be a vessel not only to the thousands of people you are touching in Uganda... but to the countless readers who can not help but be changed by the revelations of God through your life. thank you. I love your heart. I have a picture of you and your beautiful girls to remind me to pray for you... and to remind me to keep saying YES to the things God has called me to. May God continue to fill your cup to overflowing so you can keep on pouring out all that He gives you. Hugs!

Bee said...

Heartfelt, true, and beautiful words, Dear Katie.

I have been following your story since you found the village.

And I thought about Michael a lot since his story was told.

Seeing his picture leaves a deep impact on my mother-heart (I have four children, one of my boys is Michael's age).

I keep wondering why you (or I) feel drawn to such a sweet little guy at once, while the woman who lives with his father does not ...
Every time I hug my little boy and feel his chubby little arms and cheeks, pick him up, I think about your Michael ...

What has to change for this woman that she feels the natural call of a woman to care and nurture ?

You are doing much more than most people will ever think about.
Keep up the good work.
I wish you joy and strength in your work.
And God's Grace in all you touch.

Warm thoughts and thanks to you,
Bee

Ang said...

Dear Katie~

Thank you for your message, and your obedience. Many prayers and blessings to all of you as you continue on your journey. I am in awe of sweet Patricia. I don't know why, but I can't stop staring at her photo. My husband and I are currently waiting (ever so patiently :-) for our referral of our baby boy and baby girl from ethiopia.

Blessings,

Angie Laubach

Jewels of My Heart said...

Amen.....................
Thank you...

Anonymous said...

I was going to write you this a few days ago, but decided not to because I didn't know if it was silly, foolish or not something you would want to read. After reading your current post, I think I will tell you. I went to the U2 concert on Tuesday night near Washington DC and you might not be aware, but Bono is a very spiritual man and this concert was very moving for me. I am not a religious person, but when he spoke and the meaning behind his songs were felt, it was how I imagine being in church is like when someone is giving a great sermon. Anyway, one of the last songs that U2 sang was "One" and he sang it for all the children of Africa who are affected by the Aids virus and all the orphans that have been made from this horrible disease and on the big screen, there were tons of sweet children with smiles and hopefulness in their eyes which Bono explained was a direct result of President Bush and all the people who have helped in aiding the children of Africa. When he began to sing the song, I thought of you and what "One" person has been able to do for so many children in Uganda. Don't fret about not being able to help all children, but I am sure that is very hard. The lives you have touched is a truly remarkable thing and I am sure they praise God every day that their Aunt Katie came into their lives. You are so special and it is truly amazing what One person can do!

Laurie A. said...

i sit here in Colorado on an amazing fall morning full of pancakes and Matthew 25 and Anne's words and yours.

God has never asked me or my husband to go beyond our immediate sphere of influence here.

Our mission field has been and continues to be our neighborhood, our city, our church and our friends who live near and far. At any time should He wish to change that, we are willing.

Our hearts' burdens are for the strengthening of the body of Christ and for the poorest of the poor in our midst.

One face at a time. One heart at a time. One need at a time.

It is wisdom, Katie, to see where our Lord is at work and to join Him in what He is showing us to do. No more. No less. Our best example is Christ Jesus who did the very same thing while on this earth and the Holy Spirit who does the very same thing in the Christ-follower today.

The need in this broken world is greater than any of us can overcome alone and to His glory, our Lord, never intended that we would attempt such a thing. But He knows the plans He has for us ... how He wants us to join Him and cooperate with Him in what He is showing us to do. In this He promises to give us everything we need to meet the one and the one after that and the one after that.

He knows that the economy of His kingdom is that one life touched will ultimately touch another and so on. In this He alone is glorified. Hallelujah!

May God give you strength to lift the eyes of your heart and your natural eyes to see where He is at work. May your yes always be like that first domino falling unto a multitude of yeses. Your changed life unto a multitude of other changed lives.

Go in peace, sister ...

Anonymous said...

Katie, thank you for "doing" right now. I am "do'er" too but it seems like God has me in this waiting position and boy is it hard. It is hard to be still. God bless you. For your ability to write and do in order to touch so many lives. What is interesting is that you are touching so many lives with your writing--- you are feeding more lives than the ones you touch and see everyday.

I started reading your blog about a month ago and I can tell you that it has changed my life. Your God is my God and HE ROCKS!!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. P.S. God has made it clear to me and husband (after 17 years of marriage and no kids yet) to adopt and not even go down the road of fertility treatments. This has become crystal clear. Not sure when how or who but we will have child

Bill and Christina said...

Thank you for your post. It ministered to me in the midst of my struggle...

Christina

Kari said...

Love you sister!!
Thank you for exemplifying the verse
...Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (the msg)
Praying for you!!

Small Stones said...

I commented on here, but it hasn't shown up, and I am afriad the comment got lost in cyper-space! I won't re-say everything, just in case the post appears one day :)

I just want you to know that you have touched my heart.Katie, the words you said in this post were words I feel that Jesus and God wanted me to hear today. Thank you, Katie, for being such a good example!

We are praying for you, your ministry, your family in America and Uganda...and for ALL of the lives you touch..each ONE.

marybeth said...

Just remember that each one{life} you touch may also touch one & in turn touches another and so on. Just touch the heart of one life and let the dominoes fall where God leads. It's like a richochet effect. You don't know how many lives are touched by (your touching the one life you did) You are doing what God wants you to do and he is faithful to do the rest. I am praying for you daily sweet child of God. May you be blessed always by him. Remember that God is putting the people in your path that are going to make the most impact.He knows the lives of those they will also touch . You have done way more than you know. Wait till we get to heaven and see the effect you had and how many lives you have reached (even through others) God Bless you sweetie. Big Hugs.

Intentional Living Homestead said...

Thank you for speaking and sharing what the Holy Spirit is telling you...we read your blog and know that God is at work for that "one" and we can be part of it....and may we always be part of and for that "one".

Thank you!

Mandy Harvey said...

And what I love about Jesus is when He stops for that one, for me, I feel like I am the only one in the world. His love is that undistracted and undivided. Lord teach me to love with an undistraced heart and undivided attention...Thanks for sharing Katie....give my niece, sweet Josie Love a kiss for me.

Unknown said...

I am a Pastor in Kampala, but accomplishing studies at Iowa State, US. A friend found yr website and directed to me. I am definately touched by your response to the higher calling from Christ. Thanks for helping my people. We could meet someday. Blessings will pray for you.

Addie Talley, Photographer said...

If these words are inadequate, I cant imagine what adequate would look like... I so needed to hear this, thank you for listening and doing.

Joyful Le said...

This is exactly what I needed. These words of encouragement, comfort, knowing where to find my strength, knowing that it will be tough - and leaning on Him, thank you for feeding us His Words, Katie! You are His instrument. Blessed!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for every words. Keep spreading the Love above the universe

Rebekah Joy said...

Thank you Katie. Thank you for showing me Jesus today, for allowing Him to speak through you. I pray God would use these hands, feet, and heart for Him. I feel inadequate, but I am thankful. Thankful that it is Yahweh who will work and not myself. Thankful He is Sovereign and uses all things for the good of those who love Him, to make us more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). I look forward to meeting you one day:)