30 Days of Heartworkنموونە

Abba, Father

HEART //

In her book called From Servant to Son; From Orphan to Heir, Heidi Baker, a missionary to many nations of the world, tells a story about a child named Ramadan who had come to live in their children’s village in Mozambique. When he first arrived, he would run around and bite and kick people, looking miserable all the time. Ramadan had experienced great pain in his early childhood, had never known love, and now was an orphan. There was so much shame and sadness in him that he would not look anyone in the eye. Ramadan did not believe he had access to his new family or their home. Like some of the other children, Ramadan could not comprehend what a refrigerator was because he had never seen one before. He would not dare move toward the fridge and never had a soda in his life. Heidi took Ramadan by the hand and told him, “That fridge has a Coke in it. You can go get that Coke whenever you want it.” At bedtime, she would tuck him in and sing him a song. She regularly looked him in the eyes and said, “I will love you.” Then God started transforming his little heart. Finally, one day, Ramadan walked up to the fridge and took out a Coke. Heidi recounts that the first time he opened the fridge door and realized that it was his, that he belonged to the family, joy hit his heart and spiked across his face. He finally believed that he had full access to the home as a son.

She explains that we are all a bit like this with God. We think things like, “Am I really allowed? Can I really open that door and have the good things that he offers? Does he really love me?” But through time with him, God heals our abandoned and orphaned spirits. When Galatians tells us that God redeemed and fully adopted us as his own children, that means all that is in God’s house is available to us. We are allowed to partake of his peace, his joy, his patience, his long-suffering, his healing, and his provision. We are free to be his children.

WORK //

As you think about Ramadan’s story, pray that you would understand your place as God’s child and be free to come into his presence and accept his gifts. Continue your journey toward wholeness by asking God to show you any hurts, fears, or pains that need healing. Remember to spend time in silence and with no touch as often as possible this week (even if a whole day isn’t possible) praying for God’s children who have been rejected and have no voice in the world.

That silence may even be a way to spend time with God! Many of us are so used to talking at God, we rarely take the time to just pause our thoughts and feelings to wait, be still, and listen. There are many ways to spend time with God, in nature, reading the Bible, and even just sitting still, knowing that God is right here, with you, in you, around you.