Chosen

There are days in our lives that are etched in stone in our memories or rather perhaps written on our hearts in permanent ink.  On Mother’s Day, May 8^th 2016 was one of those days for me! Many of our children at MCV (Michaels Children’s Village) shouted “Happy Mother’s day, Mama Comella,” I have been wished this before by family in regards to my nieces/nephews and the role I have played in their lives, but never by so many children in their beautiful childlike voices… It was such a heartwarming, yet surreal moment for me! The reality of it all, these wonderful children saying this to me, it was a dream becoming true!

As a child, about 4 years old or so, I told my mom that I was going to adopt children when I was older and that they would be from Africa. Now, 33 years later, twenty children call me Mama Comella and were wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day! There was one girl in particular, she is 12 years old, who I am very close to, she told me 3 times that day, “Happy Mother’s Day!” After the third time, she came and sat by me as she said it and then she said something that has forever changed my life. She said, “You are my Mama!” Tears welled up in my eyes, I wanted to just weep in joy right there, but I contained myself so I didn’t seem over-dramatic, I was so moved and I did weep later!

It is one thing to have a dream of adopting children, which truly has been on my heart nearly my whole life. However, there is something radically different and impactful when a child chooses you! Truly, I had no words at that moment! We sat together, she was sitting on my lap. I did pull out my phone and suggest that we take a selfie of my Daughter on Mother’s Day! She giggled and agreed!

I don’t know if I will ever adopt in the natural legal sense or if it will be only in the spiritual sense. It really doesn’t matter to me, each child that I am with is adopted by Father God and I am called to LOVE them and Mother them as He would!  But I do know one thing, that she adopted me, I have chosen by her! It is the most humbling, yet honoring thing I believe has ever happened to me.

It reminds me of the scripture in Ephesians 1:5

For it was always in His perfect plan to adopt us as His delightful children, so that His tremendous grace that cascades over us would bring Him glory—for the same love he has for His Beloved One, Jesus, He has for us!!

We are chosen by Father God, just like my beautiful daughter chose me! He chose us before we knew how to love, make good choices and He knew we would reject Him, nevertheless, He chose us anyway adopting us into His Kingdom Family!! The thing that amazes me the most about this little girl choosing me is that she has known me for about a year; she has seen my faults, the ways I haven’t loved as well as I could have and yet, she still chose me! It is only the LOVE of Jesus in someone that can look beyond all or our superficial ways, our mistakes (no matter how big or small it is still the same to God) and see a heart that longs and desires to love! That is what this beautiful girl did for me, she looked beyond my flaws and wrongdoings and saw my heart with the eyes of a loving adopted Father since He lives in her as well! May I encourage you today that you BELONG, you are ADOPTED and radically LOVED by a Father in heaven who doesn’t condemn you, but loves you! He sent His Son, Jesus in our place because you are invaluable to Him and He CHOSE you knowing the mistakes you have already made, you are currently making and will make in your future and He says, you are Forgiven, it is PAID IN FULL by Jesus!! I choose you, receive my Love today!

Faith Looks Unusual at Times

I have wondered sometimes what does it look like to have a mustard seed of faith? It says in the Bible that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). If Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughed when God told her she would have a child and she was noted as a women of incredible faith in the Bible, I realize my definition of faith is far different than God’s. In Hebrews 11:11, it says:

Sarah’s faith embraced the miracle power to conceive even though she was barren and she was past the age of childbearing, for the authority of her faith rested in the One who made the promise, and she tapped into her faithfulness.

My question is, what does a mustard seed look like from God’s perspective?

The funny thing is that when you pray for God to increase your gift of faith, it is a dangerous prayer, yet a valuable prayer! I don’t know if Sarah prayed that prayer and yet look how long she waited for a child, over 90 years!! I have prayed that prayer! And if I am honest, I know in my life, some of the situations that built my faith the most, I wasn’t thanking God for the circumstances while I was in the midst of the struggle! It was only in hindsight that I could see the strengthening of my character, faith and many other valuable life lessons.

On the other hand, sometimes we learn about faith in the most unusual circumstances that can be quite surprising! I was at the hospital in the mentally ill ward. I don’t like the term ‘mentally ill’, so let’s call it a place where people don’t know their identity yet!! Anyway, I met this lady who introduced herself and said she was a white sangoma! A sangoma is a term in South Africa used to describe a witchdoctor. I had visited with her a prayed with her several times in the hospital, yet one day was quite memorable. I asked her if she had pain, she said yes, in her sinuses and lungs. She also mentioned that something was the matter with her heart. I asked her if I could pray from her, she agreed. She said you can pray, but don’t touch the cigarettes (I could smell the smoke ruminating from her clothes)! I told her that if I prayed for her cigarettes, she would encounter a love from Jesus that would be far better than smoking cigarettes. She said, “You can pray for anything else, but not the cigarettes, they have been my joy since I was three years old”.

We honored her request, praying a blessing over her and for her sinuses and heart to be healed, she said her sinuses were feeling better! However, what struck me is this women’s faith, before I even mentioned smoking, she knew that she could be healed of her cigarette addiction! Wow, this is incredible faith and in fact greater than my faith in my early years as a believer! To be honest, I am not sure she knew Jesus as she said she was a witchdoctor, yet her FAITH was profound! Every time I encountered her, I loved on her, prayed for her and one day as I hugged her, she wept in my arms. I do know Jesus was working in her heart and I believe He will continue to encounter her. This women blessed me and challenged my faith and now has me on a quest for more than a mustard seed of faith!

Love Invades the Hospital

It has been so incredible in the last six months to watch what the Lord continues to do at our local hospital that we visit 1 – 2 times per week. It is one of our greatest JOYS to go there to love on the people and babies! We usually have one or more of our older girls who go with us from MCV. It has been beautiful to watch one of our girl’s heart of compassion and confidence grow as she prays for the sick and broken. Last week, she confidently shared a couple of scripture verses with the mamas caring for their sick babies.

A desire and heartthrob of our hospital ministry is to love on the babies who don’t have any visitors due to being abandoned, parent’s passing away or very ill. We declare the goodness of Jesus over each one of them proclaiming that they are adopted, healed and loved with an everlasting love. We also lay hands and pray for as many babies as we can believing they will be fully healed and walk in their fullness. Aside from the babies, different wards continue to open up to us within this very big public hospital, recently, nurses have directed us to different wards for us to pray in. Slowly, bit by bit, we are covering the whole hospital which was a dream of ours! Our long-term dream is that we come with big teams and scatter in small groups covering the entire hospital.

We have many testimonies of Jesus healing and touching those we prayed for and His love continues to be expressed as we continue to pray for those that are in front of us.

*We prayed for a beautiful mom who had a sick child. We asked her if there was something we could pray for her and she said yes, her eye. She could only partially see out of one eye and after praying, she said her eye was fine, she could see again!! Hallelujah!

*We visited the psych ward several times. We have had 2 women give their lives to the Lord. Wow, so beautiful!

*We recently heard of an incredible testimony from one of the nurses. We prayed for a baby in ICU not knowing that she needed to be transferred for urgent surgery either later that day or the next day. The doctor came in one more time to examine her before she went in for the surgery. The doctor said that it was a miracle, the baby did not need to go for surgery and she was removed from ICU. :)

We are so blessed to get to be the hands and feet, it reminds me of this scripture:

God always blesses those who are kind to the poor and helpless. They’re the first ones God helps when they find themselves in any trouble. ~ Psalm 41:1

This week, while praying for those who are stuck in a bed or a crib for often many months or longer clearly very ill or bed ridden; I am continually moved by the ones who light up with joy beyond reason when we pray for them! I know that is only the hand of a loving God who has implanted a strength of joy in them that causes their faith to be unshakable in their circumstances! Wow!

As I left the hospital today, I came across this butterfly in the corner of a window.

May we be a people that finds the hidden treasures and joy in all circumstances and in people no matter what the cost!! Amen!