a Trip

So I got out of little Hepburn for the weekend. One of my (or our) friends has just started her internship in La Ronge area (Northern Saskatchewan) building relationships with the people up there. So I went there with a few friends to visit her and see people around. It was really neat to live in her lovely trailer, make hamburger helper together, watch a movie on her laptop with dill pickle-seasoned pop-corn, shower in her triangle mini-shower, follow her around in the mosquitoes (yes it was raining all weekend long, but mosquitoes were as present as the rain) to see different people, going to church and then to fellowship (can’t use the word church for this one) and eating pig’s neck bones with a family of 1 parent and 7 children and 5 guests. Life up there is different, that’s for sure, I had a good time, but not “good” as “good”, but “good” like … “good” Gabe’s way.

Life for those without Christ in cities seems to be easier than life without Christ in “secluded” areas like Bigstone. Pretty much all the houses were the same size and had the same rectangular shape, there was no beauty to the neighbourhood, mud, dogs, dirty dying dogs, kids playing on wet piles of sand, unpleasant smells a bit everywhere. I mean, the weather did not help at all I know, but still I felt like there was no life, no hope, that people pretty much did not know what to do with their time. I’ve been to some really poor areas near Lafayette, Louisiana a couple of years ago and I sort of felt the same way, people seem to be ok with their lives even when they are living in unhealthy conditions. Maybe I’m mistaken, maybe these men and women are desperately wanting better lives.

The way the planet is working right now is just wrong to me. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:1 “…I saw the tears of the oppressed –and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors- and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead who had already died are happier than the living, who are still alive.” I don’t mean to say that people living in Bigstone would be better off dead. Don’t take me wrong, it simply seems like life is tough and there’s not much hope of a better life. God sent comforters out there, that is for sure. He sent a few missionaries and obviously, my friend is starting a “bring comfort ministry” as I like to think of it. It’s not that these comforters desire for the community to look nicer or be healthier in physical ways, they seek to comfort the soul of individuals with Christ’s love and help them realize that He is all they need. May God bless these comforters and grant them perseverance and to see the fruit of their labor.

I sometimes wonder if we lead mediocre spiritual lives without even knowing it. We tell ourselves that it’s always been that way so we don’t seek any better options, we are ok with it. May God send His comforters to us, may He open our eyes to see how much we need Him, right now, and that we aren’t strong enough or good enough or rich enough, that that stuff does not matter. May we become comforters to those around us that are suffering, let’s give up our bread and our time for the sake of those God desperately want to save, to comfort.

Bank for Native Missionaries: 8$ as of June 12, 2006.

What can I boast about, when the life that I live has been given me
What can I be proud of, but of Jesus who died, to set me free
Set me free
Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom
Let not the strong man boast in his strength
Let not the rich man boast in his riches
For all men are equal down at the cross
Jesus still reaches out
Not matter how far or how weak we are
His love has no bounds
And He reaches the ones down on their knees
On their knees
- The Kry