A Long Way From Home

Ruth said, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God. –Ruth 1:16

I am blessed to have a dear friend Rose, who reminds me of a modern day Ruth.  Ruth, in the Bible left her homeland after family members died and famine struck the land.  She 

traveled a far distance with her mother-in-law and became a foreigner in a new land.  Rose, left South Sudan after civil war left many family members dead and her village destroyed.  Like Ruth, Rose walked hundreds of miles to find shelter and safety.  Unlike Ruth, Rose was just a child.

Rose came to Denver, CO in 2006 as one of the “Lost Girls of Sudan.”  I was assigned to be her mentor, and soon became her friend.  We giggle now as we look back and see how she went from “lost” to “found.”  Rose has made her way in the United States amazingly well.  She graduated from the University of Colorado a few years ago, and now works as a college advisor in Ohio.  She parents an adorable two year-old son, and just purchased her first home in a nice suburban neighborhood. I am so incredibly proud of this woman of faith.  

God has always been Rose’s guide.  She thanks God for keeping her safe as she crossed alligator infested rivers in Africa, for His strength that helped her keep walking night after night, and for the kindness of strangers who sometimes carried her.  She praises God for plucking her out of the refugee camp and placing her in an orphanage in Kenya run by a German nun, Sister Louise.  Sister saw Rose’s bright and determined mind and made a way for Rose to attend school.  Through all the hardships and challenges Rose faced while growing up, she never let go of God’s powerful hand. 

All of us have parts of our childhood or young adult life that we wish we could change or delete.  I certainly do.  What if God wants to use those dark times for His glory?

Rose is perfectly placed to encourage college students to keep persevering through difficult days.  The high value of education and its power to change lives imparts courage and confidence to her students.  Her bright mind and determination inspires the next generation of students.  God must be so proud of Rose too.

Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life (a favorite book of mine) taught me that God will often use the worst messes in our lives to help us deliver His message.  He explains that the best person to and help a family who has a child born with Down Syndrome is a family who has raised a child born with Down Syndrome.  The best person to build a ministry loving and supporting widows and single moms is a single mom whose husband died tragically at a young age.  Why?  Because once you’ve walked the difficult road, you best understand and can relate to every curve and bump along the road.  

Because I love Rose and have walked with her all these years, I have compassion for all the Syrian refugees displaced from their homeland.  God has used Rose to stretch my heart to pray for Syrian refugees, people I’ve never met but who are living through many of the same hardships Rose endured. Unfortunately, the number of refugees displaced in our world today is the highest since WWII. Will you join me in praying for all the refugees in our world?  God hears our unified prayers. 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

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