1985 January/February issue Part 4

Letters

"I must admit I feel a lot of pressure with two children under two years of age. I am committed to do it until they are in school, however, and feel it is God's will. At times like this-when I wonder if I will even be able to finish this letter with both of them screaming for something-or when I miss going to lunch or getting dressed up, everyday life seems a drudgery. I worked hard to get through college-to be a scrubwoman, ha!" I understand this mother's cry. So does the Lord. He has given us this word: "No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any

temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it" ( 1 Cor 10:13, J.B. Phillips' translation). "A'way out?"' I can hear her say, "What mother has a way out?" The New English Bible translation throws light on this: "a way out, by enabling you to sustain it." Think, too, of Jesus' words, "My.yoke is easy and my burden is light." He is willing to bear our burdens with us if only we will come to Him and share the yoke, His yoke. I saw this principle in operation when I visited the Dohnavur Fellowship in India. There, day after day, year in and year out, Indian women (most of them single) care for little children, handicapped children, infirm adults, old folks. They don't go anywhere. They have none of our usual forms of amusement and diversion. They work with extremely primitive equipment- there is no running water, for example, no stoves but wood-burning ones, no washing  machines. In one of the buildings I saw this text, "There they dwelt with the King for His work." That's the secret. They do it for Him. They ask for and receive His grace to do it. I saw the joy in their

lovely faces. "Just finished reading Passion and Purity. Thank you for writing this book. I am twenty-four years old, single, and was wondering if I was the only one out here 'floundering in the sea of permissiveness and self-indulgence; and recently decided that the 'beacon of purity' I had been searching for had vanished completely, maybe at the turn of the century." This girl goes on to tell me how the man she was absolutely positive was God's choice for her suddenly disappeared. She was "borderline suicidal," but the Lord set her feet on a Rock. Then she was asked to serve as hostess for this man's wedding. "You guessed it," she wrote, "the bride is one of my best friends. So here is my opportunity for selfless love and servitude that we Christians speak of so freely.... This is so you can tell them, Elisabeth, that there's living proof out here in America of life after death.. It's worth it all just to be conformed to His image, to know His abiding mercy and love." And I would add, it's worth it to have written the book when somebody like that has had "ears to hear." Thank God.