 |
{photo by Josh Huang}
My Shadow
Robert Louis Stevenson
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed...
This was taken during the children's retreat last month. The little girl is actually one of my Sunday school girls who just happened to go to the school from where the boys and girls came for the retreat. She is only nine years old though and the age restriction was set at 10 - 12. When it became evident that there was not going to be an overflow of children eagerly ready to jump on the boat, the principal said that Clarinha could go with her mother's permission, of course.
Clarinha is a little shadow to me at church. I think she learned to read as I would have her follow the words of songs with her finger in my hymnbook and by memorizing verses. I've known her for about three years now. Last year she made a decision to accept Jesus into her heart and life.
When all seems rough and I wonder about my usefulness in this far off place, I go to church and Clarinha comes to sit beside me and ask for my hymnbook! And then all is well again in the world.
|
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. This verse has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. When I was a high school senior at a Christian school in Virginia, Job 23:10 was chosen as our class theme verse. At our graduation commencement, the valedictorian and saludatorian in their addresses that day divided the verse in its two natural parts as a basis for the core of each one's address. I was the salutatorian of my senior class that year. I chose to speak of how God would one day reward our faithfulness and thus, we should always strive to remain true. For many years though, the first part of the verse haunted me in a way. As a missionary especially when times were lonely or difficult, I assumed it was my "trial" or "test," and as such must be accepted in all humility. As I have grown older, I have begun to look more toward the pearly gates and have reconsidered the thr...
Love this! Shadows are nice sometimes. :)
ReplyDelete