I have always wanted to be used by God to build His kingdom. I have repeated such a prayer in several forms throughout my life.
I never told God how to use me, nor when.
Sometimes there have been minor occasions of short impacts on people’s lives, like jump starting a battery on a cold winter morning.
Occasionally it’s been pulling someone up from a pit of depression or despair. Or just getting someone to smile or laugh.
Not every encounter has been done face to face. The internet has made our world so small and inviting.
I have Facebook friends on the other side of the world who serve God, too. Some of those relationships have grown rapidly into something extremely special.
I sent one of my prayer books to Mike in Uganda. He runs an orphanage that’s teaming with children of AIDS infected parents.
He shared with me a few months later that the children were fighting over which one of them would get to carry that book to school. I sent him two cases of that book when I got the money together for it. The children were ecstatic. Now they each have their own copy.
Later on I met John Paul. He runs a Christian school in Uganda. There are so many of the children without families that he needs to add an orphanage as well.
I’ve been offering suggestions to JP about ways he can help those in his community. JP soaks up every idea and tries to put them into action.
His main challenge is lack of funding. So I set up a Facebook page for him and opened a PayPal account for his school. We received our first donations last week. JP can now pay for the test materials the government requires all children take. Teachers’ salaries are the next item to be paid.
While I was in El Paso Thursday evening settling in for the night JP texted me. We chatted about the donations and such. Then the conversation took me by complete surprise.
Here’s how it went:
JP: good night. Do you mind if I call you dad? I feel a fatherly love from you.
JP: I have never known any love of a parent since I was born
Me: I would be honored for you to call me dad. I never had any children.
JP: From today you are my dad. my children will call you grandfather
Me: Thank you
JP: You know God has given you a family here in Africa.
JP: connected by the blood of Jesus
Me: I love this
JP: Amen. I know it’s late there. good night dad
JP: I will be honored to be called your son
Me: Good night JP, my son.
It was Friday afternoon, after all of my deliveries were completed and I was driving home, before I could let the impact of that conversation fully sink in.
I don’t know all of John Paul’s life story. I gather that he was raised an orphan himself. That’s why he’s drawn to helping that segment of the population.
I know he was born three years after I graduated high school…so I’m old enough to be his dad.
The fact he runs a Christian school, rather than just an ordinary school, proves his love of Jesus to me.
His work ethic and drive to build that school into something more effective and efficient are something any parent would be proud of.
I’m reminded of the time Aaron and Hur held Moses’ hands up so Joshua could win the battle. Neither Moses, Aaron nor Hur did any fighting. They were just instruments used by God to show His presence to the people.
John Paul is fighting on the front lines in Uganda. I’m in Texas with very little money of my own. Other folks want to help but want assurances this whole arrangement is legit.
I’m doing whatever I can to help and in the process have passed my love on to someone who never experienced the love of an earthly father…a dad.
God gave an orphan a dad and a childless man a son. That’s so like our Heavenly Father.
I can’t wait to see where this will all go from here.
I’ve tried to get established organisations to help the first orphanage I mentioned with no success.
That’s why I’ve decided the best thing to do is start a new nonprofit to help people sponsor kids in Uganda to help build God’s kingdom among the poorest of people on the planet. Those are the kind of folks Jesus liked to hang out with anyway.
My current challenge is finding at least four more people to join me in creating a board for this organisation.
I don’t know what will happen after that. That’s why it’s called faith.
I’m just attempting to be obedient to the task that’s been presented to me.
That’s what Abba expects from me so that’s what I’ll do.
I’ll see how many children I get credited for when I enter my eternal home.
Anyone care to join me in this endeavor?
Here’s the link for you to donate to now.
I’ll see you later.
