Hardship Can be Motivation

About 10 miles east of Seoul amidst rice paddy's and the devastation of the war, high on a hilltop, a Seventh-day Adventist Orphanage was founded.

This simple concept was so much more complex when at the time every grain of rice had to be carefully allocated, when material supplies such as diapers or medical supplies were unavailable or extremely limited, when building material was not to be found for expanding the housing and cooking facilities, when children had to be fed in shifts since there were not enough benches or tables to seat and feed all at one time. A precious Doctor and his wife chose to become providers and protectors.

It is estimated that upwards of 500,000 children died in the three years of that war in both North and South Korea. It is estimated that 100,000 children were orphaned or were separated from family and wandered the streets and by-ways of Korea. Most of the children were brought to the Orphanage by US Service Men and Women, more than 1000 children saved and placed in American homes as Adoptees.

In the midst of war, deprivation, hardship, military men and women whose job was to kill and maim, acted as hero's. Dr. George & Mrs. Grace Rue (the founders and Director) could have remained comfortable and secure in middle class America, but they offered great hearts and great service. [ http://www.koreanchildren.org/docs/orphanages-6-SeoulSanitariumandHospital.htm ]

Hardship tends to find me asking "why God... why didn't You... why me... are you punishing me and so on..." I recall some early days of my first pregnancy, discovering all I had to feed me and my baby was water, ketchup and elbow noodles. I remember thinking I was a 'good person, trying to do the next right thing, working a full time job and going to college - so was I being punished or did some sin put me in this place.

When hardship arose for the widow of Zarephath [ !Kings 17:8-24 ], she began preparing the last meal for she and her son, never knowing her simple act of willingness to give to a stranger would raise to life that very child.

When hardships come, what should my first response be... is it time to dig deeper into God's Promise storehouse, is it time to activate what I have in my hand, is it time to ask myself to override what I am trained for to do what God places in front of me?

I have traveled to underprivileged parts of our world, and even here in the US, there are a zillion hurting, broken people. Maybe even on my street, in my school, in my church or at my job. Is it possible that I am Divinely placed in each setting to act with great heart and great service?

How I feel may not be as important as how I choose to act... who stands near that needs your heart and service?