Death Sentence

What are you thankful to God for this week?

This is a question that comes every Sunday in our church and I am grateful for the regular reminder that God is living and active in our lives whether we acknowledge Him or not. There are usually lots of responses to this call in our church but this week there was one that really made me think. One of the refugees in our church got up and told us that he was thankful for today because it was the anniversary of his death sentence. He had been imprisoned in his home country and sentenced to the die because of his ethnic background. What would it be like to have a death sentence placed upon you and then to live past it while you saw others receiving for theirs? I can't imagine what it would be like to survive twelve years in jail never mind knowing that you were supposed to die there and that they could give you a new date at any time. What a beautiful thing it was to be free and celebrating eighteen years after your death sentence!

When I think about it I realize that we aren't all that different. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden we received a death sentence. It is only because Christ paid the price for us by his death on the cross that we can be free of that penalty, we just have to accept that gift. So I hope you are free and celebrating the number of years since your death sentence too.

The school's field day is coming and I would appreciate your prayers for that. Please pray for safety for all who are involved. Pray for my boys that they would learn to be a source of encouragement to those around them and be able to celebrate with those who succeed regardless of their own personal standing.

Please also pray for Sahel as the semester ends in a few short weeks, that exams would go well that the students would be able to perform to the best of their ability and finish the term well. Pray also for  a youth pastor for the coming semester as the young woman (a former student at Sahel) who was leading that team returns home at the end of the term. Pray also for her that she would sense God's leading and direction for what she is to do next.