Hardships (or mere inconveniences?)

Today I'm really frustrated with our government.  It appears that the final debt deal does raise the debt ceiling but doesn't help the one area that can do the most to help our recovery -- creating jobs. In fact many economist believe that it will slow the job market (then again, do economists ever really agree on anything?). Here's one take on it.

Then we have the House of Representatives leaving town before an extension is passed on the FAA re-authorization. The Republican led House left the Senate with a bill that the Senate has already rejected and now they can blame the Democratic led Senate for the 4000 federal workers and 70,000 contractors and construction workers that will be without work until after Labor Day and for the $1.5 billion in forfeited tax revenues associated with the FAA bill.

And even as I try to figure out what these men and women are thinking as they return to their districts (and I really can't come up with a single thing), I know that the hardships we face are nothing compared to the majority of the world.

Today it's going to get to be 105F (40.5C) in Ozark and the air conditioner picked today to go out!  Even so, the blinds are drawn, the fans are on and the inside temp is a bearable 85F (29.5C). What's more, the a/c repairman will be here sometime this afternoon and we'll be able to afford to have it fixed--and even if we couldn't, we'd survive.
And we'd be far more comfortable than most of the world and much of the US.

Temperatures in one area of the Middle East reach around 120F (48C) this time of year. I mention that because I know of one man that is in prison there (their prisons aren't air conditioned like ours) simply because he believes that Jesus is his Lord and Savior and pastors a small community of believers.  He's not complaining. He's taking the opportunity that God has given him to share his faith with people that he wouldn't have otherwise had the chance to talk to. Word has reached his family that he continues to share the Gospel behind prison walls.

My trials are nothing compared to his. My government is nothing like his. In every aspect of life, save one, I have it so much better; so much easier than he does. That one area that he is far ahead of me is in his spiritual life; his faith.

He is threatened with prison for sharing his faith. Does it stop him? No. He goes to prison. Does prison stop him? No. He keeps on. The last time he was imprisoned (a few years ago), they let him out because he pretty much had a 'captive' audience and the Holy Spirit worked through him to bring more Muslims to trust in Jesus. Understand that there are no trials. He is simply imprisoned until they decide to let him go. I would ask that you join with me and his family praying that God will keep him safe and return him to his home soon.

I face no threats; no consequences for sharing my faith. What's stopping me?  What's stopping you?
As I think about the frustration that I have with our elected representatives right now; I wonder if Jesus isn't just as frustrated with those He's elected to do His work?  Maybe He's wondering what we're thinking.  Maybe He's waiting for us to do our jobs; the work that He's laid out for us.

Just thinking ...

John<><