Realization

“Your what!?!?”, I asked my wife. Of course she told me that she was pregnant.  We had a son that was a little over two a six month old, and now, another one on the way.  As the truth, reality and responsibility settled in on me, I started laughing.  My wife of course did not see the humor in it at all and quickly asked, “what is so funny?”.   I told her the truth, “I can either laugh or cry….I am choosing to laugh.” 

Can you imagine how the news of Jerusalem and the Jews hit Nehemiah?  As the reality of the situation began to sink in, it broke him.  When he heard the news, he sat down, wept, mourned, fasted and prayed.  Has it sunk in that people are dying and going to hell all around the world…that includes your field of service.  Is it a reality in your life concerning the conditions of your field?  Is all the information abstract or has it got a face, name and family?  You know so much about your field.  You know about their religion, economy and living conditions.  You can quote their population, pledge and produce.  Yet all of it is like looking at something through a telescope or the events of a dream.  It just doesn’t seem real.  Let the information, condition and need of your land sink in.  I mean REALLY sink in.  When it is real with you, it will be real to others.  Let the truth sink in.  Let it eat your lunch and follow you around.  Pray, fast, mourn, and weep.  When it all starts sinking in and becomes real, you will begin to be able to share your burden effectively.