Prayers...

I have somehow found this incredible network of friends who have been to Africa and have a desire to serve, whether from the states or by going. This morning I talked with my sweet friend Paula, who spent four months serving in South Africa. We got to pour our hearts out, joys, frustrations and contemplations. It was kind of a relief, I think something I've been needing to do for a few weeks.

Both of us have been in a place where this desire just burned hot in our hearts, yet we had no idea how to respond, or what to do, or couldn't understand why we simply couldn't go right that moment. Even turning to prayer was frustrating and overwhelming, because the process of what to pray for seemed impossible. How do you know what to pray for when you aren't there, or have never been there? The corruption, pain, evil, sickness, death...it is all so big, so hard to understand. How will my tiny prayers be effective?

I still don't have the answer. I don't know that I ever will, but what I do know is this:

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freeedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaing together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, goran inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who seaches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that h might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whome he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:18-30