Thursday, February 28, 2013

Scriptures of Holiness ~ One Finger For His Glory

Boy, do I have a treat for you today.

It would be best not to construe this post as a happy, happy, joy, joy kind of treat. Instead, it's a getcha thinkin', heart-shaping kind of treat. I promise it's a good one though.

Corrie ten Boom is one of my heroes of the faith. After surviving Hitler's death camps during the Holocaust, she spent the rest of her life traveling the world testifying to the goodness and faithfulness of her God. The following is an excerpt from her book, Tramp For The Lord:

"The old woman was lying on a small sofa, propped up by pillows. Her body was bent and twisted almost beyond recognition by the dread disease of multiple sclerosis. Her aged husband spent all his time caring for her since she was unable to move off the sofa.

"I walked across the room and kissed her wrinkled cheek. She tried to look up but the muscles in her neck were atrophied so she could only roll her eyes upward and smile. She raised her right hand, slowly, in jerks. It was the only part of her body she could control and with her gnarled and deformed knuckles she caressed my face. I reached over and kissed the index finger of that hand, for it was with this one finger that she had so long glorified God.

"Beside her couch was a vintage typewriter. Each morning her faithful husband would rise, praising the Lord. After caring for his wife's needs and feeding her a simple breakfast he would prop her into a sitting position on the couch, placing pillows all around her so she wouldn't topple over. Then he would move that ancient black typewriter in front of her on a small table. From an old cupboard he would remove a stack of cheap yellow paper. Then, with that blessed one finger, she would begin to type.

"All day and far into the night she would type. She translated Christian books into Russian, Latvian, and the language of her people. Always using just that one finger - peck...peck...peck - she typed out the pages. Portions of the Bible, the books of Billy Graham, Watchman Nee, and Corrie ten Boom - all came from her typewriter. That was why I was there - to thank her.

"'Not only does she translate their books,' her husband said as he hovered close by during our conversation, 'but she prays for these men every day while she types. Sometimes it takes a long time for her finger to hit the key, or for her to get the paper in the machine, but all the time she is praying for those whose books she is working on.'"*

Mark 12:42-44 (NIV) teaches us something similar. "But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'"

So...I'll ask you the same thing I asked myself, "Are you giving your all for the glory of God? Is your life a living sacrifice for Him?"

SELAH.

*Corrie ten Boom, Tramp For The Lord (New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1974), p.175.


Father God, Open our ears that we might hear Your cry. Awaken our hearts to love You and serve You more - with all what we are, with all that we have. We love You, Lord. Seal this lesson deep in our spirits. Thank You Lord. You alone are worthy of our praise.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to worship with Hillsong as they sing, "I Give You My Heart". What an amazingly powerful song of adoration!

4 comments :

  1. Ok Nan, ouch! Am I doing all I can fir the kingdom? Great question! If that precious could translate those books with only 1 finger, what in the world is our excuse? Love you!

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  2. I agree wholeheartedly, Jamie. I felt the same way when I read this and that's why I felt compelled to share it. There is much work to be done for the Lord. None is greater than the other - it all fits together like a puzzle to spread the Word until He returns. We just need to say, "Yes, Lord."

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  3. Nan, this entry hits me specially because, as you know, I majored in Translation and that's my secular job. And, with the limited time resources I have, I'm doing all I can to translate little nuggets of wisdom (David's powerful exhortations, for example) for the sake of the Latin American community in my friends' list (and my FB posts appear on Twitter directly bc I've linked those accounts). So this is a reminder that my skill is not just a natural skill to serve people who pay me... but a powerful tool for the Kingdom. I've always felt it that way, and more than ever am convinced that there will be more translations for the Kingdom in my future.

    I've had the opportunity to partner with a lady who has publishing houses as clients, and have translated six Christian books so far (plus material for Christian NGOs). It was my dream when I rededicated my life to the Lord in 2004 and God has fulfilled it.

    And being a translator is powerful because it makes you feel a bridge between different cultures and you realize, after all, we're not all that different.

    I feel very encouraged by this post. I'm convinced God will do beautiful things with this awesome gift He has given me. So I'm happy, happy, joyful! :)

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  4. Carina, I didn't know you do this! How wonderful. Thank you for sharing this with me. I know God is honored by your work. Bless you!

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