Hope

1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."[a] 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ......May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15

I forget so many times that this is a broken world and that I'm apart of it. Coming from a solid family and having friends with families that are all together I forget that in the real world there is so much brokenness in family. Satan attacks and breaks up the family as much as possible because the scars and pains that a broken home leaves can stay with someone for their whole lives. Ever since Costa Rica i've been thinking a lot about families and this morning I read an article on DJ's blog about the rise in Korean suicides in the US.

Some experts trace the increase in the suicide rate, in part, to the nation’s rapid transformation from an impoverished agrarian society to a booming industrial power. Traditional family support systems have fractured, age-old value systems have dissolved and materialism has flourished, they say. And those changes continue to steer the lives of recent emigrants to America. - New York Times

 In this article parents of a 20 yr old daughter covered themselves in gasoline and burned themselves to death in their own apartment while their daughter went to a friends house, leaving a note saying “I love you, my daughter. I’m very sorry to leave you alone. It would’ve been much better if you had a wealthier father.”, and left her $40 dollars in the envelope. I spent the other night sleeping over and spending time with the orphans from Korea. I asked many of them, "What's your hope? What's your dream? What do you want to do when you grow up?" and sadly many of them didn't seem to have much hopes or dreams. Most were lonely. Even when in a big group they had a "I'm alone" mentality.

 We need to wake up and understand that there is a problem out there. That the devil is at work mightily to break God's people. To take away their Hope. Take away their joy. Take away their peace. But we turn our eyes from these things. The devil turns our gaze to the riches of this world and behind our backs destroys our families and crushes our foundations. I wish. I just wish that I can help people understand the hope that comes in Jesus Christ. That they are not alone. The Bible says, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves". This is my prayer today, that God would make me strong, strong enough to be the bringer of Hope to those who are broken.