 "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?" Habakkuk 1:2 My obstetrician, whom my husband and I both truly like, shocked me when he explained that he would be returning to the hospital to deliver what remained of a twin fetus “destroyed” (this was the word he used as he spoke in his second language, English) because the baby was found to have Down Syndrome. This is the world we live in, desecrated by the Fall. Where life can be destroyed and we can recount it with a smile on our face. The news bombards and we are overwhelmed and depressed. But how are we called to respond? My heart aches for an answer that is more than a puff of air. A platitude. Even a prayer. In this world that is becoming smaller, the problems, especially the worst, find us instantaneously through their supremely viral tendencies in any form of mass communication the internet has to offer. Tragedy relentlessly pursues. Facebook. Twitter. Blogosphere. Google searches. And that is without even listening to the local news. I write this in a new home that looks out on a gloomy day in a country that had the highest rates of suicide for 20 years. Hungary bears the roots of the suicide song, Gloomy Sunday in a tragic parody of a dark mark upon a brilliant people. And it isn’t only suicide. Its divorce rates are among the highest in the world. As well as alcohol consumption and abortion. And it isn’t only here… I am an idealist to the core and knowing the pain that is in the world, I want to run, run, run. My heart can’t take it…but it has to. And so does yours. For years my mother would remind me, “You are only one person.” It was good and wise to hear because it usually came after I had gushed about some worldwide injustice I would single-handedly fight or some faraway place I would go to bring the love of Jesus. Some days I would love to recapture some of that exuberance but I know it is a part of the journey to learn the reality of being “just one person” and along with it the balance required not to burn out and head to an early grave as I try to save the world. To be continued...  About Abby Abby is a small-town loving, big city adventurer. She and her husband have worked with high school students most of their lives! Since their internship in Budapest, Hungary in 2005-2006, they have been working with the ministry of CRU. In May of this year, they moved to Hungary answering God's call to work long-term with the students of Central and Eastern Europe. Abby loves to laugh, especially at herself, has a passion for God and making Him known and is ever learning how to do that with three small children, ages 5, 3 and one month. She wouldn't trade the journey for anything! She blogs regularly at Fan the Flame Sharing this article over at these awesome blogs.
4 Comments
3/27/2013 11:41:45 pm
That is so sad about the baby with Down's Syndrome. My heart breaks for our Heavenly Father to make all things new again, so that we see as He sees. Blessings to you as you serve in Hungary.
Kara
3/28/2013 03:57:19 pm
Beautifully expressed. I've been also struggling with the reality of the broken world. I want to be where people are hurting, to bring them God's love and truth.... yet what I can do seems so ineffective! The question for me is how to continue to try, surrounded by brokenness, trusting that God is working through my paltry efforts. Kara, I am so with you. Though my conclusions are limited and faulty, hope you can read the second part as it is published. Together we can make a difference one step as a time and a lot of listening to the God whose heart breaks infinitely more than ours...bless you! abby Leave a Reply. |
