Sangithum (or however it's spelled) means Psalm in Tamil. Psalm 32:7-8 says, "You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." It continues in v.10 with, "Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but staedfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord." The last one has a similiar structure to Psalm 34:19 which states that, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all."
My mentor, Kristen, and her family gave me The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord. The books tell the story of Corrie ten Boom who was part of the underground in Holland which helped to hide Jews from the Nazis and the sequel chronicles Corrie's ministry throughout the world as an evangelist. She suffered in a death camp and after the entire ordeal had lost 3 of her family members and lived in hell. This book has been such a blessing because so many things it talks about have come up in conversations with the team as well as in Scripture I've been reading. I love it when God tells us something over and over again - it's the only way it can get through my thick skull.
Anyway, there are 3 things of great importance that this book has highlighted for me:
1. Be thankful for everything at all times
2. God is your Teacher and Shepherd - pay attention to His leading and guidance and look for the lesson He is teaching you
3. We have "two precious weapons" (to quote Corrie) - "the power of the blood of Jesus - and every Christian's legal right to use the wonderful Name of Jesus to cast out demons."
I got sick (again- ha ha) this week, and after a quick trip to the hospital on campus I was given medicine and a shot which helped me to feel a lot better. Had I not been reading those books I know I could have very easily slipped into my typical woe-is-me attitude that focuses on my own "suffering" instead of the big picture. I have been feeling a lot better today - which testifies to God's healing power - and God showed me the importance of thankfulness. There is absolutely every reason to be thankful for things here in India. God is working in so many ways. This is best illustrated in something that happened last night. As I was walking to dinner from my room I saw one of the community college students carrying her friend from the doorway of their hall to the ledge by the field close by to their dorm rooms. God's love hit me so hard once I saw that - the way those two girls interacted was beautiful. You see the girl who was carried is crippled and cannot use her legs to walk. Her friend struggled a little to pick her up off the ground but did so in such a manner that communicated joy and love. There is such awesome power in the love that we can show one another - and this power can be felt by those who are simply spectators.
A major point that Corrie concludes on in her first book is that no matter where we are Jesus is a secure hiding place for us. Just as the psalm suggests we should all strive to make Christ our resting place from which all comfort and peace comes to us. Well, I hope all is well abroad and thanks again for reading these posts. Keep persevering in prayer!
Love,
Mallory
