God’s question for Solomon: “What shall I give you?” echoes through the ages. ‘Ask anything in my name and I will do it.’ John14:14 ‘Ask, and you will receive.’ Matthew 7:7

Patrick recently asked me, ‘What would you ask God for?’ I did not need to think hard or long. I would ask for compassion. Immediately, I saw my error. Why had I not asked? There are rooms of gifts available for the asking. Solomon asked for wisdom and he was given abundant wealth and glory, such as no king before or since has seen.

I know how this works. A woman comes to me to ask for soap. I sit with her, and see that she is also sick, and her clothes are worn to shreds. I go to the container for soap and come out with clothes, a blanket, perhaps eye drops for oozing eyes. Isn’t that how God works too? We must first come to him and ask. He sees us completely and he sees our needs. He goes to his store houses and for ashes, he gives us garlands, for mourning gladness, for the heavy heart a garment of splendour.

James cautions us, ‘You do not get what you want, because you do not pray for it.’ James 4:2 What keeps me from asking? Usually it is simply a matter of time and perspective. How foolish, that I would keep pushing on bone weary and frustrated, because I have not made time to come to the Father. The Father is not angry, but he does not want to see us struggling along when we might soar on wings like eagles. Like a two year old determined to do it alone, we fall and cry and hurt, because we do not ask. The Father waits.

So, what have we been asking for here? We have been crying out for our new children. Three of our recent arrivals came to us in October. Their mother passed away last year. Their father died very recently. An elderly relative was obligated to come and look after them. Their house was falling down, their clothes nothing but rags, and they were without food. Our gardener alerted us to their need. Mo felt urgency in his heart, and quickly went to see them. A distant aunt had been called. Her main concern was to ensure the children went through a traditional ceremony of cleansing since they had been with their father when he was sick – this particular ritual is very abusive to children. Mo arrived in God’s perfect timing, and was able to ensure that this did not happen. The youngest of the three is sad all the time unless he is being held. He is only 7 but he is deeply wounded. We ask God to touch each one in their pain.

Of course, our cry goes out for the many that we do not hear about, who stories are as painful or worse. We are asking God himself to protect each one. As we fill these beds, we are asking God about what we should do next. Our vision is to build families, with Malawian house parents. We had thought those homes would be built in the communities, but we see that much supervision is needed to break through traditional ways of looking at children. Jesus words, ‘Let the little children come to me, ‘ radically conflict with cultural norms. Jesus, show us your next step.

We are asking God for lasting fruit where the Word is taught. Since our return from Canada there have been conferences in Chilumba, way up north, Nchalo, Thyolo, and in Lilongwe. Our Malawian leaders often travel on weekends to encourage the churches scattered all over the country. Our cry is for transformation, for churches to corporately choose Jesus’ way over tradition.

Recently, Sue and I were invited to a women’s meeting in Nchalo. We had a good couple of days with the women. I was able to teach in Chichewa with more ease than ever before. The first night was a classic Malawian outreach. We arrived at about 5:30 p.m. and were ushered into a pastor’s living room while the women began to gather outside. I had hoped to start fairly soon, but that was not to be. After a while, we discovered that we would be eating first and then meeting, and so, more waiting. As darkness came, I realized that not only would I be preaching in Chichewa, I would also be without notes as we were without power (of course!). I simply trusted. God is faithful! We gathered in the little mud church shaped like a T with women on all sides. We sang and worshipped first, and then I was welcomed to the front. There was a small oil lamp on the table. With simple words, I told the story of the woman at the well. I discovered there was enough light to read by if I tilted my Bible just right. It was so freeing not to be looking into waiting eyes. The darkness was a comfort to me, as I couldn’t really see my audience, and it also quieted the women. It was so good to be reminded of the truth, that Christ offers us living water which will bubble up from within us without ceasing. This story might have taken place at any Malawian well, and it is easily understood.

As the women settled outside, I sat on the step watching and listening. There was much sickness in the camp…coughing and diarrhea mostly. I prayed, and when the women quieted I sang. It was just like being at camp again, and the women enjoyed my Chichewa songs. I might as well have stayed and sung, for all the sleep I was to get that night. The ants and the coughing did not allow for sleep, so I put on my ipod and worshipped. In the morning, I sat on the mat and endured the staring for a while. I started to ask the women what they wanted to know, what troubles they face. They said that they wanted to know how to love children. We talked about the significance of their names, and why they should use them. One lady told me that her name was forgotten – it hadn’t been used for such a long time. She responded only to ‘the mother of….’, or ‘the wife of….’. I encouraged her to remember her name and to use it. Later that day, Sue and I shared about Mary. There is so much to learn from Mary. We too must be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. We must live with Jesus in the ordinary comings and goings of our lives. We must look for the miraculous. We must follow Jesus to the cross, and stay with him in his suffering. These are the things I tried to talk about, with a little help from my friends.

God saw the beauty in both of these women, and he sees each of us as his perfect bride. We had some fun with nail-polish during the break. Many of the women had never seen such a thing. One of them said how beautiful she looked now. It was so good to look her in the eye and tell her how beautiful she was, even before the nail-polish. Life is so hard for many of these women…they are either ignored or abused. They work so hard, with little thanks. Their hands and feet bear the marks. One lady laughed with me, as we thought about how quickly the nail polish would be gone once she got out into the fields to hoe. ‘Enjoy it today’ I said.

It was a privilege to stay in the house of one of our pastors. I was intrigued to watch his children dress for school. They traded one set of rags for another, and carefully removed their flip-flops from a plastic bag. When they came home from school, the flip-flops were placed carefully in the bags, and put away. I have not seen this kind of care very often here. I was touched by the thoughtfulness of our hostess. We were given a mat to sleep on, and warm water to wash with. We ate rice and meat! As I prayed for them before leaving, I realized again what a big job they have, in receiving endless visitors and requests for help, in teaching and training in righteousness.

So, I ask God for compassion. God, filled with compassion, sent Adam and Eve away from the garden that they not live forever in sin. He sent Moses to rescue the Israelites, whose suffering he had seen. He wept with Mary and Martha out of a heart of compassion. Of course, ultimately, compassion sent hi to the cross. It seems compassion is both the lense through which we see the world and also the energy by which we move forward to help.

Clothe us in your love Jesus. Heal our hearts, that compassion may flow unhindered. Blessings to all of you, and thank you for standing with us.