Poetry in the Rice Fields

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By Kimberly Rae

Kim Thigpen’s note to me when she sent this article for ProverbWise on May 5, 2017:

Whenever I read this, I think of Uncle Joe. That note you sent me way back in 1998 about him reading it in church and tearing up, those first weeks I was in Southeast Asia, meant so much. I kept it and was encouraged by it many times. I might still have it in my “treasure chest” where I keep such things and find them every few years.

So it seems fitting to be sending it to you again. Perhaps someone else can be blessed by it now. I thank you for the years of blessing and encouragement you’ve been.

Poetry in the Rice Fields

Transfixed by curiosity I stand, fascinated by that which I have never before seen. Long and slender aside the little boat, the pole digs down deeper and deeper, searching for a moment’s landing before pushing off again. Hands, brown and callused, guide the pole; a push and the small hewn-out tree moves forward, breaking the still waters to dance rhythms at its sides. The dance continues unheeded behind the little boat until finally, as if sensing no one watches, it fades to tiny ripples.

Rice, peeking up over the water’s edge, seems to crane its long neck for a glimpse of the harvester. Flood has prepared each one for harvest, and the time draws nigh.

With skill acquired only by the toil of many years, the harvester gathers life, grain by grain. Little is turned into much in the hands of a woman who squats inside a bamboo hut over dinner. Preparation for the meal is a tradition so ingrained into her daily life that she does not notice how the ritual enthralls me as I hover in the doorway.

How often did I pour over the books on culture shock that warned me be wary, careful, assured of myself before attempted to understand others? How many fears paraded across my mind, uncategorized, yet relentless? I still watch the woman cook, but my mind travels to the opposite side of the world where once my home was. What anxious thoughts had assaulted me at times! Will I be able to adjust? Will I despite the differences; will they despite my Americanness? Will I falter, fail, give up?

Creative tenderness accompanied God’s loving answer. My child, you forget that you have been living all your life in a culture not your own. You are in the world, but not of it. Heaven is your only true home, and while you spend a few years on earth, I, the Master Teacher, will show you how to live in any place, to love any people, to find beauty’s song amidst poverty and suffering.

If I could live on earth for 33 years when used to living in Heaven, can you not adjust slightly from what you are used to for My sake?

For His sake, because He asked me, I went, and found that He was right. My American home was temporary; my new home in this new land is temporary; but at each stop I take on my journey toward my final home

I will find the beauty of the people,

The song carried by the wind,

The poetry in the rice fields.

Award-winning author and speaker Kimberly Rae lived in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kosovo and Indonesia before Addison’s disease brought her permanently back to the US. She now lives at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two young children, where she writes and trains on fighting human trafficking. Rae has been published over 200 times and has work in 5 languages. Her series of suspense/romance novels on international human trafficking (Stolen Woman, Stolen Child, and Stolen Future) are all Amazon bestsellers, as is her new book on trafficking in small-town North Carolina (Shredded), and several of her books on living joyfully despite chronic illness. Find out more at www.kimberlyrae.com.

Young Love and Faith

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By Rebekah Yeretzian

Intro by Kim Olachea: Having known Rebekah since she was just a tiny toddler with big brown eyes and dark brown curls, I am thrilled to see this lovely young lady becoming a woman of faith, seeking to follow Jesus and serve Him with her whole heart. As Rebekah shares her experience in the blossoming relationship of her first love, I know that whether or not this relationship is permanent, as long as both continue to live in faith, waiting on the Lord’s direction and timing, they will have no regrets. God’s plan for Rebekah and Philip is good, and their relationship stands as an example of faith in seeking God’s plan, one that is in stark contrast to a culture where most people are seeking their own way, oblivious to the beauty and blessing of the plan of God.

Faith. We hear it a lot. Christians are often heard saying, “I’m sorry you’re struggling, just have faith!” or “I had faith and things are really starting to turn around.” Sometimes a comment like that goes in one ear and out the other. Too often we let our view of reality block our faith. I have been in a loving relationship for about four years now and every step of the way my boyfriend, Philip, and I have fought over our doubts and faith. Many times we were faced with circumstances that we did not know how to handle. Today I write this article as a woman whose faith is strong and growing stronger everyday. Growing my faith was quite a journey, and sometimes it takes a lot to gain a faith that tells doubt to leave. For both my boyfriend and me our faith has been a process, but as we trusted God our faith grew both in each other and in the Lord. Some say young love doesn’t last forever, but I like to say that with a little faith anything is possible.

Faith is when you are faced with a “jump out of the boat” moment, and you decide to jump. Not because you’re crazy, but because you trust the one telling you to get out of the boat. Of course I am speaking figuratively and referencing the story of Peter walking on water to meet Jesus. The boat represents our plans, our comfort zone, and our own selfish desires.

Not knowing your purpose can become an overwhelming burden, and it was especially hard for a teenage girl like me who “needed” to have everything figured out. After being encouraged by my now boyfriend to seek God about my future, I started spending a lot more time praying and asking God to show me what it was He wanted me to do with my life. So, night after night during my devotions I prayed and spent time in God’s word and in His presence. Although I was desperately asking God to reveal His plan I was also nervous to find out what it was. What if what God wanted me to do would be too hard? What if it was uncomfortable? What if I wasn’t ready for it? I did my best to push the doubts to the side and continued seeking the only One who I knew had the answers.

As I struggled with God over my purpose and a calling in life, a stronger friendship began between Philip and me. I knew that God had amazing things in store for him. His goal was to go to school and become a pastor. He cared about people and his only dream was to change people’s lives. It was quite crazy that God brought us together because we both were interested in ministry. One night as I prayed to God and studied His word I felt His call. In a moment I knew that my calling was to support Phil. My calling was to help him with his; to change the world right beside him and go wherever he went. At that moment I knew it was time to get out of the boat. I wasn’t really certain where our relationship was going, but I knew that no matter what I needed to support him, help him, and be there for him. I knew it was time to have faith in God and let Him have complete control. I was scared and nervous, but I stepped out anyway. I stepped out and told Philip what God had revealed to me. That night we put our faith together and told God that we were ready for Him to use us. Ever since then we have learned to step out and to follow God’s call no matter the circumstances. That night I was so nervous and all I could think was “there is no way I will be able to fulfill such a calling.” But even now, several years later, God has given me strength to fulfill His purpose, and all because I got out of the boat.

Now there were times when I wanted to give up and felt as though I couldn’t handle what was being thrown my way. However, I now realize that all the fights we had, all the issues, all the pain, and everything else we went through during these past couple of years was so incredibly worth it. During high school we faced injuries, hospital trips, awful rumors being spread about us, family separations, and stupid fights. There were things Phil was going through and I had absolutely no idea how to be there for him. There were things we simply needed to work out together…  There were things that we simply needed to overcome. While working and growing in Christ together, there were times when things were rough, but we always pushed through and kept the faith, even when people stopped reaching out to us, stopped talking to us, and stopped supporting us. We’ve overcome so much and have worked hard at overcoming every tempting moment and every obstacle. There were things that caused us to want to walk away from our faith. I remember one particular time a rumor about us started at our high school by someone we trusted. We did not understand why someone would spread those awful things about us and our relationship. We were devastated. It seemed like everything we had worked hard at, all of the ways we had tried to set a good example was being poured down the drain. But we overcame, we waited, we forgave, we loved, we accepted, we cherished, we exercised patience, we encouraged, we did our best, we pushed through until we were exhausted, and we never gave up.

Today we are facing one of our biggest tests. We’ve been in a long distance relationship for several months. We go to completely different schools states away from each other. While starting freshman year, Philip joined the Army National Guard as a Chaplain’s Assistant. We rarely talk due to all the training that he is going through. It is not an easy task for either of us. It is often very hard to not hear from or see him, but one thing is true, we’re in a loving, Christ- centered relationship. We have our families supporting us, we’re planning exciting things for our future, we use our experiences to encourage other couples, and in everything we use our talents and abilities for God’s glory. It’s so amazing to look back and see how far we’ve come. Our faith is in Jesus Christ; the One who brought us together all those years ago. Now here we are, four years later, a soldier who has plans to become a pastor after he graduates and a girl who wants to teach ESL and go into ministry. We’ve experienced a lot even though we haven’t even reached our twenties. We both could have walked away from our relationship with Christ and we both almost did. We’re not perfect. We are just two imperfect people who worship a perfect God and willing to be used as His vessels. We know that our happiness is not found in each other, it’s found in Jesus Christ. Our hope and faith is in Jesus.

Without my faith in God, I would not be able to fulfill the calling that God has on my life. I’m so thankful that God has called me to support Phil, to teach, to eventually go overseas and work with other missionaries, and to tell others about Christ’s unconditional love towards us. Fulfilling this calling has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am forever grateful that God took an imperfect person like me and decided to use me to bring honor and glory to His Kingdom.

As Christians, it should be our goal to please God. The Bible says in Hebrews that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Phil and I made it our goal to please God and wholeheartedly put our faith in Him. Our lives have never been the same and everyday our love for both God and each other grows stronger. So let us all have an unshakable faith; a faith that can move mountains, heal the sick, and change the world. Let’s stop staying in the boat of safety. Jesus is calling us out and it’s time to join Him standing on the waves.

My name is Rebekah Yeretzian, and I am 19 years old. My relationship with Jesus Christ really began to grow when I was in middle school. I felt as though the Holy Spirit was calling me into ministry. During middle school and high school I joined Bible clubs, enjoyed going to chapel services at my school, and I also started attending youth services at my church. Currently, I work as a clerk at a pharmacy, I am a Sunday school teacher, a photographer, and a student at Rowan College at Burlington County. I am studying education and hoping to get my Spanish minor. My goal is to teach English as a second language and eventually take my career overseas. After being on two mission trips to Panama and Costa Rica, I have found that my desire is to begin missions work in Central or South America, and anywhere else God will lead me in the future.

 

Living By Faith in the God Who Knows the Desires of our Hearts

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By Aubri Wick

I will praise the Lord at all times
I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord!
Let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt His name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me.
– Psalm 34

What are the desires of your heart?  For me it was always to be a wife and a mother.  And more than just that, I wanted to experience every detail of the miracle of pregnancy & natural childbirth.  As a young teen I fantasized about it, from feeling the baby kick inside to even the swollen feet and the natural home water birth that I longed to have someday.  I wanted to marry young and at least have a couple of children by the time I was 23.  Yet I found myself still unwed by that age and facing the very real possibility of infertility due to health issues brought on by chronic Lyme disease that had gone undiagnosed for 9 years.

I truly struggled to hand my desires over to the Lord, to honestly be okay with it if He never allowed me to marry or have my own biological child.  It was difficult to pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus,” because I wasn’t ready for Him to come before I’d experienced all my dreams come true.

But realizing that you don’t have control over your own life and future invariably leads you to a crossroads of decision:  either you get anxious and bitter with disappointment or you allow God to give you peace and joy because you are trusting in His goodness and love.

I knew I wanted the latter, and it became a daily choice I had to make to trust God.  Living by faith is one of the simplest and hardest things you can ever do.  It’s a matter of choosing to receive from Him whatever He wants to give you instead of dictating to Him what you want.

I found that as I drew closer to God, I truly did experience contentment in place of discouragement.  My troubles truly became a blessing because they led me to a deeper relationship with God that I would never have had without them.

My life verse is Romans 12:12. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Because of who God is, I can be joyful.  I can have hope.  I have a wonderful future with the Lord that will make all the troubles of this life fade away.  That gives me the strength and patience to cling to Him in the hard times.  And I have a personal relationship with Him through prayer where I can pour out my heart to Him and know that He hears me and cares.

During all this time I kept a journal.  And whenever I looked back at the past, I saw proof of God’s faithfulness over and over in my life.  Oftentimes things had taken a turn I would never have chosen, but they led to an even bigger blessing than I’d asked Him for.  That’s a good reminder that the Lord knows what will satisfy our hearts more than we do, because He himself becomes the desire of our heart.

It wasn’t much longer and God graciously brought a man into my life.  Russell and I were married in November 2016.  And the following August I found out that, despite the odds, I was pregnant.  I knew without a doubt that this was totally of the Lord!  But only a week after learning that I was expecting, I began experiencing some problems and the doctor told me I had most likely miscarried.  The next week I went back in for a follow-up with the doctor and found out I was still carrying the child and all was well.  But the problems kept happening.

Thus began a roller coaster of emotion.  Afraid to hope, reluctant to let go.  I once again found myself struggling to accept why the Lord would allow me to get pregnant only to take the baby away from me so soon.

Turning to the Lord by faith, I found comfort in knowing how much my child’s life was in His hands.  It was only because of Him that I was pregnant in the first place.  And I knew that, no matter what happened, I could trust Him.  He would give me the grace and peace I would need to get through if I never got to meet my child on this side of heaven.

In His goodness, the Lord was pleased to allow me to keep the pregnancy, and even as I’m writing this, I’m cradling my newborn miracle in my lap.  But the journey was certainly not the one I had fantasized about as a young girl.  When I went to register at the natural birth center, it was discovered that I had a rare condition called vasa previa, putting my pregnancy into a high risk category.

With vasa previa the baby’s blood vessels which are usually encased in the umbilical cord are exposed and grow across the opening to the birth canal.  This results in a 95% mortality rate for babies whose mothers deliver naturally because the vessels rupture and the baby bleeds out too quickly.

I was devastated to realize I would not be able to have my natural water birth attended by a midwife like I’d always dreamed of.  Instead I was going to have to be hospitalized for the last month or so of my pregnancy and be delivered early by cesarean section at around 35 weeks.

I once again turned to the Lord by faith.  I felt I’d finally come to accept this loss of a dream when things took another bad turn.  I unexpectedly went into preterm labor at 29 weeks and the doctors began preparing for an emergency c-section.  I feared for my child who would be born over 2 months too early.

By His grace the Lord answered our cries and things stabilized.  I spent the next 4 weeks on bedrest in the hospital, and my son was able to make it to 33 weeks before he was delivered.  Gideon James spent the next six weeks in the NICU.  For some reason he continued to need oxygen support almost the entire time, and my faith was challenged again and again.  You can imagine our joy when he was finally released and we were able to bring him home!

But before you think this story ends with me riding off into the sunset of “happily ever after,” my journey of faith hasn’t ended yet.  Not by any stretch of the imagination.  During my cesarean it was discovered I have a rare type of uterus that is malformed.  It’s a condition that prevents most women from being able to conceive in the first place, and those who do face a high percentage of miscarriage or delivering a pre-term baby.

I can still find myself struggling with disappointment and fear when I think about wanting more children and not knowing if that will be possible.  At the same time I can feel conflicted with guilt that I could even dare to complain when here in my lap is this incredible miracle!  But you know what I love about our God?  He is totally okay with our pain and struggles.  He knows and cares about the desires of our hearts!   Not only that, but the more I trust Him, the more I discover how good and loving He is.

So, no, I didn’t get the pregnancy and natural birth of my dreams and maybe I never will.  But I have been blessed with the wonderful gift of a son who is the perfect mix of his daddy and me.  And no, I don’t have any guarantee that I’ll even be able to conceive again or that future pregnancies won’t also be high risk.  But one thing I do know is that I have a great and mighty God who loves me and knowing Him better means more to me than any other desire of my heart.

Aubri Wick, wife and new mother. 

Had the wonderful privilege of growing up as a missionary kid in the jungles of Papua New Guinea.

Has faced over a decade of debilitating health challenges due to chronic Lyme Disease, mold toxicity and other autoimmune problems. 

Loves people, crafts and being creative, and the outdoors.