Attitude Adjustment

I am a spoiled brat. It’s true.

This is how I know:

Our church is having home groups the next four Sunday nights this month and my husband–the preacher–has been having a little difficulty getting enough homes to host everyone. Therefore he and I are hosting a group– yet again–even though it is very inconvenient to do so right now.

I have extensive edits to finish on this latest manuscript and they are due April 1. I have a screen-writing class I’ll be flying out to L.A. to take in less than a month that I need to prepare for. I have a family birthday coming up next week, a little grandson needing help getting to and from physical therapy, a book discussion group to talk with, and a new book coming out April 4th to promote. There’s e-mails to answer, phone calls to make, and meals to prepare. And for health reasons, my sister and I are attempting to fence in some acreage because we are planning to purchase a couple nanny goats to milk in the near future.

It really isn’t fair to expect me to have to clean my house and prepare snacks for home groups. Right? I mean–how much can one woman accomplish. I work hard. I need a break. At least that’s the way my mind has been running the past couple of days.

And now I’m so ashamed. I’m so very, very ashamed.

Unless God intervenes, 33 Christians will be killed tomorrow in North Korea for the crime of possessing a Bible. For quietly meeting together to pray and talk about Jesus.

My guess is that these people would not consider it a sacrifice to host home groups right now. To be able to openly meet with other Christians.

I have no power to keep those murders from happening. But I know one thing for sure–suddenly, my whole attitude has changed. It feels like an honor and a privilege to clean and cook and welcome my friends into my home this next month. We will sing and pray and learn from our multiple copies of the Bible we’re allowed to possess. We will eat good food, and get caught up on one another’s lives. And we will do so with no fear at all that we will be taken away and killed for it.

I pray the Lord will either change the hearts of the North Korean leaders, or give these Christian martyrs courage. I also pray the Lord will forgive me for being so carelessly ungrateful with this gift of the freedom to worship.

-Serena