Katie. Just Katie.

I ask myself, "why did I wait this long to read this book?" If you read blogs or even at some churches, the name Katie Davis might be familiar to you.  I first heard of her through a link on a friend's blog.  Then again one Sunday at church our service included a small video about her and once again when I read Anything.  In one of my bible studies we have been talking a lot about spiritual gifts and the ability to hear and discern God's voice.  I am coming to realize and firmly believe that God uses my readings to directly speak to me.  I think the timing or order that I read things is God ordained and that even though I knew about Katie, he picked a time when my heart was ripe and prepared to hear His word through her writings and her life.

This is one of these books that took me almost 2 months to read.  Not just because I have 2 little distractions but because the weight of the words in the book.  There were times that I would be on the treadmill at the gym and I would literally have tears running down my face. Or I would be so convicted that I would feel physically ill.  Sometimes I had to read the scriptures she referenced and just let God work them over in my heart.  Truly truly this woman in her selfless dedication to be the hands and feets of Jesus along with her gift of conveying God's voice in her life and truth of His word has to be the closest thing to a modern day prophet that I have experienced.  

Now the back ground of Katie is that as a teenager "Jesus wrecked her life".  He called her to Uganda which resulted what was supposed to be one year of "quitting her life".  Jesus had other plans and as a 19 years old she moved from her cushy life in Brentwood, Tn to live and minister in Uganda.  Her heart is incredible.  Her faith inspiring.  Her message life changing.

Her work their is nothing short of amazing.  Truly God ordained in the lives that she is changing with her work and her organization that she started.    From her journal ..

"Meet David and Bashir.  The truth is that these precious little boys were soldiers, abducted, sold as property, and forced to kill.  Now that the war is winding down, they are not permitted back in their villages because they are seen as traitors, so they beg on the streets.

And the truth is that these are only the children I know, in a very small fraction of a very small country.  The truth is that there are children like this all over the world, sick, starving, dying, and unloved, and uncared for.  

The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live with HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children.  And though at first glance that looks like a big number, 2.1 billion people on this earth proclaim to be Christians.

The truth is that if only 8 percent of the Christians would care for more than one child, there would not be any statistics left. 

That is the truth. I have the freedom to believe it.  The freedom, the opportunity to do something about it."

Again and again in the book Katie emphasizes that she is not extraordinary.  She talks about how God uses ordinary people.  Moses. David. Peter. Paul. Common and simple people with nothing special except one thing.  They said "yes".  "Yes to the things God asks of me and "yes" to the the people He places in front of me. You can too.  An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God.

Justin and I are praying through this trying to understand what God is calling us to do and how that looks in our lives.  Maybe we will adopt.  Maybe we will foster.  Maybe we will just sponsor and help feed children who otherwise have no hope.  

More and more since reading anything I feel the conviction and calling in James 1:27.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." 

Once you read the book I have no doubt that you will fall in love deeper with your Savior, Katie Davis, and the sweet Ugandan children.  Her blog is Kisses for Katie.  I am adding a link on the side of my blog to her organization Amazina.  If you have time, stop by and follow her.

I am writing this on Saturday, Easter Eve.. and this part of the book was so beautiful to me that I highlighted, circled, and wrote it in my journal.  The pain and suffering of these children in Uganda is heart wrenching.  And they often ask Katie .. Why?  Why are you here? Why?  And she responds...

Because the Lord who created you loves you.  Because He created you for a purpose and He wants to you to fulfill that purpose.  Because the God who knows every hair on your head desires to lift you out of this dust and into His glory.

If you don't know Jesus personally or you have questions, please contact me on my facebook page. I would love to pray for you and talk to you about the love and hope He offers all that will receive.  Don't miss the glory and joy of Easter morning all year long and the opportunity to walk in the light.  

Lots of love on this beautiful holiday!

Love,

The Riley's