[from the book Calm My =
Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow]
I paced back and forth as =
I waited for my Polish sister-in-Christ to arrive. I was nervous =
because her family had never had even a small apartment there. I =
had visited Eva-With-No-Home in her in-laws’ apartment as I helped =
train them in starting ministries to Polish women. They had so =
very little, but they were avid for the WORD of =
GOD!
Our home was far from =
palatial, but compared to those I’d seen in Poland, it was a =
mansion. Many times I had wanted a bigger house, but today I felt =
guilty that God had given me so much.
Finally Eva and little =
Monika arrived. They would stay with us for two days, and then =
travel to visit the family Eve had lived with as a college =
student. As we toured our house, Eva smiled and said, “How =
beautiful, Linda. Everything is lovely.” No greed or =
envy clouded her face.
I had a knot in my stomach =
as I mentally reviewed her housing dilemma. Because there were no =
apartments available for young couples in Communist Poland, Eva and her =
husband Mirek and little Monika had lived like gypsies during the three =
years I’d known them. First they lived with Mirek’s =
parents, then Eva’s. Back and forth, from one apartment to =
the other. Now Eva was pregnant with their second child, and the =
family still did not have a home. If our situations had been =
reversed, I’m quite sure MY face would have been marred by =
envy.
After dinner, Eva said she =
was going upstairs to wash our Monika’s diapers. =
“Eva!” I said, “You do not need to wash your =
daughter’s diapers by hand! I have a washer and dryer. =
Feel free to use them!” Eva replied that she was used to =
hand washing, and it wasn’t a problem.
After Monika was asleep, =
Eva and I sat and talked. I asked her the question that had been =
roaming around in my heart all day. “When you see all the =
modern conveniences here for the mothers of small children – =
washing machines, dryers, disposable diapers, baby food in jars – =
how do you feel? Life for you in Poland is so much more =
difficult.”
Her response pierced my =
heart: “Linda, when I lived here in the West, I observed =
Western women. They have so many THINGS they think they =
don’t NEED God. . .”
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"