I must admit that most people would not become a freelancer the same way I am. Since I am quitting my job before doing any freelance work, it’s frightening. I think I’m learning a lot about myself and human nature through this process.

I made the decision after praying a lot, fasting, studying the Bible, and looking into my own heart and dreams. I felt peace, and that God was putting the decision in my hand. He would be with me on either path I walked.

So I submitted my resignation.

Today is my last day of work, and tomorrow I’m solely a freelance graphic designer. I’ll tell you something… when you think about something, it’s exciting. When you step out and actually do it, that’s where the adventure takes over. It’s a lot easier to criticize how someone else is making decisions when you are on the sidelines. When you jump into the process and step out, that’s when you find out what you’re made of.

I’m diving in.

I’m posting the article in my father’s latest newsletter, I thought it really told the truth about the presidential elections, in a way that I wanted to share.

There are so many reasons why a person burns out - many having to do with unfulfilled expectations. I also wonder at times if we, as pastors, are so involved with the world that the world’s influence has an impact upon burnout? I am not sure, but I have to wonder.

As a Canadian watching the the US political campaigns I have to wonder how many believers think through the history of man’s government and compare it to what God had in mind. With all the love and excitement so many believers show toward the election of a man-made government I have to ponder; do we really understand?

If . . . the big if, mankind were truly humble, we would realize we cannot rule ourselves, period. We would be kneeing before our Creator and asking Him to rule and lead our nation. Sound ridiculous to you? Sorry. You should read the Bible.

It all starts in Gen 3. Man is doing just fine. Living in the beautiful garden of perfection with every good food you would ever need, and a face to face relationship with God Almighty. Awesome and fantastic - then - they blow it and by the end of chapter 3 the ground is cursed, and man shall produce a living by the sweat of his brow working 40 to 80 hours a week and barely making ends meet.

It gets worse - by I Sam 8, the people decide they no longer want God to rule. They want a king like all the other nations. God gives fair warning before allowing such stupidity. He tells them through Samuel, their sons will be drafted and come home in flag draped caskets and they will be taxed to death if they choose a king like other nations. Israel says, ” Yep, yep, that’s what we want, yep, yep!”

It gets worse - God warns repeatedly about false prophets. You see, when an expectation is set up in the heart and it never comes to pass, the result is very bad. It can lead to horrid results including hating and blaming God. It is so bad a sin, false prophets were to be put to death.

Question: Do you know the two main Biblical indicators of a false prophet? (1) The prophecy never comes to pass. (2) The prophet speaks what your itching ears desire to hear. You want reduced taxes - we will give you reduced taxes!

The downward spiral continues. From the garden of Eden, to man’s rule, to Jesus stepping in to save the very elect at the end of the age. If you think a new face in the Oval Office, a black President or a female VP will make a great difference, I suggest you re-think the revealed word of God. Human beings are human beings, subject to sin all the days of their lives. Jesus was an Ambassador of the Kingdom of God - just like you and I - and nowhere in any of the four Gospel accounts - Matthew, Mark, Luke or John - does Jesus give a single sentence of concern for who would be the next emperor of Rome. He represented a different government, and He knew that the agenda of that different government - the Kingdom - would move forward regardless who was the emperor of Rome.

I watch the politicians’ speeches and their endless promises, and I just pray the final words found in the book of Revelation - “Come Lord Jesus, come.” When Jesus comes back He will end forever political parties, democrats and republicans and establish the Kingdom of God. At that time we are told in scripture, “they will learn war no more.” The weapons of man’s warfare will be melted down and made into farm tools to feed the nations. All the “kings” who needed to make war to “save” freedom will at last learn what freedom is from God’s definition.

Could it be, that many of us are so “into” the world and its politics, we are burning out because we are so far from the spirituality of the new covenant we don’t even realize it?

Kim Wenzel
Smoldering Wick Ministries
www.smolderingwickministries.org

I started telling about my trip to El Salvador earlier, and while I meant to continue the story in country, it didn’t happen. But, long awaited… here’s the rest of the adventure of Mission: El Salvador, and some of my favorite photos.

Day 2:
The doctors and nurses arrived in San Salvador. We also tried to find weights for the jib, since we didn’t want to pay to bring 350 lbs of weight on a plane. We didn’t succeed in finding any, unfortunately. Most of today was spent going through all our gear, getting ready for the days ahead, and trying to solve any minor set-backs.

Day 3:

Brian and I accompanied the medical team to the ocean for a day of prayer, bonding, and planning for the days ahead. We interviewed them and talked with them about what they were expecting, and how they got involved in helping out with this effort. The team is a group of really great people, and it’s been very good to talk with them and get to know them.

Day 4:
Today was the first day of the medical clinics. The medical team, some of the worship team, Ryan, Eric, and I went to the clinic. We were set up in the middle of a community that is built of trash. The houses are built of sticks and branches, and then covered with garbage bags, sheet metal, old billboards, and cloth. Around 1500 people, whole families, live there with little protection against the wind, the rain, and the sun. These families are often too poor to buy enough food, let alone visit a doctor when they are ill. There is water in rain barrels around the community, but it is not safe to drink. The people have many medical problems due to the conditions.

In this community we set up to have the doctors examine those that needed help. We brought food, medicines, and also prayer to these people.

Ryan, Eric, and I teamed up with Joy, who interpreted for us, to be able to talk to an old woman. She is 89 years old, and her name is Clara. She is beautiful. We talked with her for several minutes. We were able to give her some food and she took us back to her house. We walked though the barbed wire yards, and through the side-streets to the corner of the cardboard city.

She lived in a small hut, divided into two rooms by a sheet. The house was built of wooden sticks and poles, with corrugated sheet metal for a roof. In the front room was the make-shift kitchen area, and in the second room, an old thin mattress, with tattered sheets on top. There was a small, lopsided dog barking on the floor.

We talked with the old woman about what her life was like, and we were able to talk with several of the women who live beside her. It is a very hard life for them, and they wish that there was more help.

As we were leaving, a woman pointed across the road to a structure that was being constructed. Poles were in place, and a portion of the roof was put on. The woman said that her husband was building a church. She told us that currently many people meet with several pastors who come to visit, but they meet in someone’s house. Since the houses are so small, not many can come hear the pastor. By building a larger church building, she said that over one hundred people would be able to go to church together.

This was very overwhelming to us. We were surprised to find such love for God among people in such hard conditions. We prayed with our sisters, asking God to send them the help and encouragement that they needed, and to draw all the people of this cardboard village to Himself.

I’m very frustrated.

I’ve been praying about something for a long time. I asked God to make it plain to me what I should do, and yesterday I think He did. I was reading in the morning, and two separate books both seemed to tell me that it is better to wait through a storm, and wait until God tells you what the next move is, than to move on your own plans and pray He blesses your ideas. Then, later that day, my father told me the same thing, from his life experience.

That doesn’t make the journey much easier. I am currently wishing very much to do things my own way, despite God’s answer. But God.

God, please grant me the grace I need. Help me through this. I want to get out, and go my own direction, but I’m trusting in you. Please make the path for me.

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”
1 Kings 17:7-9

There’s a place of peace found in the presence of the Almighty God.

The entry into this place in found in praise. In worship. In surrender. With humbleness and the awareness that we, ourselves, will never be able to summon peace into our chaos. We will never be able to bring hope into troubled times. We will never bring life into death.

But God will. He does. That’s His plan. That’s His business.

The problem comes when our busyness clashes with His business.

It’s so easy for me to start spinning in my world of work, family, responsibilities, wants, needs… God is not in it. I know He isn’t. So I try to get God into my world through my effort. I make my mindset to please Him. I try to make my opinion of my work that it WILL make a difference. It WILL be a blessing to people. It WILL do SOMETHING to HELP.

Nope. Wrong. Apart from God, there will be no difference, no change, no help.

If my life gets in the way of my spending time in the presence and peace of the Almighty God, then there’s something that needs to change, not with God, but with my life.