BEING APART FROM YOUR CHILDREN FOR THE LORD AND HIS WORK!        3/93
--By Maria       Maria #198 DO 2862

         1. Dear One, Thank you for your very sweet letter along with your questions. I would like to be able to just wave a magic wand and make everything better for you and your little ones, but changes take time, and problem situations take a lot of prayer and counseling and hard work to resolve. However, I hope it will be some comfort to you to know that the sacrifices that you and your husband are making now for the sake of the Lord's work are no greater, and in fact not as great, as those you would have to make if you were living a selfish life in the System. The sacrifices you make now in the Family are for the greatest possible cause, while the sacrifices you would make in the System would have no eventual "well done, thou good and faithful servant" attached to them. Your Father in Heaven, Who sees in secret the heartache you sometimes go through, will someday reward you openly (Mat.25:21; 6:4).
         2. Below is a letter I wrote one of your leaders who was herself having some trials over the fact that she and her children often had to be apart because of her work. She said this note was an encouragement to her, and I know she would be happy if I would share it with you in the hope that it may be a comfort to you as well.
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         3. Dear shepherdess, I love you! God bless you! I really felt for you when you were describing your battles in not being with your children--not just for your own sake, of course, but because the children miss you. It's very difficult, especially when you know that if they could be with you and you could be caring for them and training them, not only would you probably be able to do it better because of your years of experience in childcare, but they would be happier, more content, and not having to go through a difficult separation, which results in problems for you, and them, and those who care for them.
         4. It makes your heart ache because it's so difficult for them to understand why they can't be with you, or you with them. We feel terrible when our children have difficulties and we can't do anything to prevent it; we can only pray for them. But often it seems that this is part of our (and their) forsaking all for Him and His work--forsaking mothers and fathers and children so we can put His work first (Mat.19:29).
         5. When you think about it, most of the mommies in the Western world nowadays are having to also forsake their children as they daily go out into the workplace, usually leaving their children with strangers who are paid to care for their child as well as many others, and who often have insufficient dedication or experience to do such an important job of caring for little lives. And often, and worst of all, they don't have enough love to care for them properly. On top of that, they're thrown in with many other children from all kinds of different backgrounds with all kinds of problems!--All this for financial reasons. Their children experience the same type of problems that yours are experiencing, though I'm sure much more intense, and in addition, all kinds of other problems that ours will never have to go through, thank the Lord!
         6. Most of these worldly parents and children are enduring all of these sufferings just to "make ends meet." We endure because we know that "the sufferings of this present life are nothing to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us" when we see Jesus. We endure, because if we suffer with and for Him, we shall also reign with Him (Rom.8:18; 2Tim.2:12). We and our loved ones have "chosen to suffer affliction with the people of God" for Jesus' sake (Heb.11:25), rather than to suffer affliction with the people of the world for worldly gain. At least our children will grow up knowing that the times their parents couldn't be with them, they were serving God and helping others, not merely working to have the same nice house and car and clothes and food as the neighbors. They'll have parents whom they can admire and be proud of, because they're giving their lives to help those in need, and to give them the greatest gift of all, God's love and Eternal Life.
         7. We know that Jesus will care for them even when we can't personally, and they're in the care of others, and they will learn this too. If we do His business, He'll take care of our children, who are His children. Maybe here they'll not always have everything that we would like them to have, but this life is but for a moment, and when they see Jesus it will all be made up to them, and much much more! We can never outgive God. Lift up your eyes and look with hope toward the future, which is as bright as the promises of God!--And try to look past the problems of this life, which is so temporary, to what the Lord has in store for you very soon. The victory is in sight!
         8. You and your husband have been good soldiers, and I'm proud of you! Keep it up! I love you!--Love, Mama.

(Note: With the implementation of the Love Charter, it is the right of our children to remain with at least one of their parents. If both parents are in WS, a legal guardian must be assigned to their children. See Point H in The Rights of the Children, pg.40 of the Charter.)


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