Rejoice
. . .
Friday
Some
wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited
town; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered
them from their distress; he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town. -- Psalm 107:
4-7
by
Kelly Pearson
Can
the right job really help change a person’s
life?
Abraham
knows the answer. Abraham is a 21-year-old Sudanese man
who needed a job. He’d been looking for a job for
three months. How would he be able to pay his share of the
rent?
Abraham
had survived twelve years on his own. In the late 1980’s
his village in southern Sudan was bombed in the civil war.
He and other boys ran to the forest for safety. They slept
in trees at night. They feared being captured by the rebels.
He
joined with other boys and they began walking to safety.
Soon ten boys became one hundred, one hundred became one
thousand children walking across the desert into a refugee
camp in northern Kenya.
Abraham
grew up to become a young man in Kenya.
He attended school in the refugee camp. He’s never
made contact with his parents. After coming to Seattle he
needed new skills to survive. He needed an impressive resume.
Clint
Worthington, the owner of All City Fence, who interviewed
Abraham three years ago, still remembers the 2”x4”
handwritten resumé Abraham handed him:
Experience: Building my temporary house
Skills: Good leadership ability, Good at Mathematics
Personal: I am open-minded.
I am punctual.
I am responsible.
I am patient.
I am cooperative.
Every
time you ask Abraham about his work his face lights up.
“The people at All City Fence are good people; they
are good to me. I’m very thankful to God.”
Abraham’s
10 years in the Kenyan refugee camp gave him just the right
resumé experience for his first job in Seattle.
Redeemer
God, you rescued Abraham from war and wandering. We marvel
at his gratitude which could easily be bitterness. May
we, too, see your faithfulness and provision in even the
hardest of times. Give us eyes to see each person’s
potential and the grace to give and receive opportunities
for growth and new life in you. Amen.
An Advent Journey