remember your people

I remember the first time I heard the song “Your grace in enough” in church here in Uganda. I remember the utter beauty of the hands that rose into the air, the voices crying out, and the adrenaline that pumped through the church as they sang and cried out “REMEMBER YOUR PEOPLE.” 

I remember watching the church come A L I V E as they sang that line, and thinking how beautiful it was to my eyes and my heart to see these people who have every reason to call themselves forgotten, cry out that they are remembered. 

We sang that song in church this morning, and as my favorite line came up I found my arms raised, my heart pounding, and myself singing at the top of my lungs “REMEMBER YOUR PEOPLE.....” and I was crying out to God praising Him for remembering me. 

See, I’ve been in Uganda almost a year now. 

Now as my Ugandan friends come over to the house for the first time, and find me doing laundry in a basin or cooking matooke....they will proudly proclaim “oli muganda.” You are Ugandan now. 

Or as the boda men are conversing in Luganda trying to cheat me, I can interrupt in Luganda and get the price that’s fair...and they will consent and as I get on the boda I will hear them mutter “ali muganda.” She is Ugandan.

Or as I’m being lazy and reallllyyyyy don’t want to start a charcoal stove and I’ll try to persuade one of the boys that I don’t know and make them do it, they will look at me and laugh “oli muganda auntie mallory.” You are Ugandan now. 

I could be in Uganda for another 20 years and I would never be Ugandan. I can hold my own doing laundry, cooking, and in conversation, but I never would experience everything that a Ugandan has experienced. I would never have to face the battles that they face from birth. However, I do currently live an African life, but I do not wear African printed clothes, I’m not as cool as Angela Jackson. 

I believe that we best minister to people when it’s something that we have struggled with before and God has turned into His glory in our lives. You can really understand what the person is going through, and give testimony that God delivered you from it and He can deliver them as well. 

Since I have become a believer, I have never felt forgotten. I’ve always seen God’s grace lavished out on me. When I came to Africa, I felt young, full of purpose, annointed, passionate, and loved. Never ever would I believe that I ever would feel forgotten. Somewhere along the road, that’s probably another blog, I became overwhelmed by the size of the poverty, the hunger, the death, and the problems and I couldn’t see God moving in it anymore. I started asking God, “Where are you?” I started asking, “When are you going to do something about this?” 

My eyes became small. I made God small. I began to feel forgotten. I know God works all things for His glory and for my good. This morning I could raise my hands in church with my brothers and sisters and praise God that I am remembered. It’s been a hard road, a lonely road, but as I’ve prayed for the Lord to open my eyes to His power, His might, His caring heart for His children - He’s opened my heart and now I rest on the truth that I am not forgotten. 

BUT I started thinking about how I measure grace. In America, it’s easy to only measure God’s grace by the physical, by what He has put in front of us - the people, the place you are, the house you are in, the car that He just provided for, or the new job and the direction that you’ve been asking for. It’s something that we can all easily slip into, and of course, those things are all defined as grace. 

What makes these people that I love and cherish who have ever worldly reason to believe that they are forgotten know that they are remembered? 

“that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” 

“that he chose us to be holy and blameless in His sight” 

“that He predestined them to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and His will” 

“that we have redemption in Him” 

“that we have forgiveness” 

“ that he lavishes wisdom and understanding on us” 

“that we have received an inheritance from Him”

“that we can PRAISE Him” 

-Ephesians 1