Where there is good being done Satan is near waiting for an opportunity to break you down.
There are so many in's and out's in ministry and missions that it breaks my heart when people lose sight of the Lord and start battling one another, instead of working together. Satan will stick his thoughts and ideas into anyone's mind, who is willing to listen. That is why the Lord tells us repeatedly in scripture to guard our hearts and our minds, and what does He say about Satan? That he is like a lion crouching at your door.
Spiritual warfare is all around us, we just have to open our eyes to see it. There is a constant battle between good and evil, but as Christians we know that good has and will overcome evil. We just need to keep focusing on the Lord and clinging to what is good.
When I think of clinging, I think of a little child hiding behind their parent's legs clinging to them. You know when you meet a shy child for the first time and they run behind mom or dad and cling to their legs, while slowly sticking their head around to see you. This is the image that comes into my head. Just like little children God wants us to cling onto him.
It broke my heart today to see the spiritual warfare not only in the ministry at Valle del Sol, but also in the lives of the children. I met a boy named Es today, and in his eyes I saw his innocence being lost and the effects of the world starting to take place. I could tell by the way he acted and talked that he has been exposed to some very bad behavior and experiences and it broke my heart. He is only 10 and is already acting like a gangster and trying to pick fights. I want so badly to turn back time and shield his eyes from what he has already seen, but the only thing I can do now is build a relationship with him and show him God's love, and pray for him.
Today, I got to witness more of the violence and crime that takes place in the barrio, along with all of the children. As we began to play outside a fight almost broke out. Then later, I witnessed a guy adjusting a gun in his pocket and another guy carrying around a huge knife like he was proud of it. What could I do except stay out there with the children, some of whom didn't even react or show any emotion to the things going on around them. We just played games and tried to have fun. This is life as they know it and for an hour each week I get to enter into their life and world, in order to share God's love and build relationships, and show them how to have fun and laugh in a healthy way. I love those kids.
