My staff lead, Richard, gave me a book to read while I spend time at home during Christmas called, The Tears of my Soul, to help prepare my heart before I head off to Cambodia for the winter mission trip. It’s the first-person account of Sokreaksa Himm, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge killing fields. I spent the afternoon reading it today and just couldn’t stop reading. It was tough at times to continue because of the graphic nature of what happened to Reaksa and his family (13 of his family members killed, only he and his sister survived), but it was an amazing read, especially for the soul. Reading through what he had to do to survive, and then overcoming his post-traumatic stress disorder, and finding rest in God to face his past really illuminated Psalm 23 for me (Which the author also quotes in the book).
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
I’m still awestruck during this Christmas season by the fact that God came to this world as a peasant child, died a criminal, and in between experienced so much pain, suffering, loneliness, anger, and much more. People around the world can find rest in a God who experienced suffering like we have. For Reaksa, he was able to forgive the very people who murdered his family, just as Christ forgave us for our sins that put him on the cross. More and more it’s clear that gospel really is the only hope for this broken world. I hope this can really stick with my heart as the trip to Cambodia comes in a little over a week.
