【双语灵修】建立一个村庄 To Raise A Village
“她张手赒济困苦人，伸手帮补穷乏人。” - 箴 31:20
我曾经与一群义工在洪都拉斯为某社区建造一个供水系统。那里是多岩的山地，气候干燥，缺乏清洁的水源。当地的妇女和女孩子要花很多时间和气力、长途跋涉地搬抬用作煮食和饮用的水。建设一个供水系统将会为当地人带来较为舒适的生活和更加理想的健康环境。
某天早上，我们见到Georgina，这个来自邻村的妇女听说了这个建造供水系统的计划。她非常激动，就像洪荒之力在她身上爆发那样！她执意地、热切地、气喘吁吁地跑来告诉我们关于她的社区的境况，以及他们的井已变得干涸。她说她一直迫切祈求有水供应，现在神藉着带领她来向我们求助的方式应允她的祈求了。她的确信和坚韧实在令人钦佩，她决不会接受一个否定的答案。那天我们探访了她的村庄，我们向她解释，要获得水的供应，需要牵涉一个长时间和充满挑战的实施过程。然而，没有什么事能使Georgina退缩-神果然应允了她的祈求。一年之后，她和她的邻居都能从水龙头获得自来水了。
有时人们会说，养一个孩子需要一整个村庄，然而我们也可以说，建立一个村庄只需要一个像Georgina的妇女。
祷告
主啊，我们为像Georgina的人感谢你，他们全心信靠你，又充满活力地服事他们的社区。求你赐福给世界各地，不断克服极大困难、在基督里积极建立她们社区的妇女们。阿们。
箴言 31:10-31
10才德的妇人谁能得着呢？她的价值胜过珍珠。
11她丈夫心里倚靠她，必不缺少利益。
12她一生使丈夫有益无损。
13她寻找羊绒和麻，甘心用手做工。
14她好像商船，从远方运粮来。
15未到黎明她就起来，把食物分给家中的人，将当做的工分派婢女。
16她想得田地就买来，用手所得之利栽种葡萄园。
17她以能力束腰，使膀臂有力。
18她觉得所经营的有利，她的灯终夜不灭。
19她手拿捻线竿，手把纺线车。
20她张手赒济困苦人，伸手帮补穷乏人。
21她不因下雪为家里的人担心，因为全家都穿着朱红衣服。
22她为自己制作绣花毯子，她的衣服是细麻和紫色布做的。
23她丈夫在城门口与本地的长老同坐，为众人所认识。
24她做细麻布衣裳出卖，又将腰带卖于商家。
25能力和威仪是她的衣服，她想到日后的景况就喜笑。
26她开口就发智慧，她舌上有仁慈的法则。
27她观察家务，并不吃闲饭。
28她的儿女起来称她有福，她的丈夫也称赞她，
29说：“才德的女子很多，唯独你超过一切。”
30艳丽是虚假的，美容是虚浮的，唯敬畏耶和华的妇女必得称赞。
31愿她享受操作所得的，愿她的工作在城门口荣耀她。
To Raise A Village
"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." - Proverbs 31:20
I once worked with a team of volunteers building a water system in a community in Honduras. The terrain was rocky, the climate was dry, and clean water was scarce. Women and girls in this area spent huge amounts of time and energy hauling water over great distances for cooking and drinking. Having a water system would make life easier and lead to better health.
Early one morning we encountered Georgina, a woman from a neighboring village who had heard about the water project. She was on fire, a force of nature! Insistently, passionately, barely pausing for breath, she told us about her community and how their well had dried up. She had been praying fervently for water, she said, and now she believed God was answering her prayers by leading her to us. Her conviction and energy were impressive. There was no way she would take no for an answer. That day we visited her village and explained that getting water involved a lengthy and challenging process. Nothing fazed Georgina, though—and, sure enough, God answered her prayers. A year later, she and her neighbors had fresh water on tap.
It is sometimes said that it takes a village to raise a child. It could also be said that it takes a woman, like Georgina, to raise a village.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for people like Georgina who trust you profoundly and serve their communities with great energy. Bless women everywhere who overcome great odds to build up their communities in Christ. Amen.