Not a Beauty Queen

I am not a beauty queen.  I don't wear a lot of make-up; I'm not all that interested in fashion;  my feet are not accustomed to high heels; my finger nails are rarely painted; my teeth aren't straight and my hair is almost always done haphazardly.  Sometimes I forget to shave my legs and waxing. . .not even in my vocabulary.  Classy places intimidate me, large audiences scare me and I am incapable of following anything but a loose schedule.  I am not dainty, cute or graceful.  I am more comfortable in a pair of gym shorts or my favorite ripped jeans; I am competitive to a fault;  I like sitting on the floor and I like to wander until I get lost.  I climb trees and I hike mountains and I get dirty.  I am quite the opposite of a beauty queen.

I am Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.  I scoff at the infamous answer "world peace". . .or at least I used to.  Recently, I have been reading a lot of world news, and what I have discovered has left me broken hearted.  Take Somalia for instance - for a generation, "Somalia" has been just another term for "failed state".  As if famine and disease are not enough, Somalia is also one of the worlds most violent countries - warring militias, bandits, warlords and pirates plague the country.  Al Qaeda affiliated Al Shabab, one of Africa's most fearsome militant Islamist groups, controls much of Southern Somalia.  Pirates on the coast attack entreating ships, killing some and taking others hostage.  Somalis escaping to Yemen are not exempt from pirate attacks; ships are often seized and Somali civilians thrown overboard.  Increased famine has made women and children more vulnerable to rape than ever before while others face beheading if they refuse arranged marriage.  Thousands have been forced from their homes and displaced into refugee camps in Somalia, Kenya and Uganda.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban, which once ruled many parts of Afghanistan, continues to fight the Afghan government for power.  As a result, innocent lives are taken in suicide bombings, beheadings, and insurgent attacks.

The thing I have taken for granted most as an American is not the abundance of food, the availability of clean water, the access to medical care or even the sturdily constructed buildings.  The thing I have taken for granted most; the thing I have thought about least, is the peace that exists within our country.  When I lay my head down on my pillow at night, I am not afraid that a bomb will waken me; I do not fear that tomorrow I might be raped or murdered.  When I wake up in the morning, I do not plan the best way to quickly and safely escape my home; I do not worry that I will see several children lying dead in the streets; I do not wonder if my family will be intact when the sun goes down.  This is not so for so many in countries world wide.  The terror that cosumes the lives of those living in war-torn societies is not something I can even fathom. But of this I am convinced - the Lord does not intend for this to be. 

Jesus I pray, may kingdoms fall and rulers crawl before Your throne.  May the hearts of the wicked bow at Your feet and may the lips that now blaspheme Your Name suddenly begin to offer up praises.  May every knee bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord.  May You receive the glory and honor You are due from people of every tribe, tongue and nation.  May Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, fall upon those who know no peace.  May Your arms of protection encirlce the innocent.  Dear Lord, stretch out Your mighty hand over all nations  in such a way that none can deny the existence of the LIVING God.  Your Name be praised, sweet Jesus.