Read: Numbers 7:1-9 

God uses ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary plans.

上帝使用平凡人成就祂非凡的计划。

They were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for whichthey were responsible. Numbers 7:9

他们办的是圣所的事，在肩头上抬圣物。-民数记7章9节

We really needed to hear from God. Having beenasked to foster two young children as an emergency measure just for 3 months, adecision had to be made about their future. With three older children of ourown, becoming foster parents to preschoolers didn’t seem to fit with our lifeplan and having our family almost double in size had been hard work. Our bookof daily readings by the veteran missionary Amy Carmichael directed us to someunfamiliar verses in Numbers 7.

我们实在需要上帝的引导，因为有人临时要将两个年幼的孩子寄养在我们家三个月，而我们必须马上做决定。我们已有三个年龄较大的孩子，从未想过要成为年幼孩子的寄养父母，而且家里突然多了两个孩子，肯定很不容易。当我们不知该如何决定时，宣教士贾艾梅（Amy Carmichael）所写的书，让我们看到民数记7章中一段不甚熟悉的经文（民数记7章1-9节）。

“I wonder how the Kohathites felt?” Amy wrote. “All the other priestshad ox-carts to carry their parts of the tabernacle through the desert. But thesons of Kohath had to trudge along the rocky tracks and through the burningsand, with the ‘holy things for which they were responsible’ on theirshoulders. Did they ever grumble inwardly, feeling that the other priests hadan easier task? Perhaps! But God knows that some things are too precious to becarried on ox-carts and then He asks us to carry them on our shoulders.”

贾艾梅写道：「我很好奇哥辖子孙会有什么感受？当其他的祭司都用牛车搬运帐幕的器具穿行沙漠，但哥辖子孙却因『办的是圣所的事，在肩头上抬圣物』，脚踏滚烫的砂石，在石砾满布的路上长途跋涉。他们心里是否抱怨，觉得其他祭司的工作较为轻松呢？或许吧！但上帝知道有些事物过于贵重，不能用牛车载运，而是要抬在肩头上。」

My husband and I knew this was our answer. Wehad often thought of sponsoring a child from an undeveloped country, but wehadn’t done so. That would have been easier, much like the ox-cart. Now we hadtwo needy children in our own home to carry “on our shoulders” because theywere so precious to Him.

我和外子都知道那就是我们在寻找的答案。过去我们虽曾想要资助落后国家的儿童，但迟迟没有行动。其实资助儿童比较容易，就像使用牛车搬运器具一样。现在我们有两个需要帮助的小孩在家里，我们要把他们抬「在肩头上」，因为上帝视他们如同珍宝。

God has different plans for each of us. Wemight feel that others have an easier assignment, or a more glamorous role toplay. But if our loving Father has handpicked us for our task, who are we towhisper, “I can’t do this”?

上帝对每个人都有不同的计划。我们可能会觉得别人要做的事比较轻松，或扮演的角色比较重要。天父既已精心安排每个人应负的责任，我们岂能抱怨说：我做不到呢？

整理：于姊妹