When Time Stands Still...

When you are running a race, or say...waiting to get to France, TIME moves slowly...

  

When you realize your daughter is starting kindergarten and your"baby" is two, TIME flies...

When you are trying to get your kids to school on time or finish a project, there is never enough TIME...

 And then every once in a while, TIME just stands still.  

For me, that happened last week when my dad went to the dr for some pain that he was having while running.  What we thought to be no big deal turned into an unexpected triple bypass surgery.  My dad is a healthy guy.  He has always been conscious of what he eats and how much he exercises because of the heart disease that runs in his family.  His father died of a heart attack in his early 40's before I was born.  Even though we knew the family history, we were still in shock when we heard the news.  For the week that my dad was in the hospital, all I could think about was how I could help as we prayed through the surgery and recovery.  I still took my kids to school and did some of the every day activities, but with a different mindset.  I was thankful for every moment, every time I got to visit with my parents at the hospital, the time I got to spend with my sisters and close friends who came to help, the fact that I was still here in the United States to be with my family during this time.  I am always praying for God's timing even though I am usually secretly hoping that His timing will match up with my plans.  This past week, I was helpless to trust that God was taking care of us through this and any other "crisis" that we might face.  He gave me a glimpse of His sovereignty in keeping us here a bit longer.  He reminded me of the importance of taking life one day at a time.

My dad is doing much better and recovering well at home now.  I am thankful that God is in control and I am not.  I am praying that I will continue to trust Him and His sovereignty TIME and TIME again.

Thankful in the Journey!
Eucharisteo :)

France Friday, "Thinking about faith..."

"...for we walk by faith, not by sight - " 2 Cor. 5:7

 

  

         I've always loved this verse and it's been one I've held tight during this "faith journey." It depicts such dependence on God, trust, surrender, relationship.  God is good and even when things don't look like they're adding up we can confidently hold His hand and let Him lead.  We admit though, it sure is nice to be able to physically see things every so often as well!  Just a gentle "whisper" assuring us that we're still heading the right direction. But while we tend to focus on our faith journey, I'm reminded that we're not the only ones stepping out and trusting the Lord's leading even when we can't always see it.  This is a call to all Christians.  

         A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of visiting with our neighbors here at the seminary housing before they again left for the mission field.  They've been waiting on the necessary visas for months and now they're heading to the field without them with no guarantee that they will be able to stay past a couple of months.  If the visas don't come, they have to leave and see where God might lead them next.  "...for we walk by faith, not by sight - ". 

        Almost a year ago and dear woman said God was leading her to partner with us financially but she was still praying through the amount.  I gave her some time and then approached her again.  She told me had an amount in mind but as she kept praying God kept telling her to raise the amount! I asked her if I should give her some more time to keep praying, lol. She isn't exactly sure where this money will come from, but she knew it's what God was leading her to do. . "...for we walk by faith, not by sight - ". 

        And now the call is the same for every one of us. Jesus is calling, "follow me." He still desires to lead us, though we can't see Him, touch Him, or audibly hear His words. God may be leading some of you to commit to partner with us financially on a monthly basis.  This is a call to walk by faith! No one but God knows what will happen over the course of four years, but we trust that God will provide for your needs to allow you to give. I think you've read enough of our blog entries to know how much of a struggle this can be for us at times.  I'm constantly praying, "Lord, increase my faith!" But I pray you will join us and all the other Christians out there seeking to "trust walk" with Jesus. He's good.  He's God. He won't lead us astray.