Originally posted on Oct 26, 2005
Sitting here at the computer, I look around and see that I’m missing a few things. I’m missing a pair of shoes. I don’t remember which pair, but I’m fairly certain I packed one more pair than I unpacked.
I’m missing Target. I miss wandering the long aisles, finding things I’ve never seen before and suddenly realizing I can’t live without them.
I’m missing my friends. I’m missing the freedom to be myself without running the risk of making some sort of impression on someone.
And I’m missing my comfy relationship with God. The one I’m experiencing right now is scary, uncertain, and at times it even seems treacherous. Back in Minnesota my life was going well, and God fit comfortably into the picture. Nowadays my life is completely turned upside down, and I’m finding that God needs to be the whole picture. I’m not used to this state of utter dependence, and I am not yet sure how I feel about it. In this time in my life I am reminded of C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in which Lucy asks Mr. Tumnus about Aslan, “Is he-is he safe?” Mr. Tumnus replies, “Safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he is good.”
In my loss of my former life, and the uncertainty of my future, right now I feel anything but safe. But my God is good. The past months of me and my family’s lives are living proof that God like Aslan- he is not safe, but let me tell you- he is good!
I see his goodness when I stand and watch the support of the Crossroads community here. Support in painting, assembling furniture, and other random acts of kindness. My mother was blessed to tears the other day when a woman in the church came by with a bagful of “American” cooking items that can’t be found here- Crisco, chocolate chips, and various other things. An older lady came up to me in church a few days ago and handed me an envelope with “pocket money” in it for me, Kari, and Kenny, with the message to be happy. She simply said that she knew this had been hard for us, leaving our friends, and she wanted to give us a gift. She ran away without saying her name before my shock could wear off.
“Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard: he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us: you refined us like silver....we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance....Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 66:8-12, 20.
I see his goodness simply by the fact that I have strength to remain standing, not standing in fear and defeat but standing in victory!
“For we know that in all this we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
......here’s to the goodness of God!
Sitting here at the computer, I look around and see that I’m missing a few things. I’m missing a pair of shoes. I don’t remember which pair, but I’m fairly certain I packed one more pair than I unpacked.
I’m missing Target. I miss wandering the long aisles, finding things I’ve never seen before and suddenly realizing I can’t live without them.
I’m missing my friends. I’m missing the freedom to be myself without running the risk of making some sort of impression on someone.
And I’m missing my comfy relationship with God. The one I’m experiencing right now is scary, uncertain, and at times it even seems treacherous. Back in Minnesota my life was going well, and God fit comfortably into the picture. Nowadays my life is completely turned upside down, and I’m finding that God needs to be the whole picture. I’m not used to this state of utter dependence, and I am not yet sure how I feel about it. In this time in my life I am reminded of C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in which Lucy asks Mr. Tumnus about Aslan, “Is he-is he safe?” Mr. Tumnus replies, “Safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he is good.”
In my loss of my former life, and the uncertainty of my future, right now I feel anything but safe. But my God is good. The past months of me and my family’s lives are living proof that God like Aslan- he is not safe, but let me tell you- he is good!
I see his goodness when I stand and watch the support of the Crossroads community here. Support in painting, assembling furniture, and other random acts of kindness. My mother was blessed to tears the other day when a woman in the church came by with a bagful of “American” cooking items that can’t be found here- Crisco, chocolate chips, and various other things. An older lady came up to me in church a few days ago and handed me an envelope with “pocket money” in it for me, Kari, and Kenny, with the message to be happy. She simply said that she knew this had been hard for us, leaving our friends, and she wanted to give us a gift. She ran away without saying her name before my shock could wear off.
“Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard: he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us: you refined us like silver....we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance....Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 66:8-12, 20.
I see his goodness simply by the fact that I have strength to remain standing, not standing in fear and defeat but standing in victory!
“For we know that in all this we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
......here’s to the goodness of God!
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