His Grace is Sufficient

The Lord has been showing me lately how much I am dependent on His grace and how He is always sovereignly at work even when I fail to realize it. My family has been hit hard recently with various trials, but each portray the sovereign  hand of my most loving and gracious Savior, Jesus Christ.

On such event occurred last Sunday when the brakes went out on my car (not related to the wreck) while my mom was driving. It just so "happened," however, that they went out at the exact moment my mom put my car in park in front of our house. Do you see the grace of Christ in that? One moment longer in town and she would not have been so fortunate, but He orchestrated events in such a way that both she and my sister arrived safely home. What protection! What grace!

My dad told me of a guy who said, "I ask for God's favor and help when going into a situation and then proceed as if it all depended on me." How foolish. Who gave him his breath, his abilities, his resources? What does he have that didn't come from God? Can this man forsee the future or know the wisest decision in every situation? No. He (and we) must depend upon God every step of the way. For "in Him, we live and move and have our being."

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Week One in the States

I have been home for a little over a week now. My first experience of "culture shock" came in the Newark airport restroom. I forgot that automatic flushing toilets existed and was quite startled when I encountered one. :) For the most part, this past week has been a pretty rough one spiritually and emotionally as I adjust to an entirely different pace of life and struggle to find a nice balance between my life overseas and my life here. To add to this, a good friend and mentor passed away a few days after I returned. I attended a memorial service yesterday where we celebrated his life. After the service, I rear-ended someone. The people I hit and their vehicle (a truck) are fine, but my car received some damage. A fitting end to what had been a rough week...

It hasn't been all bad though. I have been able to see lots of familiar faces at church and a family reunion. Plus my family took me to Scoops - the new frozen custard joint in town - on my first day back. The next day Kristi and I went to Fredericktown's new (and very nice) McDonald's to read God's Word. I have been on lots of walks, enjoying the beautiful countryside of the States. I also watched the final season of LOST. It was as crazy and mind-bending as ever, but I thoroughly enjoyed it...and it provided a nice escape from reality. This morning I went to the much dreaded dentist office. Praise be to God that my gums held their own during my seven month hiatus (I usually go every three months).

Home is Where God's Will Is

So I am on my way to debriefing, hanging out in the airport waiting for my next flight. John Denver's Leaving on a Jet Plane has been playing in the background of my mine all morning, and the lyrics mean more now than they ever did. This part of the world has been my home for the last six months and I am sad to leave it. I have learned, however, over the last several years to make wherever I am my home, knowing that it is only temporary. The Bible tells us believers that this world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14). This life is only temporary and our true home awaits us in heaven with God. Christ Himself has gone before us to prepare a place for us there (John 14:2-3). So often we forget this truth. We strive to settle down and live a comfortable, self-sufficient life - the American Dream. God has not called us to settle, though. His command is to GO - to always be ready to to follow Him whenever and to wherever He calls. In the book of Genesis, God commanded the people to spread out over the earth and multiply. He wanted (and still wants) to fill the earth with worshipers of Himself. The people, however, didn't listen. They did the opposite of what God commanded, by coming together to make a name for themselves. They wanted to be independent of God, self-reliant, safe and comfortable. Isn't that what the American Dream is? God, however, has called us to something better - His Dream. His plan is for all people groups to know Him, their Creator; for them to hear about the saving work of Jesus Christ, their Savior; to save them from an eternity separated from Him in hell; and to give them everlasting joy by giving them the gift of Himself. The plan of God will not be thwarted. He will accomplish it with or without us, but He does invite us to join Him. He has given us two choices: we can choose our own path apart from Christ (which ends in destruction) or we can choose the path God shows us which gives us life...life to the full (John 10:10). So, I urge you with the words of Louie Giglio, "pack up the American Dream and exchange it for a part in God's global story" - the story of His mind-bending plan of rescuing the nations from sin and death by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ so that all may know Him.

Days Go By...

Sunday is my last day in this country - with the girls, with my newfound friends and family...where did the time go? I have been avoiding thinking about leaving, but I can't anymore. I have to think about how I am going to spend my last few days here, who I am going to see, saying goodbye, packing... I haven't even left yet and I am so ready ready to return. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about seeing those I love and care about in the States, but I dread the thought of leaving everyone here. I know, however, that going back to America is God's will and I completely trust Him.

While there isn't much I miss about the States, living here has made me appreciate a few things about my native country that I used to take for granted:
1. order and structure
2. efficiency
3. (enforced) traffic laws
4. sidewalks
5. politeness (thank you, please, etc)
No culture, of course, is perfect. There are some things I absolutely hate about this culture, but then there are things I really love. Much of it, I am really going to miss. Especially the 36 smiling faces I got used to seeing almost every day: