Today is Five Minute Friday with Lisa-Jo, jump on over there to check out what we’re doing and join in the fun.
Interestingly enough, I have had quite the issues with posting today. First of all, when I first tried – I was locked out of my WP dashboard, something about brute force attack. I left, I didn’t want to deal with any coding anything to make anything work. Then tonight I came back & logged in effortlessly. I got all done with the post, saved, previewed & clicked somewhere & lost EVERYTHING. The post, preview & all ‘save drafts’. How annoying is that?!
So, with that whining out of the way, :-D, I’m going to try this again, but in all reality – this post has been way more than 5 minutes. I had good intentions, does that count? I’m tired and feel as if I’ve done this so many times now it seems silly…but I’m doing it anyway!
So. today’s post: Imagine
Three and a half months ago I was exhausted, drained, beyond worn out by life. I couldn’t imagine summer coming, I couldn’t look forward to it – there were too many unknowns. Since August I’d been mightly praying about the opportunity to support my brother, his wife, and their 3 children while on the mission field.
This was one of three burning prayers in my heart & mind.
In November I found out we were approved as short term missionaries from our church to be sent as support to the Philppines – we just needed to raise the rest of our support. At that point I was facing my son getting braces, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and I was unemployed.
I couldn’t imagine leaving for a trip of any kind, let alone to a foreign country. I wasn’t sure it was even responsible for me to think about. I put it off until after the holidays, then we had January 2013. The most brutal month of the last 10 years. All in one fell swoop. In February I sent out letters to let others know our desire to support my brother … in God’s goodness we knew by the end of February we had the funds to come. Even though I was still unemployed and we’d taken most of the month of February to recuperate from January, it was evident it was the right time. I got our tickets in early-mid March and we’ve now been here nearly two months.
The last several weeks have been a tangible example to me of Ephesians 3:17-21:
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be fill with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.”
Do you see what I see?
- I am rooted & grounded in love.
- The love of Christ surpasses knowledge.
- I can be filled with the fullness of God.
- He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.
- According to His power.
- All of this is for HIS GLORY
That is a lot of promises. The thing is – He doesn’t pick & choose which ones He’ll actually make good on. He meant every one of them! Just take a moment to imagine that.
That prayer mentioned up there at the beginning – He answered it far more abundantly than I could have ever imagined. Yes, He provided the funds. Yes, He made all plans come together without too much hassle. What I didn’t think to ask was for the freedom from so many fears and bondages I’ve lived within. [I so wish the ‘other’ post hadn’t disappeared. I had it worded pretty well, but it’s gone now.]
I have renewed hope. I am excited about the coming summer. I am looking forward to life again. I am hopeful for the answers to the other two HUGE prayer requests, I feel encouraged to renew my hope and pray those prayers. I will be okay with His plan. I don’t feel desperate to know the answers to the many ‘what-ifs’ in life. I had no idea, I couldn’t imagine I’d go home a different person on so many levels. I’m excited to share these adventures with you, but we still have some to participate in. All in good time, I will share :-D.
It has all been to His glory, in His power, and for His greater purposes.