I want to share a verse with you from Job. It comes at the end of the book - after Job went through the loss and pain; after he questioned his purpose and the meaning of life; it was after he listened to the nagging and complaining of his friends and wife; it came right after God revealed His character to him. In Job 42:2 we see Job come to a conclusion -  a fact that he could hold onto based on all he saw and experienced.

“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."

Wow! What truth. Especially when we take into account everything Job lost, all his plans that fell apart, and how utterly hopeless and lost he felt. Sometimes I need to hear these words in the stillness of my own heart. I need to proclaim them through the loud noise of disappointment, fear, or loneliness. Sometimes I need to meditate on the truth of God's character so I can understand the power in this verse as I wait for His will to be done.

Do you need to hear this? Do you need to grasp the essence of the God who can do all things?

I remember I was getting ready to go on my first mission trip overseas. Only my second time on a plane, I was nervous. I had never flown on my own, let alone left the safety of this continent and family within a days journey. So I gathered my new passport, my printed tickets, and my list of numbers for the american embassy and stuffed them all in my new shiny passport holder. I was nervous about the two heavy suitcases I packed; one full of medical supplies for the orphans at the small orphanage I was to serve at and the other full of clothes and bug nets for the 5 week stay in South India. (That's right - to my parents fear I was leaving on my own for the first time to serve by myself in the south part of India, near Chitoor.). The Sunday before I was to leave I signed on to the plane's site and looked up the luggage restrictions. In doing so I learned something else that was very important. Apparently passports require visas for certain countries.  This was news to me, I didn't hear about it from the pastor I was going to serve with or the travel agent that helped me book all my tickets.  Instead I found out 6 days before my flight was to take off, which is around 2 months and 24 days less time than a rushed visa request would take. I talked to a number of embassies that night, racked up quite a phone bill, and found a place in Chicago I could drive to and hopefully try and expedite a visa.

Lets pause in this. Because before I tell you what I all did you need to know how I felt. Because I was at a loss - and everything that I thought was supposed to happen came crashing down. Nothing looked right.

          In my head I had ruined all of God's plan and nothing was going to work.

But if I would have listened to Job - I would have remembered that God's planned can not be thwarted.
In this moment I wish I would have leaned on the understanding that God is bigger than my mistakes, that He doesn't overlook the details. If I could have kept that in my line of vision - I could've spent the next week being amazed at God's provision instead of scared for my planning.

God did come through - My dad and I drove the 4 hours to get to the visa office, turned in my passport and were told that with out a doubt I should cancel my flight. Never have they had a visa come back in a week. The next day I got a call to come pick it up!

God is good, yes, but He is also big and in control. Remember that today, that He is in control and can do all things. Do you really live out your life believing that He is in control enough that what He plans can't be interrupted?  This is what Eric and I are learning to do every day as we wait for His plan to come together so we can leave. It is in our nature to feel like it is all up to us - and we have to help God. But he is in control and He can do such amazing things in your life.

<3

Learning to Wait

       

         Not getting to do something is hard, not getting to do something you really want to do, when you want to do it is even harder... just watch any two year old who hears the word 'no'.  As we grow up we accept that sometimes we can't do what we want.. like petting the raptor at the museum exhibit. Sometimes though something happens that is harder than hearing no. Sometimes we here wait.

Waiting is hard... as people we don't like to wait. It is normally seen as something negative. To a generation that enjoys microwaving over slow roasting we think waiting for something is a waste of time.

I disagree... or at least I am learning to disagree.

We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.


    We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.

Our heart and passion is to be in England today.. but God is saying wait till I send you.. just a little longer... but in this season of waiting don't despair.

The best part of being a Christian is that when we are waiting for God to take us to the next step, we are never waiting alone. We are not, though it may feel like it, waiting alone for God to come back and remember where He left us. Instead He is with us in our waiting, showing us what we can learn and need to know before we can move on.

So we are approaching this season of wait - as a season of grow. We are so excited for everything God is teaching us during this time...