Sunday, August 1, 2010

Day 1, Part 2 - Haiti Mission - Another Send Off

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. ~Psalm 28:7

It's been wonderful having my husband home the past 2 weeks. Though I prayed that God would make each minute seem like 100 minutes, time continues to pass regardless and alas I had to take my husband to the airport again this morning for the second leg of his work in Haiti. All of the materials have arrived at the camp in Haiti and I know that my husband will be enduring long, grueling 14+ hour days for the next six weeks. I pray for the Lord's protection, but not necessarily for safety. You see, I heard a sermon long ago speaking to the obedient Christians about how being a Christian was not "safe" and that we shouldn't pray for safety. Serving for the Lord, especially in an oppressed and persecuted country, will never be "safe". Therefore I pray for the Lord's protection for my husband in an unsafe, primitive country. And I pray that the Lord will meet him there and bless his work.

How quickly my focus changed from Christ to Chris the minute he got home. I now see how easily I can slip back into my old ways of completely submersing myself in my marriage and family. It's an idol issue. I've been slowly reading, well listening actually, to "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns and it references Matthew 19:20-21 ~ "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. You see, there is something that all of us need to "give up". Perhaps it's not material possessions like the young man in Matthew, but there is something for all of us that is keeping us from being all that God intended for us to be. Something keeping us from the life that Jesus intended. What's standing in your way from being the person God wants you to be? Is it money? Is it food? Is it lust? For me, one of those things, if not THE thing, is my family, the relationships and how I interact with my family. I realized yesterday that I had completely shifted focus from my relationship with Jesus back to my marriage the minute Chris walked in the front door for his leave.

I know without a doubt that God has wonderful things in store for me. What are they? Don't know, but I do know that they're wonderful. Matthew 7:11 says ~ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! I am refocused on changing myself....surrendering myself to be the person that Jesus has intended for me to be. It will require sacrifice, but I'm ready. I believe that I can have joy and have it abundantly as well as serve more passtionately, if I just let Jesus have his way with me.

I have come undone
But I have just begun
Changing by Your grace
~Francesca Battistelli, "Beautiful, Beautiful"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCfyZHSQbE&feature=avmsc2

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