I like to use the term "God Wink" when I feel like God is looking at me and Wink's His eye to say... "I've got this Brittney, I hear you and I love you" --- They are pretty much my favorite! :)
Like I cannot even wrap my brain around some of these and how God sees us.. He sees us, and knows what we need and fulfills those needs according to HIS timing and plan and our obedience. Ah.. Just so good.
So It's no secret we miss Andy (I will call him that for Blog purposes) ... I am not sure some understand as it's hard to understand, but it has left a hole in us that hurts every day. It does not feel right not having him here and I daydream about him being back.
Anyhow... You all know we've only heard from him that one time, a few days after he left. We have not heard specifically from him, but we have heard from "Him". God has heard us and provided us with smiles and re-assurance when we just want to cry, yet God keeps giving.
I've been doing a bible study this year in Revelation (scary huh) lol... That's some pretty intense business back there in the back of the Bible... Anyhow, Since Andy has gone back, and I have started school I have managed to not find the time to complete my bible study before each meeting on Wednesdays. It's bad, but it's true.
So After last week and not having my questions answered AGAIN I thought... BRITTNEY ANN what that you have going on is MORE important than spending time in God's word. I've created legitimate excuses in my mind, but none of which are reason enough to put God second. NONE. IF God is not first in our lives, all the other things we put first will be taken from us.. God desires and expects to be first in our lives and has no problem weeding out the hindrances in that. He will find a way to bring us back to Him and put Him FIRST in our lives. Above all...
So I grabbed up my bible study yesterday and sat outside while Brecklynn played. Then my mommy guilt set it- watching her play and not playing with her so I can do what "I" want. As hard as it is and as crazy as it may sound to some God expects to be put BEFORE even our own children. That is a tough one for Mommy's to swallow... or wives. Nothing is to come before God. Nothing. So... on with my bible study... I came to a part that stopped me in my tracks.
"Although the Bible teaches otherwise, we equate a smooth path with God's pleasures and see difficulties as bad"
This particular section of Revelation speaks about suffering. That when Christians suffer we feel like God cannot see us, or isn't listening. Or we wonder "Why on earth would God cause His people to suffer". Like the part from my study states "Although the bible teaches otherwise". We think being Christians gets into this elite group of people that bad things no longer happen to. That's as far away from the truth as you can get... personally I think life only gets Harder... but the hard we go through is for the greater good and that makes it worth it. God's people will suffer far greater in this earthly life in order to obtain eternal life. It's just part of it. --- That is a sermon for a Sunday morning from a seasoned Pastor.. I am not that. ha. Also, let me share that I do not feel as though we are "suffering" necessarily with missing Andy. It's just hard. Suffering comes in all shapes and sizes and is tolerated and understood differently by everyone. We just miss our boy and hate that he has to suffer.
So on to my point for this.
That part "we equate a smooth path with God's pleasures and see difficulties as bad". Ah.. for us, maybe me particularly, that is ever so true with this Hosting life. I think that if it does not fall correctly into place and all ducks do not line up in their perfect row that God must not agree with what we are doing How wrong am I. What a relief that is. That even if it is not going as smoothly as I (us know it all Humans *insert sarcasm here*) think it should go we think God is not with us. Well let me tell you about how He is with US in this.
Remember I tell no lies here. lol
I was on our private FB page fixing to type a sob story about how I miss my boy... Ok, maybe not a sob story.. but just that we miss him and miss him a lot.
At that very moment I received a message through FB from the chaperon that came over with the children and flew them back.
Let me back track... Last week in my desperation to here from Andy I reached out to her to see if there was any way we could talk to him, or find out how he is doing
--That has been the not so great part about hosting, not being in contact like we had thought we would... BUT every rose has it's thorns and we are SO thankful for the hosting opportunity and will speak highly and recommend it 10 times over.. but i'd be lying If I said that part has been smooth, but we Understand. There is an 8 hour time difference, a Language barrier that is FOR REAL and these children live in orphanages where in some cases the directors could not care any less if these children ever saw or heard from their American Families again....so I get it. Just makes it hard on us that miss them so much here in the states.
Ok... so back to today... logged into the private page, and the message comes up.
"Hi there!!!!! I spoke to a social worker :)))) Andy is good, he misses you all :((((( She said she will send me some photos and I will send you then. She will find you on FaceBook (I gave her your name) and Andy will try to call you :)))))"
I cried.
God heard me, God sees me and God never leaves us. He restores us when we feel depleted. He gives us what HE knows we need not what WE think we need.
So the moral to this loooonnnngggg (because I jabber way too much) story. Is as Christians, or what our Pastor likes to say (and the Bible) Disciples of Christ, we are to trust. We are to endure suffering, and when things do not go smoothly according to our plan, they are going smoothly according to God's perfect plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment