Do Not Lose Heart
It's been a long time since I've posted anything. A REALLY long time. I could write several blog posts reviewing all the happenings of the past several months. But let’s be honest. You don’t have the time to read multiple posts, and I don’t have the energy to write them (jet lag + newborn = tired mama). It’s been a crazy few months, full of highs and lows and lots of opportunities for sanctification. We’ve been reminded of the faithfulness of God and the blessing of His people as so many of you have prayed for us and cared for us and have even offered to get on a plane to be with us. We are grateful. SO grateful. The Lord is seriously kind, people.
We have been back in our country for a few weeks now, having been gone for about three months. During that time, our beautiful son was born, and we rejoiced in the faithfulness of the Father in protecting me throughout my pregnancy and providing a safe delivery and a healthy baby boy. During our time away, we also mourned the curse of sickness and death as we dealt with our babe being hospitalized and my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. At one point, we did not know whether our little boy would live. And we traveled to America to be with my family when we realized that, after serious complications in surgery, my mom was close to death, as well. Those weeks were SO hard. But again, the Father was faithful. He healed our little boy and sustained my mom. And we are so very thankful for these undeserved and gracious gifts. Praise Him that He hears the cries of His children and is pleased to answer their prayers!
We have begun our second year living overseas, seeking a homeland that is neither here nor in the States. There have been times when I have been haunted by old fears or have doubted the goodness of God in calling us to this place. There have been times when I have struggled to know whether or not I have what it takes to make it here (the answer: I don’t). But the Lord has been faithful through His Word and through the kind encouragement of friends. A passage of Scripture that has been dear to me these recent months is Romans 8:15-32. I have been so encouraged in the reminder that there is a future glory, a future hope, and that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that awaits us. The result of these present birth pangs is life for those in Christ Jesus. Our trials are not meaningless. God is doing something and will accomplish His purposes in us to the glory of His name. He will bring us through to the end, for all things work together for good for those who love God. And that good is our being conformed to the image of his Son. I pray that, because of the joys and the trials we have experienced, we are more like Christ now than we were three months ago. And I pray that we are more thankful...thankful for every day, every gift, every evidence of grace. We don’t deserve any of it, but God in His great mercy has bestowed upon His children numerous blessings. And “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Yes...He will give us all things. It may not be a house with a white picket fence or the convenience of a car or the awesomeness of a Target close-by. It may not be good health or the safety of my children or the joy of living near friends and family or the reality of being the perfect mom or the perfect wife or the perfect friend. But He will give us all things...in Christ. In Jesus, we have everything. And He promises that He will give us what we need to persevere to the end. He will sanctify us. He will make us more like Christ. If He did not spare His own Son, do we think He would not be with us to the end, providing full contentment and joy and peace in Him? Do we think He would not complete the work He began when He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light?
God is doing something, and even in the midst of our greatest trials, we can be confident that He is at work, for our good and for His glory. Our lives are not meaningless. Our sufferings and joys are not meaningless. Those He called, He will justify and He will glorify. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
This song and the words of John Piper were a HUGE encouragement to me during that week our baby J was in the hospital. Friends...watch, listen, and be encouraged, as well.
We have been back in our country for a few weeks now, having been gone for about three months. During that time, our beautiful son was born, and we rejoiced in the faithfulness of the Father in protecting me throughout my pregnancy and providing a safe delivery and a healthy baby boy. During our time away, we also mourned the curse of sickness and death as we dealt with our babe being hospitalized and my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. At one point, we did not know whether our little boy would live. And we traveled to America to be with my family when we realized that, after serious complications in surgery, my mom was close to death, as well. Those weeks were SO hard. But again, the Father was faithful. He healed our little boy and sustained my mom. And we are so very thankful for these undeserved and gracious gifts. Praise Him that He hears the cries of His children and is pleased to answer their prayers!
We have begun our second year living overseas, seeking a homeland that is neither here nor in the States. There have been times when I have been haunted by old fears or have doubted the goodness of God in calling us to this place. There have been times when I have struggled to know whether or not I have what it takes to make it here (the answer: I don’t). But the Lord has been faithful through His Word and through the kind encouragement of friends. A passage of Scripture that has been dear to me these recent months is Romans 8:15-32. I have been so encouraged in the reminder that there is a future glory, a future hope, and that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that awaits us. The result of these present birth pangs is life for those in Christ Jesus. Our trials are not meaningless. God is doing something and will accomplish His purposes in us to the glory of His name. He will bring us through to the end, for all things work together for good for those who love God. And that good is our being conformed to the image of his Son. I pray that, because of the joys and the trials we have experienced, we are more like Christ now than we were three months ago. And I pray that we are more thankful...thankful for every day, every gift, every evidence of grace. We don’t deserve any of it, but God in His great mercy has bestowed upon His children numerous blessings. And “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Yes...He will give us all things. It may not be a house with a white picket fence or the convenience of a car or the awesomeness of a Target close-by. It may not be good health or the safety of my children or the joy of living near friends and family or the reality of being the perfect mom or the perfect wife or the perfect friend. But He will give us all things...in Christ. In Jesus, we have everything. And He promises that He will give us what we need to persevere to the end. He will sanctify us. He will make us more like Christ. If He did not spare His own Son, do we think He would not be with us to the end, providing full contentment and joy and peace in Him? Do we think He would not complete the work He began when He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light?
God is doing something, and even in the midst of our greatest trials, we can be confident that He is at work, for our good and for His glory. Our lives are not meaningless. Our sufferings and joys are not meaningless. Those He called, He will justify and He will glorify. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
This song and the words of John Piper were a HUGE encouragement to me during that week our baby J was in the hospital. Friends...watch, listen, and be encouraged, as well.
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