A God Moment On the Road!

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness;
all I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness;
all I have to do is follow.
Strength for today, is mine all the way, and all I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness;
all I have to do is follow.

This is a song that hearkens in my memory back to my Vacation Bible School days and it came to mind recently—the first time in decades. I found it appropriate for the space I’m in right now and counted it a word from God that He was reassuring me of His presence in this journey.

Within a few days after finding that song running through my mind, I attended the local Christian Women’s Prayer Breakfast and a few minutes into the speaker’s presentation, she began singing this song. I was awestruck. I felt like it was God reinforcing something He wanted me to hear. I am amazed at how God is personal and yet so above and beyond us. I struggle to fathom how much He loves and cares about each of us and wants the very best for us—His best, not necessarily our idea of “best.” It was a “God moment” and another marker on this pilgrimage.

Jan Carlberg, the speaker for the event, used 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” In light of the recent economic developments and many other circumstances (personal transitions) that would cause us to be fearful and uncertain, she challenged us to 1) Be teachable, 2) Be prayerful and 3) Be thankful. There are many ways to respond to crisis. We need to be reminded that nothing takes God by surprise and nothing is out of His control. It may not be to our liking, but it is nonetheless within the realm of His keeping.

Being in this world, but not of it is a continuous challenge. Following where He leads, even when it looks like a wilderness, is also a challenge, but full of blessing. Do not seek what is easy and comfortable, but seek God and his Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33). - Miriam

A Glimpse of my "Journey to Nigeria" (MiM)

All of us are on the journey of life. Each day is full of opportunities and decisions. We watch our life fly by or slip away, invested or squandered. There is no recall of yesterday and no promise of tomorrow. We only have today to live. We want to live fully and with no regrets. If we are followers of Jesus, we want to be obedient to what He is telling us and where He is leading.

I thought I would give you a glimpse of my “Journey to Nigeria.” Doug had seen this posting with MCC last year already and felt drawn to it. He showed it to me and I agreed that I could see him in that position, but did not have any interest in living in Africa for three years. He said he wouldn’t go without me, so the topic was dropped. But God would not let me rest. Whenever thinking about the future, pursuing other options, or during times of prayer or quietness, Nigeria kept coming into my mind and particularly my unwillingness to even consider the possibility. I had no peace, but also could not bring myself to think about it.

One Sunday we were singing, “Trust and Obey” and the words seemed to jump out at me. I felt God saying, “You need to trust and obey Me in this. I am asking you to at least be willing to pursue this opportunity, whether it works out or not.” I submitted to what I felt He was asking and felt peace about the future.

As we have been working through the details of the application process and thinking of all the decisions that need to be made, it became evident that God was removing obstacles. That was confirmation to me that we were moving in the right direction.

The journey continues to have its difficult moments. In hearing about the risks, my anxiety level went up. Another song came to mind, “God Will Take Care of You.” I realized if I am being obedient and this is where we are to be, God will be there with us to carry us through, whatever the experience.

As you can imagine, there are many details to take care of and decisions to make. A move like this requires planning in a different way. The only way this is possible is knowing that God has called, I have answered and He will continue to work out the details on our behalf and in His time. He will be there for us as we sort and pack, as we anticipate saying good-bye to family and friends and as we prepare to embrace a new culture and lifestyle. I do not feel heroic. I have been obedient. I am anxious, but also excited. I have no idea what the future holds for us and our family, but I know Who holds the future and Who goes before us all.

We continue to covet your prayers as we make this transition. We also pray for you and thank you for being our church family over these years, for your love, support and encouragement. We trust it will continue.

- from the October BRANCH" - from the desk of the Family Life Minister