A Captain and His Crew

 

 

 

I happened to catch this picture running through a song on YouTube. I saw it briefly but I will never forget it.  A brief second and I saw myself. It was me! It was also any woman who is letting God guide her!

 

 

 

No it's not really me, but it may as well be. If my words couldn't get you to picture what I'm going through then this picture should. Life's boat tilts and the waves crash but Jesus has his hand on my shoulder and points me in the direction I should go. If I become fearful and look to either side at the large waves (trials) trying to consume us, I start to go overboard into the deep abyss.

 

Call me crazy, but as we go through challenges I find myself somewhat grateful. What I experience can in turn be used to help others deal with similar situations.

 

During cell group this week we were asked to be silent and let God speak to us an encouraging word for another member. What someone shared with me left me almost speechless. She mentioned Isaiah 41 and as she wasn’t sure of the words verbatim but she knew the context. I felt truly refreshed because when I sat down to read the chapter I could apply this to my life and what I witness around me.

 

 

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
¹⁸ I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
¹⁹ I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
²⁰ That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

 

I’m going backwards here but this screams “Japan” and any other secular nation to me. God is the only one who can pull them out of their darkness. I pray this prayer for them but not as eloquently. I saw something else too.

 

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

God is telling me to fear not. Once I thought I wasn’t good enough for missions, I mis-judged it. I mis-judged myself, I lacked trust in God. If you are struggling with direction in your life, give it to Jesus. Be silent and let him speak to you. Pray that the things which are not of him and his grace will be banished from your mind.

 

Lord, I pray that you give me Jesus more and more. Fill my soul with his spirit, allow me to breath his words and give his comfort. Let me be silent when I need to be and bold with his message when the opportunity arises. Allow others to see Jesus in the storms. - Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appreciating the past........

Disclaimer: While God is faithful and has spiritually matured me, I'm still human, I have emotions. He has never left my side and what you read about in my blog reflects my raw feelings and has already been discussed with the only one who can truly carrying me through it. I don't want anyone to get the impression that just because I've gone off to be a missionary that I'm super-human, because I'm not.

Lately, when I'm homesick I close my eyes and picture a place that brought me great memories. The image of my grandparent's living room shows up and if I focus enough I can see my grandma reading the morning paper and my grandpa cooking breakfast. I can smell the comforting aroma of coffee and fresh vegetables. I can picture the back window shades open with the morning sun beaming towards the kitchen table. The dark colored wood kitchen table, the pink recliners, white couch, grandma's high school basketball sitting on top of the book shelf and the sound of the deer bell by the door with their last name engraved.

I miss them a lot. 

They did a lot for my sisters and I growing up. They prayed for us, made us sit through Bible studies (which I dreaded at a young age) took us to church, took us on long road trips to Tennessee & Kentucky and short ones to Mangum & Altus. (Go figure! Altus became a major part of my life). They taught me about history and how to appreciate it. Their wisdom of music taught me to appreciate what music has majorly been forgotten.

These are things I never want to take for granted!

Things that I miss                                                                                                      
1) Family & Friends                                                                                                    
2)  Driving                                                                                                                  
3) Cracker Barrel                                                                                                        
4) Shoes that fit                                                                                                        
5) Cheaper food (this doesn't mean junk food)                                               
6) Natural landscapes and wide open spaces  (I have a bias for American scenery)      

Things I Enjoy in Japan
1) Meeting people from all over the world
2) Being so different that it strikes people's curiosity as to why I'm here
3) Visiting places I had only heard about or seen on the news
4) Slowly becoming bi-lingual (I emphasis the slowly)
5) My change in comfort-levels
6) Exercise becoming a way of life, not an event
7) Feeling safe while walking down a dark alley at night by myself

I miss my dog, Minnie Pearl

 

 

When I allow myself to think about it, the uncertainty of when I will place my feet on American soil makes the homesickness stronger.  I know it will never go away.  However, I am indulging in the experiences available here. I know full and well I'm where God wants me. His peace still surrounds me. I pray everyday that his will and not mine is done. I pray that Japan sees him through me. I pray that this is seen as about him and not myself. I pray that I become more humble and lenient on God more than ever.

 

 

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