Gardening

We've been so blessed by the personal emails and posts of encouragement this week.  It's a strange thing when we live far away from the "world" we once knew.  Of course there are times that we find ourselves, minds filling with images, smells, sounds, and faces of loved ones from back There.  As we near our two year mark of living Here, we find a peaceful place that remains deep within that encourages us to experience more of Him.  While we have relationships here, Praise Him, where we can now speak our mother tongue together and understand each other's struggles at a deep level...we still find ourselves often longing for those emails and contacts from There...they mean so much to us.

I was involved in a study last night with the foreign teacher who I shared about on April 10th.  It's an amazing priviledge to share the deep things of Him with her.  She was raised in a background of absent of really any spiritual teaching.  But her wisdom, her recognition of the pure beauty of the Good News, refreshes me.  When I sit with her, often just telling her stories of how we've seen and experienced Him, showing her promises in the Book that have been life to us...she just glows as the Spirit inside her confirms His presence. 

We ended up focusing on how we manage the thoughts in our minds, those of doubt, discouragement, and fear.  I used one of my favorite analogies, of "pulling the weeds" that sprout up in our mind.  That we must do ABSOLUTELY nothing for these "weeds" to sprout.  Soon, if we're not minding the garden, we find our thoughts are overrun with weeds, thoughts that do not agree with the Word.  I conveyed to her that, just like a good gardener, we must do the work of pulling out those weeds.  By forcibly pulling them out and exchanging them for the promises and Truth in the Word.  Simultaneously planting the good food of the Word by agreeing with and claiming those promises for our lives.  Then our minds are renewed and we can walk in peace.

That's what this week has been largely about for me.  Confronting the thoughts that do not match up with the promises of the Word and exchanging those thoughts for the Truths.  It brings me to this ordinary Thursday morning, while my family peacefully slumbers on, filled up with the faith that He is doing it.  Everything related to the paperwork problems, the finances required, the time that is dwindling and the deadline of July 1 (our departure from Here to travel back for summer furlough)...they are tiny in comparison to His hand, His power, His sovereignty over the situtation.  He has called us to do this, so He will accomplish it.  Regardless of what I "see" around me, or the weedy thoughts that sprout up...I have access to a Higher Truth...that consumes these momentary troubles.

Hang on boys...your big, crazy, loud, and grateful family is coming for you.  Soon, we'll make that 25 minute drive across town and absorb you into this family...and I pray we'll help you to become good gardeners of your minds and lovers of the Truth. 

We're ready to love you, hug you, smash you into these massive group photos...

 He is doing it...He is making us family...