Karibu Nyumbani

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." -1 Thes. 5:24

Finally arriving in the village of Ilula late Sunday night, we were welcomed by the children after breakfast Monday morning. I have seen their welcome ceremonies before, yet I am moved to tears each time I'm welcomed back home. All the children stand in a circle, sing and give you a bouquet of roses. You walk around the circle, shaking everyone's hand as they say "Karibu" to you. When it was my turn to be offered the roses, the beautiful child said words I've longed to hear in 4 long years... "Karibu Nyumbani" (Welcome home). I looked into those beautiful eyes, as I heard those words and peace flooded my heart... I was finally home again. I gladly responded with a big, traditional "Asante Sana" with a smile on my face and watery eyes I could not deny. At the end of the circle our team stood in line, joining in on the song and dance... I felt at that moment that if my heart could smile, it was smiling then. I prayed to the Lord with thanksgiving, "thank you Lord for bringing me back home". In those moments I treasured the blessings of a calm heart and His peace which surpasses all understanding. In those moments it didn't matter what we had just gone through, it didn't even matter that I'd barely slept in over a week now. In those moments, I felt the Lord say, "I brought you here, this is for you... enjoy it and welcome home".

Karibu Nyumbani!!!

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." -Jer. 29:11

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." -Prov. 3:5-6

Airplanes, airports, and layovers... oh my!

Good things come to those who wait... and wait. In a scene from a popular movie I adore, "Evan Almighty", God, portrayed by Morgan Freeman asks the lead actress, " If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?" While this isn't a Biblical quote, it has always struck me as quite humorous regarding the way our lives (and prayers) work out and get answered. How often do we pray for particular attributes, but when God sharpens us and gives us opportunity to refine and demonstrate that attribute, we grumble and complain?

Our "Team Kenya" as we became called, learned this very lesson as we set out from Upland, CA to eventually end up in a little village named Kipkaren in Kenya. After several months of praying for flexibility with this trip, we experienced time and again what flexibility looks like and means in practice when schedules change, flights are delayed, luggage is lost again and again, a large group goes 3 days with no sleep and no shower, and communication breaks down.

For those who did not hear the fun stories, our flight from LA to Washington D.C. got delayed due to a lightning storm that was ONLY over the airport. We were re-routed to Pittsburgh, only to sit on the plane for another 3 hours because the storm wouldn't pass and we were unable to leave the plane due to security laws. We then made a return trip back to Washington D.C just in time of being under the 3 hour time limit security law of unauthorized landing. Our 5 hour flight turned into over 9 hours, with no food and them rationing the water they had.

Upon arriving in D.C., we learned we were a whole 7 minutes late in missing our plane to Ghana. Another couple hours later in a customer service line to learn that our next best bet to get to Kenya was to take a morning flight to London, then proceed to Nairobi. So we camped out in the D.C. airport for another 6 hours, then proceeded to London so we could have a 12 hour layover!! Needing to be at the airport early to retrieve our luggage that did not make it on our plane with us, we camped out another night in the airport, this time in a small cafe that offered only wooden chairs (be flexible!) Hakuna Matata!

After the wonderful night in London, we found out in the morning that the plane bringing our luggage was 3 hours late... proceeding to get checked in then, we found out the plane was another 30 minutes late... then 1 hour late... therefore making it impossible for our luggage to get on our plane with us. So glad we packed our carry-ons so cautiously, hakuna matata!! Getting on the plane in London we all felt so relieved to finally be on our way to Africa!! Sitting on the tarmac for another 1 hour because there was too much traffic in the air came at no surprise to us by this point. Tired, and in serious want of a shower, we were just glad to finally be heading to our final destination (almost). We could only pray our luggage was having a safari njema (safe journey) as well.

Throughout all of this, I greatly pondered all the people I had asked to pray that our luggage would get to the village safely and without damage, thievery, or confiscation ahead of time. We were taking over a lot of medical equipment and tools that we did not want to get "lost" along the way, either through the airport's "fragile" handling of luggage or by officials that decided such items should not be brought into the country.

Arriving in Kenya was such a relief, not only after flying for 3 days with no shower or alone time, not only after a week of not getting enough sleep, but to be back in my beloved country. Gripped with exhaustion, I almost could not take it all in. I had finally returned. Tears fell in that airport... for I was too tired to fight the whirlwind of emotions that were flooding my heart and mind all at once.

Spending the night in Nairobi to get a flight to Eldoret the next day (which was also over 3 hours late), half the team headed back to the airport in the morning to retrieve our luggage that had arrived after us. We got together to once again pray for our missing cargo that held so many "necessities" for the next couple weeks. The 3 days without our luggage, often made each of us ponder what the weeks would be like if we never saw our luggage. Was God teaching us how little we need? How much we need to depend on Him? How to not put value in "things"? Surely if God didn't want us to have our luggage, we wouldn't and He would provide. Coming back from the church to the place we were staying, we all smiled when we saw our luggage sitting out on the lawn next to the van we were taking. It was all there, all accounted for! Nothing was lost... or confiscated. We also had the added blessing that God provisioned for other missionaries from ELI (Mark and Cathy Lessig) to be at the same place, the same time we were and they were driving back to Eldoret the same day we were flying there! They were able to take half of our luggage with them, ensuring the "necessities" for ministry (the donations) arrived safely as they skipped the last leg of our journey.

In conclusion, when you pray for flexibility, you will most likely be given opportunities to be flexible! God did a great work in getting all of us safely to Kenya, and eventually to Kipkaren. We learned afterward that since our luggage arrived after us, we were able to walk it out of the airport, without needing to go through customs at all! Mungu ni mwema (God is good)!! It was a long journey, but He was faithful for each step of it. We saw His hand as our plans were tweaked and molded into His plans, arriving at the precise time He wanted us to. No small event that took place took Him by surprise, for He has a reason and purpose for everything He permits. In the end, I can definitely say we are all a little more flexible these days. We learned how to have the control taken away from us, and we learned that we can survive out of a backpack for over 3 days- more than some Kenyans live off of their entire lives. It wasn't easy (or always fun), but I know I at least got a little closer to accepting the Kenyan motto, Hakuna Matata (no problem/worries)!! Mungu ni mwema!!

Psalm 135:7: "He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightening for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries"

Ubarikiwe (bless you all),

Laurie

Where your heart is...

"Home is where your heart is"- a popular saying that I never quite fully comprehended as much as these past few years.

Almost 4 years, my life was forever changed. The day I set my foot on soil I had only dreamed of and seen in pictures, with an enthusiastic passion in my heart, tears in my eyes, and the biggest smile I've ever had on my face. I had had a vision and passion for a place God had set in my heart that I had never before visited. A passion, a desire, an interest, a love cultivated over years of reflection and prayer. Is it possible to love something before you see it? To love people before you meet them? To love a country, a continent you've never been to? I believe it is, when God places that place and those people on your heart.

I often pray for a bigger heart, to be able to love more... to love more like Jesus did so that others may see Him in me. For a big heart that loves through poverty and brokenness, that sees the beauty behind those broken eyes... that sees the face of Jesus. Matt. 25 says, “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Being surrounded by so much suffering requires the love of Jesus in our hearts. People often ask me, "Why Africa? ... when people are in need everywhere". This is true I tell them, there are hurting people everywhere; but I'm not called everywhere... I'll GO where I'm called. We are commanded numerous times throughout the Bible to GO... therefore it's a much bolder statement to say that you are called to stay. Regardless, complacency can be a very dangerous place to be... and contentment a dangerous attitude when used outside the context of fervent prayer and trust in the Lord's Sovereignty. If we all lived our comfortable, content, and complacent lives, what would happen to all the lives and souls all over the world, to the ends of the earth? What would happen to this world if we all sat around, waiting for "someone else to do it?" I don't say any of this lightly, nor do I take any of the Lord's commands lightly. I often wonder why He would call me at all, why not someone else who's "more equipped". Someone who has more knowledge, more wisdom, more skills and talents, and more loving? Why not them? Why me? I am reminded and humbled by the words of Paul in situations such as these, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all" (1 Tim. 1:25).

Plagued with the knowledge of my inadequacies, shortcomings, and weaknesses as a "Christian", "missionary", and "nurse", I am in constant awe and need of my Father's wisdom and strength and so ever thankful He has enough strength for the both of us. With His love, He can accomplish what He wills through me, irregardless of any "qualifications" or "titles". It's so common and easy in American culture to pursue fame, fortune, and power... hiding behind masks and titles. Yet it is God who gives us our strengths, abilities, passions, skills, gifts, and talents. He is the Provider.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me" (1 Cor. 15:10).

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).

"For the love of Christ compels us..." (2 Cor. 5:14) "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:2-3).

Africa is a beautiful place, with beautiful people who deserve blessings and to know their Father, and get to call Him Savior. They are people I love and wish everyone could meet. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 5:3). Yes it's true, there are hurting people everywhere and Africa isn't for everyone... but it is for me. I have come to that realization over almost 10 years of prayer... Oh how I miss it when I'm not there, so much that it makes my heart ache every time I think about it... fills my eyes with tears as I picture the faces

of those I have met and had the privilege of calling "rafiki" (friend).

After 4 very long (yet in reflection short) years, it is with great anticipation and thankfulness that I am heading back this week to Kenya, my love, my first love. I may not know what the future holds or when I'll be back to Africa or Kenya after this short trip. People who know me best like to joke and say "IF I come back from Africa at all", oh how much my passion and excitement for this land and people must shine brightly in my spirit. In conclusion, I am SO grateful to believe and trust in a Sovereign Lord who does know my future and has blessed me with an opportunity to serve Him; following His lighted path is the safest place to be in the world. Home truly is where your heart is.

"It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home."
- J. Hudson Taylor

Our big "KARIBOU" to the Kipkaren village, 12/8/07

All verses NASB or NKJV

A Life Less Ordinary

"The whole world is your oyster"... Webster has an interesting definition for an oyster as "something that is or can be readily made to serve one's personal ends". Oysters produce pearls, objects of great value. Once you have the oyster, it gives up the pearl without much of a fight. Getting the pearl requires that the oyster be opened and despite the hardness of its shell, they can be opened with ease. So then, what are your pearls?

The Command

As Christians, the whole world is a mission field, for the fields are "already white for harvest"! What the world needs is more laborers for His harvest. We are called to be His witnesses and preach the good news to the "end of the age" (Matt. 28:20), to the "end of the earth" (Acts 1:8), so that "His way may be known on earth and His salvation among all nations"(Ps. 67)!! We hold within us something much more precious and valuable than pearls, we have the true, living, breathing Word of God!

John 4: 34-35: "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work... Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"

Luke 10:2: "Then He said to them, 'The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Romans 10:12-14: "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Joel 2:32). How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?"

William Carey, the "Father of modern missions" proclaimed in one of his sermons to, "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God". Hudson Taylor has said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed". Don Rogers, founder of ELI in Africa has also said "We cannot change the whole world, but we can change the world for one person". This reminds me of what Hudson Taylor has also often said, "If I had 1,000 lives, I'd give them all for China". I can definitely relate to these fellow missionaries in every one of their quotes and if I had 1,000 lives, I know where they'd go!!

A Change of Scenery

"But He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent" (Luke 4:43).

Oh how often God leads us in life through the doors He closes- He leads by hindrance sometimes more than by the open gate. I think of all the times He lead Paul on his missionary journey by closing doors along the way (Acts 16:6-10). It is these closed doors that demand our greatest obedience at times as well as test our faith, trust, and patience. His timing is everything! "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccl. 3:11). "He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. See I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it" (Rev. 3:7b-8a). Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Sometimes we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us".

I have learned so much these past three years through the "closed doors" in my life and on my journey. It has been through this time, these trials, that I have had many lessons in obedience, trust, and patience. There is something so very humbling about having a deep seated desire in wanting to serve and feeling called to something and somewhere, yet God in His sovereignty calls you to "stay" and be filled by Him. When our entire lives get shaken and turned upside down, the only thing you can hold onto is the One, true constant in your life. For He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8) and He is the one who goes with you for He never leaves nor forsakes (Deut. 31:6). It has been through this time and season of "staying" and being filled by Him, that I've encountered the humble lesson of being used in ways and in places I never thought I would or could. I have seen firsthand that everywhere is a mission field and sometimes the people that need us most are the people right in front of us, depending on the season. At times I felt like this previous winter season would never pass, however I am forever grateful for all the invaluable lessons I have learned. God holds all of life in balance and for "everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1). True obedience to the Father as a believer is not always easy, but it never returns void. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!" (Ps. 30:5). Ministries and mission opportunities have gone on without me... years ago, I never thought I'd be where or who I am today. I guess that's what God does with habitual planners like me! I never thought that if I could give 1,000 lives for a place and people that God set in my heart, that He would call me to use this 1 short life somewhere else. Yet, experience and the stories of many other missionaries who have gone before could be witness of the same lesson learned. I guess that's where obedience and faith come in.

In Gen. 12, the Lord says to Abram to "Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you". The Lord told Abraham to get up and go, and he went! Without question or hesitation, Abraham sets out on his journey... not even knowing where he's headed! Sometimes such bold actions can appear scary, until we remember who our Sovereign Lord is. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord" (Jer. 17:7).

He knows the plans He has for all of us and they are good (Jer. 29:11)! In reflection, hindsight is always clearer. As God prepares me for what's to come, I look back on all that He has done and taught me these past few years and realize I wouldn't want to be without any of those lessons now. As difficult as the time was, I am beginning to see what God was doing in the midst of it all this whole time. I thought I'd be further along on this journey of mine... with a different definition and outlook these days I realize in some ways that I am strides ahead... in other ways it has only just begun. As I embark on this road that God is setting before me, it looks different than expected, and through God closing doors, it's headed somewhere different than expected... nevertheless... Safari Yangu continues on!!

A greater calling

The creation and the calling...

The creation of woman was not an afterthought. Man was designed and created with her coming creation planned and assured.

"It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." -Gen. 2:18

Helper does not imply inferiority (Gen. 1:27); it describes function rather than worth. God identified Himself as a "helper" (Heb. 'ezer) to Israel (Ex. 18:4; Deut. 33:7). No one loses value in humbly assuming the role of helper. As a "helper" to the man, the woman became his partner spiritually in the overwhelming task of obedience to God and dominion over the earth. She was a vital part in "filling the earth" (Gen. 1:28). The woman, as ultimate friend to the man, would bring him comfort and fellowship (Gen. 2:23,24). No one else could encourage and inspire him as she was created to do (Gen. 2:20). The phrase "comparable to him" (Heb. kenegdo) occurs only in Gen. 2:18 & 20, emphasizing the commonality of the man and the woman. "Designed as the perfect counterpart for the man, the woman was neither inferior nor superior, but she was alike and equal to the man in her personhood while different and unique in her function."

Woman and man were both created in God's image (Gen. 1:27)- woman corresponds perfectly to the man, the same flesh and blood, and in "the image of God", equal to him in every way. By the creative act itself, she is inseparably linked to the man (Gen. 2: 21-23). From this act by God, the unity of the race is assured (Gen 1:27-28), woman's dignity and worth is affirmed (Gen. 2:18, 20, 22), and the foundation for Christian marriage is set forth (Gen 2:24).

Knowing and understanding where we came from, what we are designed for, and where our worth really lies as women helps us to understand, learn, and embrace our greater calling as the women God formed us to be. The key to this "greater calling" in life is found in the key verse: "I will make him a helper..." for "it is not good that man should be alone"(Gen. 2:18), "for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him" (NKJV, or "suitable" or "fit for him" in NASB & ESV respectively).

Following is the story of a woman who embraced this greater calling in life- dedicating her life to being her husband's helper in his calling and ministry, laying aside her first love and calling- missions in China. She laid aside being a full time missionary in China, something she had desired from a young age, to fulfill her God made calling as her husband's helper, friend, encourager, cheerleader, and trusted confidant. She exemplified how a Christian woman can be both strong and independent, yet gentle, quiet and submissive. What a truly beautiful calling that is, fulfilling your biblical role laid out at the beginning of creation... what a true blessing it would be to have the same words spoken of us one day. "We were called by God as a team"- Billy Graham

1 Cor. 11:9-12: "Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man... nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord... all things are from God."

Prov. 18:22: "He who finds a good wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord".

Ruth Graham's biography

"Ruth Bell was born in China, the daughter of medical missionaries. As a young girl there in the small hospital compound, Ruth first sensed the great calling to abandon all for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her childhood was spent on China’s mission field surrounded by disease, despair, and the eventual disorder and chaos of civil wars. The suffering she observed only strengthened in her the conviction of mankind’s need for the Savior. Until her early adult years, she dreamed of serving as a single missionary in a far corner of the world—the mountainous nation of Tibet. Under terrible homesickness during boarding school, Ruth learned to overcome the loneliness of being far from loved ones by taking care of the needs of others. She went to the United States at the age of 17 to attend Wheaton College. Shortly after her arrival on campus, she was introduced to “Preacher,” the nickname other students gave the strapping Billy Graham. The couple began courting, and so also began a struggle in Ruth between what she thought was her calling to the mission field and her blossoming love for the driven young evangelist. In late April 1941 after much struggling in prayer, Ruth realized her life’s mission was to be bound up in Billy’s passion for evangelism. They were married in August 1943, following graduation.

Ruth’s ministry flourished in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she built the family homestead and raised five children-sometimes single-handedly while her husband was away. Ruth treasured her role as the strong woman behind “America’s Pastor” and was Billy’s closest confidant, most trusted advisor, and dearest friend. She loved to move behind the scenes, away from the spotlight, and helped him craft and research sermons and even books.

“My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn’t for my mother,” son Franklin said. “She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn’t right or heard something that she felt wasn’t as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life, and she was that to my father.”

“I don’t believe Mother has adequately been recognized and honored for what she had done; because, without her, Daddy’s ministry would not have been possible,” said Ruth Graham, regarding her mother’s influence and partnership in her father’s ministry.

“How does one live with one of the world’s most famous men?” daughter Ruth continued. “God began training my mother for this position years ago in China. Her parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character, and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself—dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile.

“Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances,” the younger Ruth concluded. “She was a lovely, beautiful, and wise woman, because early in life she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant, and her vision.”

Ruth Bell Graham was always a vital part of Mr. Graham’s evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have a burden for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People’s Republic of China.

"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” Mr. Graham continued. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Bedridden or wheelchair-bound since the late 1990s, Mrs. Graham wasn’t able to accompany her husband during his last few years of ministry, but was always a continued source of inspiration and support for him through her prayers and wise biblical counsel."

"There never would have been a Billy Graham, if it weren't for Ruth Graham"- Ned Graham

“As I grew older I realized that my parent’s love for one another was deeper than just the look in their eyes each time one of them came into the room. Their love was based on more than their physical and emotional attraction. It was based on solid, uncompromising commitment—first to Jesus Christ, second to the institution of marriage, and then commitment to each other.” -Gigi Graham Tchividjian, daughter

“My mother taught me by her example that Jesus is everything. He was the wellspring of her love and joy and peace that overflowed into our home. His presence was enough to ease the pain of her loneliness without Daddy. His power was enough to get her through the day, for all practical purposes, as a single parent. I have no doubt that the reason I love Jesus and I love my Bible is because she did… she planted those seeds in my heart long ago.” (Anne Graham Lotz, daughter)

"The heart of her husband safely trusts her... She does him good, not evil, all the days of her life... Her husband is respected at the city gate... She watches over the ways of her household... her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also and he praises her: ...'Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." -Proverbs 31: 11a, 12,27a, 28, 30

References:

NKJV Women's study bible

Biography: http://www.billygraham.org/specialsections/rbg/rbg_default.asp

http://www.marriagemissions.com/ruth-graham-%E2%80%93-finishing-well-marriage-message-309/

His way

No desire will ever be placed in you by the Holy Spirit unless He intends to fulfill it. So let your faith rise up and soar away to claim all the land you can discover. S.A. Keen

His Way

"God sent me on when I would stay

('Twas cool within the wood);

I did not know the reason why.

I heard a boulder crashing by

'Cross the path where I had stood.

He had me stay when I would go;

'Your will be done I said,' I said.

They found one day at early dawn,

Across the way I would have gone,

A serpent with a mangled head.

I ask no more the reason why,

although I may not see

the path ahead, His way I go;

For though I know not, He does know,

And He will choose safe paths for me."

-author unknown

"I laid it down in silence,

this work of mine,

and took what had been sent me-

a resting time.

The Master's voice had called me

to rest apart;

'Apart with Jesus only,'

echoed my heart.

I took the rest and stillness

from His own hand,

and felt this present illness

was what He planned.

When He says 'Rest'-

our ways are blind and crooked;

His way is best.

Work He Himself has given,

He will complete.

There may be other errands

for tired feet;

there may be other duties

for tired hands,

the present, is obedience

to His commands.

There is a blessed resting

in lying still,

In letting His hand mold us,

just as He will.

His work must be completed.

His lesson set;

He is the Master Workman:

Do not forget!

It is not only 'working'.

We must be trained

And Jesus 'learned' obedience,

through suffering gained.

For us, His yoke is easy,

His burden light.

His discipline most needful,

And all is right.

We are to be His servants;

We never choose

if this tool or if that one

our hands will use.

In working or in waiting

may we fulfill

not ours at all, but only

the Master's will!"

-author unknown

Streams in the Desert

Studies through Isaiah 41 & 43

Love this song so much. We have such an amazing, loving, merciful, gracious, sovereign Lord and Savior who is always there for us! I really could go on and on with all the adjectives, but I'll leave it at that seeing as how no words could possibly ever be an adequate description. I will simply refer to His beautiful promises in His Word that we can rest in, a peace only He can give that is beyond understanding! How amazing it is that we can "fear not" because the LORD, our Savior holds our hand through every thing!! I love it!!

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Is. 43:1-3)

"Fear not, for I am with you" (Is. 43:5)

"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... For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you." (Is. 41:10,13)