Truth Be Told
My great-aunt Ines, who was a missionary in Nigeria for 28 years, had a saying: "Things are happening around here."
This wasn't her most famous saying. I'll get to that one in a bit. The "things are happening around here" was something she said in the final years of her life when she suspected that her cleaning-lady was stealing tuna cans from her pantry or when she felt that the nurses in her nursing home were conspiring against her.
But it's true around our place nonetheless. Things are happening around here...and it's nothing to do with tuna.
Here's what is happening:
1. Support!!
Look at the "before" photo of our snake and the current-up-to-the-minute snake!! Praising the Lord on this big answer to prayer!
I posted this photo on June 4th. No coloured stripes.
And then this is today - 81%, baby! It is the abundant provision of God through people like you that has allowed this to happen!
2. House Rental!!
Our renter is coming to sign a lease agreement on Thursday! This is an AWESOME answer to prayer so thank you, thank you for praying about this and praise God along with us for how He made this all happen!! The whole story is pretty incredible but I can't share it on social media, but trust me, it's a doozy.
3. Sadness.
Yesterday at our church, we commissioned a fantastic couple to go to Haiti for a 2 year term, serving as missionaries there. It was an amazing service. But it was a bit too familiar, if you know what I mean. The saying goodbye, the tears, the hugs, the emotions....
It all came back to me. I know it all came back to my sister!
And for some reason, though I was extremely tired, I woke up at 4:30 this morning and laid in bed, trying to get back to sleep. I got thinking about us leaving and in the leaving, the actual leaving behind of our son, Ethan. And I'd like to make the excuse that I was just plain tired but the tears started flowing and I cried (the ugly kind), thinking of having to leave him behind, even though we're entrusting him to the best and most capable family and friends and church but still... leaving him and knowing that, well, we're leaving him. Get what I'm saying?
This is hard. This is the hardest, I think. And I don't like it.
And I thought of my great-aunt Ines' most famous saying that gets repeated amongst family members even though she herself is heaven....
I have to accept that we will be leaving Ethan and that it will be hard and that I will cry (and cry, and cry) when the goodbyes are said and I will accept that he is being left in the best and most capable hands and that God is sovereign and in control and that sacrifice is not easy/fun/simple and that missionaries, since the beginning of time, have given up loved ones to the Lord, leaving them in His care and that somehow, some way....
I'm typing it small because I'm not quite ready to shout it from the housetop. I'm saying it, in faith, in hope, and more like a prayer and plea than a statement.
It will be worth it. It just will. I laid in my bed early this morning and claimed verses where God declares His faithfulness to His children and verses where He proclaims His love for us and verses where He states that He is sovereign, that I can trust Him. And I thought about verses that promise His comfort and His peace and His grace. (which is a lot of verses...)
And the tears dried up (eventually) and the peace flowed in and I am not saying that all is perfect and I won't be sad and this won't be the worst ever, cause likely that will be how it feels. But I know, I just KNOW, that though it will be hard, YOU will pray for us. You will carry us and share our sadness and pray us through it. That's your end of the deal, okay? And through your prayers, God will answer and He will comfort us - and Ethan. This is just one of the ways you partner with us - how you pray us through it all - how you share in the work in Mango.
Deal?
Done. (I can sense your firm handshake in the matter.)
And so, I leave you with one other option, if prayer isn't your thing (maybe cash and chocolate is?? we still have 19% to go!)
This wasn't her most famous saying. I'll get to that one in a bit. The "things are happening around here" was something she said in the final years of her life when she suspected that her cleaning-lady was stealing tuna cans from her pantry or when she felt that the nurses in her nursing home were conspiring against her.
But it's true around our place nonetheless. Things are happening around here...and it's nothing to do with tuna.
Here's what is happening:
1. Support!!
Look at the "before" photo of our snake and the current-up-to-the-minute snake!! Praising the Lord on this big answer to prayer!
I posted this photo on June 4th. No coloured stripes.
2. House Rental!!
Our renter is coming to sign a lease agreement on Thursday! This is an AWESOME answer to prayer so thank you, thank you for praying about this and praise God along with us for how He made this all happen!! The whole story is pretty incredible but I can't share it on social media, but trust me, it's a doozy.
3. Sadness.
Yesterday at our church, we commissioned a fantastic couple to go to Haiti for a 2 year term, serving as missionaries there. It was an amazing service. But it was a bit too familiar, if you know what I mean. The saying goodbye, the tears, the hugs, the emotions....
It all came back to me. I know it all came back to my sister!
And for some reason, though I was extremely tired, I woke up at 4:30 this morning and laid in bed, trying to get back to sleep. I got thinking about us leaving and in the leaving, the actual leaving behind of our son, Ethan. And I'd like to make the excuse that I was just plain tired but the tears started flowing and I cried (the ugly kind), thinking of having to leave him behind, even though we're entrusting him to the best and most capable family and friends and church but still... leaving him and knowing that, well, we're leaving him. Get what I'm saying?
This is hard. This is the hardest, I think. And I don't like it.
And I thought of my great-aunt Ines' most famous saying that gets repeated amongst family members even though she herself is heaven....
"In acceptance lies peace."
I have to accept that we will be leaving Ethan and that it will be hard and that I will cry (and cry, and cry) when the goodbyes are said and I will accept that he is being left in the best and most capable hands and that God is sovereign and in control and that sacrifice is not easy/fun/simple and that missionaries, since the beginning of time, have given up loved ones to the Lord, leaving them in His care and that somehow, some way....
it will be worth it.
I'm typing it small because I'm not quite ready to shout it from the housetop. I'm saying it, in faith, in hope, and more like a prayer and plea than a statement.
It will be worth it. It just will. I laid in my bed early this morning and claimed verses where God declares His faithfulness to His children and verses where He proclaims His love for us and verses where He states that He is sovereign, that I can trust Him. And I thought about verses that promise His comfort and His peace and His grace. (which is a lot of verses...)
And the tears dried up (eventually) and the peace flowed in and I am not saying that all is perfect and I won't be sad and this won't be the worst ever, cause likely that will be how it feels. But I know, I just KNOW, that though it will be hard, YOU will pray for us. You will carry us and share our sadness and pray us through it. That's your end of the deal, okay? And through your prayers, God will answer and He will comfort us - and Ethan. This is just one of the ways you partner with us - how you pray us through it all - how you share in the work in Mango.
Deal?
Done. (I can sense your firm handshake in the matter.)
And so, I leave you with one other option, if prayer isn't your thing (maybe cash and chocolate is?? we still have 19% to go!)
It's a done deal. Actually, I will just continue praying only with a special emphasis on the parting. A Quote from Amy Carmichael: "Jesus has two nail-pierced hands. He lays one upon each and parts us so..HE does the parting." Blessings on you all.
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