Today is July 9th. As things stand we will leave for France in less than 6 months. This has been such an interesting year of emotions. Sheer excitement that our hopes and plans for overseas work is becoming reality, deep sorrow over the short time left living in a town we love close to family and friends we cherish, uncertainty over all of the details involved with moving our family to another continent (and then doing it all again a year later), eagerness to use our remaining time in the States well – for His glory and for the eternal good of those we are in contact with here. Ultimately though I think we have experienced a peace beyond explanation amidst all those emotions as well as an ever-growing closeness to the Lord as we learn more and more what it means to surrender all to Him and trust His leading.
In particular I feel He has been giving me such encouragement through my quiet times with Him in His Word, reminding me of how infinitely good He is and how incredibly worthy He is of anything I would perceive as sacrifice in pursuit of His call on my life. May you be encouraged today to press hard after Him – He is worth everything!
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Philippians 3:7-14 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
-Selina