06.21.2008

Hello-

I hope that this finds you well and that this past week (two weeks??) has been full of God’s blessings and opportunities for growth.
My own week seemed to blur by even though I struggled with a day-by-day feeling that I had too much time on my hands and little activity. I’m not quite sure how that happened but somehow it has. In reflection, however, I’ve been able to notice some key areas that God is stretching me… particularly in the realm of trusting Him. And though I am reflecting I am by no means beyond this wrestling, seeing where the truth prevails and where my own stubborn heart refuses to have faith and attempting to latch onto those truths of God’s provision. But today I’ve found encouragement when I wasn’t even looking or asking for it.

Two friends of mine are in similar situations financially where things are very tight. As I learned from them what was going on, I know that if I were in those situations I would be riddled with all kinds of anxiety. While I’m certain that they each have gone through this stage, they are currently in a place of trusting God’s hand in all of it. I’m not even near in the situation they are in – in fact, pretty far from it – I find myself tense about things that are largely out of my control. Hearing their stories and where they are at I cannot help but compare my own level of trust with theirs and seeing their calm despite shaky ground.

Likewise, a family member of mine was encouraging to me on Wednesday, and now even more encouraging in a very unexpected way. My step-grandfather, who I’ve always enjoyed even though we didn’t get a chance to get very close, died on Friday morning. I had a conversation with him Wednesday, and through it we talked about a surgery he needed to get scheduled; he’s been through several, and on more than one occasion we all thought that Dan was going to die. When we spoke about all his surgeries, his level of trust that God’s timing was perfect was profound to me. Dan figured that the Lord must have kept him alive to accomplish something he hadn’t done just yet, and his overall tone was that he was ready whenever God was. Now that he’s passed on those words are even more poignant and teach me a lot about patience. God’s timetable is so much grander than ours.

Interestingly enough what God had to teach me this week wasn’t first out of Scripture but out of people who carry the Holy Spirit as believers. They might as well be coming at me from Hebrews 11, a record of men and women who trusted that God would provide based on His promises, not on what they could see happening around them. How awesome is it that the Lord uses people in this way!

Who in your life can remind you of God’s promises for where you are right now? Can you think of people who are an encouragement to you—even when they aren’t specifically trying to encourage you as you go through something? Praise God for these people in our lives, whom God uses to bring His Word closer to our lives and hearts! One of the many reasons that having a Christian community surrounding us is so important… I pray that as you go into this next week, you are able to see other believers around you who – by example of their own circumstances – encourage you and point you towards our Father’s truths.

Hebrews 3:13
...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

In love and in Him, your sister,
Yvonne

06.09.2008

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Matthew 28:20 (after the great Commission)
"...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Hello!

I'm back from New Hampshire with my new husband, and ready to get back to ministry and living in Philadelphia. I'm going to miss those New England mountains though! Talk about being humbled by God's creation. Wow. At any rate, here's another way God humbled me this week:

I have never passed out before, or even came close to it; that is, I hadn't until this past weekend after getting back home. Combine some intense heat & humidity, some dehydration, plus walking up a flight of stairs and you get dangerously close to passing out. This is what I experienced with Scott just as we were about to get on our first roller coaster when visiting Six Flags. I felt dizzy and rather suddenly I couldn't see a thing - and since this has never happened to me before, I was really freaked out. Thankfully, Scott assured me many times saying, “I’m right here,” as he ushered me off of the roller coaster platform to get water and some food.

I was too busy trying to gain my bearings again to be embarrassed, though I felt bad because we were second in line to get on the coaster (which can be a big deal if you’d been waiting in line for an hour and a half). But the reason I bring the story up at all is because in retrospect it hits home to something I need to remember. For me, there are times when I feel like freaking out due to worry over money or what God is asking me to do or what the future is going to look like or am I doing a good job… etc. I worry is because I want to see what’s going to happen but I can’t. I don’t know what the future holds. This is when I need to go back to God’s promise that He is with me; He stays with those who follow Him, and He can be trusted. Scripturally, God assures us much in the same way Scott assured me: “I’m right here.” It’s true that we might not feel God’s hand with us when we’re very worried or unsure of what is happening around us. In fact, we might not even be aware of His presence at all; but He is there. There is nothing that can separate us from God (Romans 8:38,39). Because of God’s continual presence it’s a wonder that I worry at all, but just like the rest of us I have the tendency to focus on what I’m worried about way more than focusing on trusting that God is taking care of me. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, and I know we will need to remind each other of God’s presence in our lives and over our marriage; we’re not any less human together than when we were apart. Praise be to God for being so much greater than our fears or ourselves!

I pray that each of us holds onto this truth, that God is with us even when we cannot see; even when things are confusing, or we don’t know where God is calling us to go. I also pray that we make it a point to set aside time to pray during those times. The worst thing I can think of doing when I’m worried or confused is to pretend like I’m not and continue on with life. I pray for each of us that we don’t do that, but rather acknowledge that we need guidance and direction from our loving Father.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne

P.S. If anyone is wondering if my mailing address has changed since getting married, it has NOT. If you need my address, please email me to let me know!