This morning our hearts are so full from a wonderful weekend with our friends and incredible times in God's presence in our church services yesterday. Mel and Jillian are our friends from college whom we have not seen in eight years! Saturday our kids met each other, and were instant friends! It was so much fun watching them play together. They really hit it off. On Sunday Mel and Jillian shared their hearts for Bangladesh in our Life Foundations (aka. Sunday School) class. Their passion was contagious, and every heart in that room was touched. Jillian will be able to share tonight in our women's bible study, and they will be attending our youth service on Wednesday night as well. Needless to say, this is a very special week for us!
This morning I was reflecting on all these wonderful events, and the Lord brought to my mind the verse in Psalm 119:19. This is what it says:
I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
I really think about that word stranger. Sometimes it is so easy to forget that this time on this planet we call earth is not it for us! Our home is in heaven with our Savior. I admire the passion in missionaries who will give up everything an American grows up to desire for the sake of the Kingdom. For almost a year now, Mel and Jillian have LIVED on the road.... with a 2 and 4 year old! Some people would call it foolish, some would call it crazy, but I see a true understanding in them that they are only strangers on this earth. The only fulfillment we have in life is in our obedience to God. That's it. If God calls us to a Muslim country where Christianity is less than 1%, then that is the only place of fulfillment for us. And might I add that those sweet toddlers of theirs are some of the happiest, most well-adjusted toddlers I've ever met. They are amazing kids. You know what I think makes them happy and amazing? Their parents are absolutely fulfilled in life, because they walk in absolute obedience. It's not about their parenting strategies, it's about the Jesus in them.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that this world is not my home. I have to remind myself when I begin to get too attached to temporary things. I especially have to remind myself when those feelings of despair threaten to encroach upon my mind and heart. Maybe our feelings of failure at life sometimes comes from our lack of recognition that what we're going through in this present moment is only temporary. We're not thinking of the promises of His Kingdom to reign forever and ever. So, let me challenge you today to ask God to reorient your thinking to an eternal perspective. A Kingdom perspective. Ask God to show you a hurting person today, and give them this hope that we have.
Josh and I love our friends and family who are reading our blog. Thanks for being there for us! We are so excited that those of you whom we've never met are reading as well. Maybe one day our paths will cross. It's off to Sci-Port today for Jillian and I with our kids, so I better go cook some breakfast! May you have a truly blessed and fulfilled Monday!
~Josh and Jill
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