Bethesda

Do you ever have moments where you know God is using others to speak directly to you?  It's been happening a lot to me and I've really tried to let all of His words seep into my soul.  I've been in tears numerous times at church over the last few weeks because that is where He has been grabbing ahold of me.  Our pastors have been focusing on Jesus' encounters with individuals in the gospel of John.  I've sat in the front row taking notes, barely able to keep up with the words that are coming from the lips of our pastors.

One Sunday in January one of our pastors talked about Jesus healing a man by Bethesda.  The man was crippled and had been by this pool for 38 years.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed.  The man came up with all the reasons why he had never been healed.  He had excuses.  It would have been easier for Jesus to pass on by Bethesda and not stop.  But, He did stop.  And, he healed the man.

The question presented was, "Where do we have to go?"  For Jesus, His calling was to heal and restore people.  God is also inviting us in to do His work.  Will we follow Him if it's hard or will we sit back and watch from afar.  We are told by society to avoid people who make us uncomfortable.  We want things to be easy.

What does it look like to be healed by Jesus?  Often it will involve us going somewhere you never imagined going, loving someone you never imagined loving.  And, that is when I felt God speaking to me.  You see, as the time approaches for us to leave for South Africa, I let the worry, fear, and doubt creep in.  How in the world do I leave my four children here for six weeks?  I'm crying as I'm typing those words because I just can't.  I can't envision what those six weeks will look like for all of us.  But, this is what God asked of us, of our family.  And, we said yes together.

Does that make things any easier?  No.  So, as I sit here and struggle through the worry, doubt, and fear, I remind myself often that God is in this.  This is His story and I'm honored to be a part of it, no matter how difficult it may be.

We ask for your continued prayers as we anxiously await a phone call that tells us it's time to go.  Pray that it is soon so I can make it home in time for Taylor's graduation (and maybe even see her go to prom!).  Pray for me.  As a mom it's hard to have my heart in two different places.  It's hard to say goodbye for such a long time, while anxiously awaiting saying hello to my newest daughter.  Pray for our daughter in South Africa.  May her own worries and fears by calmed.

Thank you for your continued love and support!  It means the world to our family.