Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thankful for His Faithfulness

This has been a busy week so far! Saturday we watched the kids while E and R went Christmas shopping. M wasn’t feeling well, so it was a little more difficult than usual, and I was pretty pooped by the end of the day! When we got back to M and L’s, they had invited some other friends over for dinner—people we hadn’t seen in about five years. It was wonderful to reconnect and catch up. They do pre-marriage and marriage counseling at their church, so we were able to share and discuss similar ministry experiences.

Sunday we went to church to celebrate a friend’s brother’s baptism. It was so awesome! Watching his progress from “searching” to “finding” to “proclaiming” his faith was wonderful. I know the Lord has amazing plans for that young man. The worship time was great, and baptisms always move me deeply. It was also a joy to see everyone at church again and reconnect.

Afterward, we went to K and S’s for a Thanksgiving feast and wonderful fellowship. H and N were there too, and we were so excited to see them since they haven’t been able to make it to the Acts Bible study the last couple of times. They mentioned wanting to open their home for a Bible study and asked if we’d be interested in joining them. I think that would be awesome! We’ll pray that the Lord leads and directs this new endeavor.

Later we went to R and E’s and hung out with the family. They got a Wii game unit for Christmas (a little early!), so we’ve been having fun playing with it with the kids.

Yesterday I helped H paint her laundry room. It was challenging since the room was so small and crowded with the washer and dryer, making it hard to maneuver around everything. Even though it was a small space, we still didn’t finish. One more coat is needed, but we’ll have to wait until she gets back from her trip to California for the holiday.

That evening I met with my friends and former co-workers for dinner—our quarterly get-together to catch up. I shared with them an experience I had when we first moved in with M and L. I remember feeling uncomfortable since they live so close to others we know—one person in particular. One day I even avoided her when I saw her, surprised by my own feelings. I realized I felt shame and embarrassment over what she might think of me and our circumstances, which is unusual for me since I’m normally unashamed and open about where God has us.

As I talked it out with my friends, I came to understand that what I was really feeling was the result of being hurt and betrayed. I had shared our situation with this person, and she responded with encouragement and prayer support—or so I thought. But when Tom and I later met with the pastor, his reaction showed me she had said something different to him. That discovery hurt and disappointed me. I thought our friendship was strong enough for honesty. But now that I’ve identified what was going on, I can forgive her, face her with confidence, and not carry shame or embarrassment. Thank You, Jesus, for helping me work this out!

Today I’ll cook for G and F, and later we’re meeting with another couple to talk about a group they feel God leading them to start. I want to see if the Lord might be inviting us to join, so I look forward to hearing more about where He’s leading them.

We start house-sitting for T on Wednesday, so we’ll spend the night there and then come back over here to begin Thanksgiving preparations. M and L’s son will be staying home, and their oldest surprised them by driving down from Texas—he’ll be here through Thanksgiving. Not sure yet what their other son will be doing, but I’ll just make dinner and see who shows up!

Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness. I am thankful for who You are and what You have done for me. Nothing else matters—just Your love and Your sacrifice for my sins so that I can be called a child of God. My heart is so full of joy—Your joy—for the life You’ve given me. Help me, Lord, to always be thankful and to give You all the glory, honor, and praise for who I am and the life You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” —Galatians 6:14