A Little Moment of Thankfulness,
I shifted my head in bed so I could see her face. She was sound asleep and softly snoring.
Nearly five and a half years ago we sat across from each other at a wooden table at her son and daughter-in-law’s home. It was early morning. No one was up except us. I still remember the small pile of books that she had in front of her as I sat down across from her with a Bible and a journal. We sat and talked as good friends, having known each other for years and having each lost our spouses. At that point we had no idea that a few months later we would be married. We were headed to the mission field. I was going to the Philippines. She was planning to return to Ghana.
I thought about these things and His lovingkindness as I watched her sleeping tonight. How gracious for Him to place us with each other. I never thought I would do this again, but here we are. Our days are now dotted with texts from loved ones in the Philippines and calls or texts from our friends and family in the US. In less than five years we have been to a mission station in the Philippines six times, moved three times, written books and articles, made videos, and occasionally met with young and old to encourage or exhort them to follow God. We have told our story hundreds of times, made stories together on the mission field, and have sons and daughters of the heart spread across the US and the Philippines.
A teller at a bank today asked how I was. I answered her perfunctory greeting with, “I am thankful.” So, I am. Outside of His loving kindness and mercy, I deserve nothing, but Holy Spirit speaks to my heart, checks my steps, sometimes rebukes me, and draws me to pray. Even in the midst of questions about the future, and He tirelessly walks with me. Do I still have questions? I have many. Do I know how to move forward? The answer is both “yes” and “no”, but I know that One who surely knows. And, He has given me a wife to talk, pray, and walk with me as we step forward and discover answers in our latter years.
I love to speak with people about the reality of knowing Jesus Christ because He has been so real. He was real in the past as I walked, and He is even more real today. Shouldn’t this be the case? I love more deeply today than I did in the past. Shouldn’t this be the case if we grow in our relationship with the living God?
We often ask young people, “Do you know His voice? Are you aware of His love and peace? Are you aware of the freedom that comes with the forgiveness of your sin?” Granted, when we were young we did not know Him like we do today, but we still knew something of His moving in our young lives. Now much older, we can more surely testify of His loving kindness and how it grows as we walk with Him.
Then there are moments like tonight, as I consider what He has done as my Lovely lays quietly asleep beside me. Other moments happen, too, like the one with the bank teller, or the young person in the Philippines, or a stranger asking for money at Lowes, or the distress of a loved one when we become aware that God is doing something. It has happened many times and in many places. He is the Master at interjecting Himself into circumstances if a person has a mind and heart to hear.
I am thankful.
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