Some Thoughts

These aren't my thoughts. They belong to others - those far wiser than I with better written communication skills.

I've been pondering these this week. I hope they challenge you, as well.

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" (David Livingstone)

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"The love for equals is a human thing. The love of a friend for a friend, a brother for a brother - it is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles.

"The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing - the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. this is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world.

"The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing - to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints.

"And then there is the love for the enemy - love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer. This is God's love. It conquers the world." (Buechner)

Faithful and True

I absolutely love the hymn that I am using as the theme for this post (confession: I'd love it more if somebody gave it a new tune). I have been in awe of God's faithfulness over the past 15 months. I feel compelled to write this so that I don't forget that through every trial He has been there, the rider on the white horse, Faithful and True. He has met every need at just the right time, not a single minute late.

Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord Who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after the rain.

The past few months have brought sorrow, but lately I have been, to borrow from CS Lewis, surprised by joy. Moments of brightness, of unexpected reasons to celebrate. From a good conversations with an old friend, to making new friends who share your passion for Jesus and orphans, there have been many days this summer when I have paused to marvel at how much I am loved...

In holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new;
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.

Tomorrow can bring us nothing, but He will bear us through:
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too:
Beneath the spreading heavens no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.

I have been particularly amazed by the way God has provided for me the past few months. Because of the economy and budget cuts, my assistantship position was dissolved for this year and I am going to graduate with more debt than I had originally planned. Not the end of the world, but still frustrating. This is going to be a very lean and difficult year, and yet I can smile because I know that it only is one year and then I will have a job that gives me enough money that I can go see a movie once in a blue moon without feeling guilty about it. This summer I accepted a part-time nanny position that was going to provide me with just enough money to live on. I was very concerned when I discovered that I was going to be working far less than I'd anticipated. But God came through. Another family asked me to be their backup nanny and then their real nanny quit unexpectedly. So while I wasn't at my "real job", I was still working and made just enough to live on. That family moved last Monday, and I was very worried about how I would make it through August financially. I shouldn't have worried. The very next day, I got a phone call from the original family. They're going to need me a lot more in these next few weeks. I was shocked. I guess I shouldn't have been. God knew exactly what I needed and provided it - no more, but certainly not less - because He's cool like that.

Though vine nor fig tree neither their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the fields should wither, nor flocks or herds be there
Yet, God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice;
For, while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.