Equipping

I had a good friend remind me this week that, "God does not call the equipped, but equips the called."

I had heard that saying before, but it really helped me this week.

Satan has been on the attack. We have been fighting emotional, spiritual, and even physical battles this month. Reference forms have been lost in the mail...TWICE, some friends with good intentions have allowed Satan to use them to hit us where it hurts, and this month two different missionaries have had horrible accidents. One was a brother to a missionary in Italy*, in a horrible car accident; and the other was a missionary** (in Taipei) himself hit by a car. Both remain in a coma and both have been bathed in prayer by me (and our family). (*Update: the brother is still in a coma - over 30 days after the accident, please continue prayers) ((**UPDATE: the missionary from Taipei is currently recovering at a private home in that country...praise God.))

In the midst of all of this heartache, I have had God poking me to keep my eyes on him.

One friend told me that when interviewed by our sending party, as part of our reference requests, she told them, "If I were smart, I would say such bad things about Michele. But I have nothing bad to say." This warmed my heart to know that we will be missed so much. Another friend gave me the opening quote, while we were in a deep discussion about the Spiritual battle being waged over our departure.

I really needed that because another friend, wanting to be helpful, told us that we weren't ready to go to the mission field. We weren't smart enough, educated enough, diligent enough, relational enough, determined enough...well I could go on and on, but you get the picture. We weren't "enough" in his eyes. Boy did that sting!

So, we did some self-evaluating. And in OUR human eyes he may have been right. But when you get to praying, you evaluate in GOD'S EYES. Is God wrong to ask us to go?? Is God making a mistake?? That sure is a "dumb" question, because GOD IS NEVER WRONG, or confused!!

"Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God...and all of these things shall be added unto you." That is exactly what we are doing....and exactly what God is and will be doing.

We are privileged to be so ignorant. BECAUSE when God shines through us, it will shine that much brighter!!

Amen

Dying to self...

I'm not normally a procrastinator. When I start things, I like to get it done quick. There are exceptions, Tom can tell you some, but for the most part, I want it done now.

However, this month has been my procrastination month. We have an entire garage full of totes. Totes of toys, clothes, crafts, Christmas decorations, and some that I don't even know what is in them, line the entire floor - stacked to the ceiling of our garage. They all need to be sorted and disposed of. Not thrown away, just given away, or packed for storage. After WEEKS of reving myself up, I've went through two lonely totes. And only threw 5 shirts into the "get rid of" box.

I'm not a fashion diva. None of my clothes are name brand, with the exception of those that were given to me by friends. BUT, I have dozens of T-shirts that I can't seem to part with. Each shirt was a "freebie", but priceless to me.

I have half a dozen "Flying Pig Marathon" shirts from prior choir trips. Dozens of Middle School Camp shirts. I have a "I'm a Prayer Walker" shirt. Each one tells a story. Each one holds a memory of some big GOD ADVENTURE! I just can't make myself go through and dispose of them.

And that is just the two lonely totes...What will I find in the other dozens of totes? School papers? First Christmas toys for the girls? A wedding memento from 18 years ago?

But Jesus is calling us to another God Adventure! One in which we have to put off our old self. One in which we have to die to our longing to keep all of this STUFF. One in which we will carry with us in three 40 pound suitcases, and head across the ocean.

Hmmmm, remind you of the Israelites?? It does me!

We are FREE. We once were lost, slaves, hopeless, and dead. But now we are alive again in Christ.

Please pray for our family over the next several months as we die a bit each day, getting rid of all of our mementos. We are planning on keeping NOTHING (maybe just a tote or two). We need to shed this extra weight, so we can have a light spring in our step and prepare to cross that sea to our new homeland...