I am very much missing our African kids and grandkids today.
It is their littlest guy's birthday, and I wish I could be there in person to wish him a “Happy Birthday”, or at the least be able to send him (and the
others) gifts that they could open on their special day. Alas!! Sending gifts
to Africa is NOT an easy process! It costs a lot of money to ship things, and I
would much rather put money toward the gift and not the cost to send it, you are never sure if the package will make
it, and then the recipients get to pay an added cost just to pick up the gift. Today
I am very thankful for Kindle books and games. Yeah for Amazon. Sending packages is one thing, but I think
what I miss the most is being able to touch them and feel the fierce hugs that
they give their grandma. One of the grandkids is the BEST hugger ever. You know
who you are M.
I know that there are many other parents and grandparents
out there with kids that live far away. You understand how most days are so
busy, and life goes on, and then there are days like today when I
reeeeaaaalllly miss them. In this sadness (and I admit in feeling a little
sorry for myself) I have a Father who surrounds me with His presence and
comfort. I know that He is the one who called them to far-away places, and I am
so grateful that I know He is with them each and every day. Those nights when I
wake up with a start with an urgency to pray for my kids and grandkids, I know
He is in control and will protect and watch over them when I have no idea what
may or may not be going on in their lives at that moment.
This morning I was listening to Pricilla Shirer describe a
graphic picture that a friend of her did. It was an image of a girl standing in
water with her hands outstretched in worship. It’s a huge picture and hangs in
a lobby of a large ministry that has many, many people who have contributed
monetarily and/or are prayer partners. She used the pictures of these contributors
in the painting. If you could step in and take a really close
look, you would see that each pixel was actually a picture of one of the
ministry partners. From a far-away
perspective it just looks like a great big picture, but when you get up close
you realize there are actual faces in there. Pricilla reminded us that
sometimes we stand back and look at the grand scope of our lives and see all
the disappointments, the hurts, the discouragement, the things that hit us that
we didn’t expect, etc. But if we change
our perspective and get up close we can see that the face of God really is in
the details of our life. Even in those times when in the big picture we think
that God has somehow gotten lost, HE IS STILL THERE, in fact He has been there
all along!!! Thank you Lord. You are in this. You are in every detail of my
life, and my kids and grandkids lives. Thank You for reminding me of this today.
So thankful!!
Joshua 1:9 ESV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 ESV Yours, O Lord, is the greatness
and the poser and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in
the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you
are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you
rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make
great and to give strength to all.
