I am reading through the book of Daniel these days. I love reading about the men and women that I consider heroes of our faith. We read about their stories because they chose to believe. They chose to have faith in the face of extreme adversity.
For those of you that follow this blog regularly, my lack of blogging can be directly related to the pace of our lives. I have found myself running in multiple directions with everything at Hope Church, my new job at Caribou Coffee and the madness of the holidays in the mix. I can honestly say that the adjustment to working an outside job hasn’t been as seamless as I would have hoped. I find myself trying to make it all fit (family, ministry, Caribou, etc). However, I know that God has called me to this season of life. It is all a part of the story he is writing through our lives. But it isn’t easy.
Here is another honest update as to where we are with our fundraising. We have hit the point that absolute faith is all we can lean on right now. Our final guaranteed paycheck will come on January 1st. Our benefits will be covered so long as our monthly support comes in for the month. Beyond that, we have no guarantees. I told Dara the other day that it is almost like the tight rope got tighter and the safety net got taken away.
That being said, I have never believed more than I do today. I feel stress. I feel fear. But those emotions are natural considering I am also human. When I pray, I feel peace that can only be found in Philippians 4:6-9. It doesn’t make sense. I go through moments that I want to totally freak out, but then I feel this peace that makes no sense whatsoever.
My faith is high. I find strength from reading stories about men and women of faith that would not buckle under the pressure. Daniel was this type of man. God always provides. I am willing to do whatever he calls me to do, and this is my calling:
Love God. Believe in him and his promise.
Be a great husband and father.
Stay faithful to the call to Hope Church.
Be a positive team member at Caribou and make really good espresso drinks.
These are the things God has called me to do. I can control all of these things. The rest of the story is in his hands. I will be re-sending out support letters to everyone I can think of in the next week. I will continue to do everything I know to do. I have learned, however, that by letting go and letting God provide, I can live in peace and joy even in the face of extreme adversity.
I simply believe. I can’t wait to share with you how he provides.
