1-30-12
Stranger in a Foreign Land
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11: 8-10
There gets to be a point along the World Race where you realize you never are home. You know what countries you are going to, but you never really know the locations, living conditions or what the ministry will be like until you get there. It starts to not matter so much anymore. You start to realize to just trust God that he has called you to where you are going & that is enough. Traveling to different lands starts to become the norm. Although you are a stranger in a foreign land, you start to adapt to where you are. After a week or so of being in a place you start to assimilate to the culture. You start to look around and get used to the idea of being different than 99% of everyone around you( the other nearly 1% being your teammates, who even then are not the same as you). You start to wonder if you are at home. After all if God called me here, is this home for now? Then just as the feelings of familiarity and comfort start to seep in, change arises. Time to pack up. Time to head to the next location…you are not home yet.
I don’t know why but I feel like this was my hardest month on the World Race so far. Maybe its because it’s more than halfway over & I can sense that home isn’t that far away. I miss my family like crazy. I miss my friends like crazy. I miss what I used to know to be life. My independence is non-existent. Independence has turned into community and submission to authority. Those memories start to drift away like the canoes outside this bamboo hut along the river. I really am not the same girl. I am a woman of God now. There is no looking back. More & more every day I am becoming more of that woman of noble character.
While in Thailand last month, a great friend I made named Jessie, told me a prophesy that God already gave me a house made of fine wood that can’t be destroyed. Almost like a Cedar wood. Also that God is now is in process of furnishing it. At first I really didn’t understand what she meant. After praying & asking God…he told me that the furniture is the inheritance that he has for me, & the future plans he is preparing me for. I can’t receive all of the furnishings if I don’t continue. Although my house from the Lord has a solid foundation, there are additions being made.
My teammate Sarah preached about Abraham in Genesis and the book of Hebrews this past Sunday. Something dawned on me as she was preaching. We are all a lot like Abraham. Going to lands we know almost nothing about. Just going & obeying. Later we will receive our inheritance. The ministry we are doing is not in vain & the Lord knows each one of our hearts. By serving each month along the World Race, we are making deposits into our eternal inheritance. The city with foundations is the city God has ahead. It is a city in a land not here on Earth. It is a heavenly inheritance. So just remember that when you are doing things for the Lord, serving him, its worth it. Even in the pain, the suffering, the homesickness, the feelings of unfamiliarity, the culture shocks, the uncomfortableness, the bugs, the difficult climates, the uncertainty of what is to even come after this journey. As God’s word says; suffering produces perseverance, perseverance then develops character, and character gives us hope. My character is being molded every day to be a little bit more like Christ. He teaches me new things through the difficult circumstances. He teaches me how to have joy in all circumstances, to praise him in the midst of storms, and to continually trust that he is God and I am man. What is man to even begin to fathom who God is? His purposes are higher. His thoughts are higher. His ways are higher. He is all knowing, his love is all enduring. His love is in continual pursuit of our hearts. Just patiently waiting for us to make steps closer to him. Slow to anger. Abounding in love.
These lands & the ministry are worth the real city with foundations that can’t be shaken. He is the ultimate architect. Author, and perfecter of our faith. Builder of character. All truth lies in Him. Sometimes parts of our building need knocked off so that he can re-build them stronger. Let his storms come & knock down any part of your foundation that has been shaking. Let him rebuild your structure. Someday we will no longer be strangers in this foreign land. We will be home.
