As I am getting closer to going on the missions trip, things have not been getting any easier… and yet God has been faithful in keeping His hand on every situation; showing up in little ways showing His blessings and favor by grace during difficult times. Here are some examples:

1. Moving last weekend

With my already busy working schedule, it was a little bit stressful finding time to pack everything. But somehow I was able to do it within that same week.

Also, Jesus provided a truck to move everything so it didn’t take very long and it only took two people – a brother in the Lord and myself. Though it was 105 degrees outside, by God’s grace it felt not even close to that and I was able to load the first half by myself within maybe 20 minutes or less. Then brother helped me unload and get the 2nd half moved 🙂

Out of all days it ended up raining that day (even though it was 105!), but God’s timing and sovereignty with the location and movement of the clouds through out the day kept us and all the stuff dry 😀 loading and unloading.

 

2. STILL working a lot of overtime….

Though I have been working many hours over the past 3-5 months (I lost track) this past week has probably been the most difficult…

Moving last weekend was very tiring and what followed was 5 days of working about 12 hours each – which left very little time to rest, eat, and spend quality time with God. Not to mention that each day had its own complications along the way…closed roads, miscommunications, stops being up to 47 minutes apart, scary drivers, mind drifting which led to missed exits and turns, added random stops throughout the already packed day. This past week got me super tired physically, mentally, and spiritually. On top of that, something came up to where it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to go to training in August for the missions trip – which is required. As you could probably imagine, all kinds of thoughts were going though my head. Of course one of them was thinking that maybe this missions trip was never God’s will at all…or at least maybe it wasn’t the right time. I thought, “either this is a closed door, a re-direction, or a mountain/obstacle that needs to be moved” So in my tiredness, all I could say was, “Your will be done…” As I left the situation to Him, He worked it out His own way and the next day the possibility of going to training was there once again! 😀 Since then I have come across a few blessings and have been able to rest and slowly recuperate (because it’s finally Saturday and I don’t work weekends hahaha)

Seems like the verse of the week for me was this:

 

2 Corinthians 4:8-11

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

 

The other day I was listening to the radio, and the speaker was talking about continuing as a Christian even when things get tough and it would seem easy to walk away…. in all our failures, in all our stumbling, in all the difficult times and hardships, when we might have every reason in our minds to give up on God and yet we STILL believe…we STILL hold on….why?! The answer he gave was…. God’s faithfulness…. it is from God’s faithfulness in grace that we are able to still believe even when it doesn’t make sense to or seems easier not to. He also said this… “You are not strong enough to fall away from God when His resolve is to hold you…”

Maybe you are going through some really hard and difficult situations… “hard pressed on every side….perplexed…” Whether it be a spiritual hardship, physical, mental, etc… be comforted that by God’s grace you WILL get through it and STILL believe 😀 God does not wish you harm and He doesn’t kick us while we are down… He simply allows certain things to strengthen us and build our faith if we would choose to trust Him, and He helps us along the way – even if in the most tiniest ways.

Psalm 46:1

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”