Tonight, the children and I studied Biblical passages that talk about how we serve an invisible God.
To them, it was perfectly normal, they don't question it... The wind howled outside and Cora very matter-of-factly told her brothers, "just like that wind, we don't see it, but look at the trees! And you can hear it, just like God."
After a wonderful evening of devotions (a welcome addition to our evenings since I am not the only one around who can wash dishes and clean up from dinner...), I got the children tucked away in bed and sat down to read about Hudson Taylor.
Honestly, I would have never picked this book, but it picked me. Or rather, our invisible God chose for me to read it. Without further tangents, I will tell you how this book fell into, well, was placed into my hands:
We were flying home from San Diego, from that conference where I had received that distinct call to Biblical Counseling...
Setting: on a plane, ha.
Caleb and I had a very tight connection and when we landed, we were sitting on the runway, without a gate to pull into. Things were getting stressful.
There were a lot of people from our flight who needed to get to the connection flight we needed.
Tempers were starting to rise.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the woman behind us reaches forward with a book.
"Here" she says, handing me the book. "I heard you talking about your call from God. He wanted me to give you this book. I didn't want to because I haven't finished it yet, but here. Maybe now that I have given it to you, we can get a gate."
Sure enough, not five minutes later, we were rushing to our connection... And we all made it.
Then, life happened and I forgot about the book. In packing for our move, I came across it, and out of deep curiosity at the story behind it, I stated reading.
This book has fanned that flame of the call in my heart, but it has also reassured me that these things take time.
The story of Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, is incredible. His faith is inspiring. At one point, in one of his letters, he writes that the call was so great that he could not be stopped. The difficulties and setbacks were so minor in comparison to what God was doing inside that he pressed on, because to stop moving toward his mission would have destroyed him... The drive was so intense because of the passion God had given him! But he also had to wait on God's timing for many things...
This story.
Yes.
The call inside of me to do Kingdom work is great. But it is a call that I know includes my husband in some way.
God is doing a great work.
But I have to be patient.
This book is such inspiration to press on, to continue working toward the some-day ministry in the small ways that I can at this moment, to let God grow my faith. To learn to lean on Him and watch Him open doors...
It is exciting.
I don't know what God has in store for us, but Caleb, without knowing I have been reading this book and regaining my fire for the some-day ministry (only for the past two evenings), Caleb wrote in his letter that I got today, "It is so exciting to think of our future together, Lindsay. God is so good to me, to us!!! I love you so much Lindsay and I can't thank God enough for you still waiting for me to get through this season. I'm going to get it right this time and we are going to live our lives, together, for Him."
Today is six weeks, the longest he has ever made it in rehab.
Tomorrow and every day thereafter is a new record.
Let God continue to breakdown the strongholds of addiction... And build into us the shape and nature of the kingdom work He has for our family,
Amen.
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