Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 is a day I will not soon forget. Partly because the date is prominently displayed on the degree and partly because it was the culmination of the first large comittment that I finished and finished well. High school I did not finish well - grades are not the only measure to be considered. Secular college - I did not finish. Marriage, Christian walk, parenting - the assesment cant be made until glory for there will be no conclusion until then...
Accomplishment - Completing the degree of Bachelor of Divinity at North Star Bible Institute is not a matter for me to boast of. It is in God we boast all the day long (Ps. 44:8).
Jer 9:23-24
(23) Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
(24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Yet the sense of relief and the joy that we feel having reached this point would be silly to hide. Is it pride to enjoy a feeling of accomplishment in attaining a goal that God has called you to complete, equipped you for and gave you His daily grace to attain in addition to the fact that this goal was for the purpose of knowing God and His word better and preparing for God's further call? I don't think so. It is not man that gives the increase when a soul gets saved but there are times when He is the one that is there while the fruit is harvested and gets to savor in the moment.
AWE - We serve an amazing God! As I look back at 4+ years of God helping us through long nights and long days, what seemed like at one point almost certain job layoff, surgeries, 2 difficult childbirths, a miscarriage, 4 trips out of the country, having energy when it should just not be possible, a work situation that exploded in the past year and many other speedbumps of life - it is a sweet time to just sit back now and be amazed at how exactly God arranged and worked everything out when it certainly did not make sense to us at the time. That wonder leads me to the last two thoughts - appreciation and anticipation.
Appreciation - Want to... but not gonna do it, I won't make a list of all the people that God has blessed us with and rehearse the many ways they all blessed, encouraged, challenged, supported, prayed for, prayed with and in many other ways ministered to us. I won't because God is to get the glory, I won't because they would all want God to get the glory and I won't because I would inevitably forget some people which would be a shame.
Anticipation - It is time - not to close the books (I have a list a mile long of those I intend to read and have begun reading). It is time - not to finish learning (I have begun my Rosetta Stone lessons for Tagalog already!). It is time rather to place an emphasis on what the Lord has called us to as He was being faithful to helping us complete what He had called us to initially.
2Ti 1:12
(12) For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
We are very eager to begin following God's leading to the Philippines. We are at the beginning stages but God has put many people and situations together in amazing ways in order to cast the vision to us and bring us to a point of eager anticipation. From the Kodak trips to the Perkins family, to Dr. Keen, the Lewis family, to books and especially through prayer and God's word - the path is clear and our God is reliable...
God has burdened us for Him and has burdened us for them!
We appreciate and covet your prayers.
