Michigan Bound

This is Scott posting.  We hit the road at about 4:30 Friday night and had a smooth start to the trip.  We had a restful nights sleep in Charleston, WV.

This morning we are getting ready to head out to Adrian, MI.  We are going to spend the night with old friends (Mike and Lisa!) from when we lived in Michigan.  Tomorrow we are going to go to church at Ogden Community Church and we will get to see more old friends.

I sometimes marvel at how God has arranged the circumstances of our lives in order to prepare us for this journey.  Cindy and I have lived in places we weren't familiar with (SC and MI seemed like foreign countries to our unsophisticated eyes.), learned languages that were different and hung out with people who were from other countries.  We have lived away from family and friends.  We have had to deal with people having different ways of speaking, different ways of doing things and different standards.  We have dealt with trying to fit in and still remaining ourselves.  I say these things not for sympathy or admiration but to say "My God is great!"  He provided all these small challenges (though they didn't seem small at the time.) in order that we could be ready for the idea of going to Spain as missionaries.

I resisted the idea of going to seminary for a long time because I knew I wasn't capable of writing the papers that would be required.  I never was very good at writing.  Liberal arts type people just don't appreciate the scientific style.  Little did I know that God had taken care of all of that.  We found out that in order to go to the mission field I would be required to have a seminary degree so I gave in and gave it a try.  Well, imagine that... God takes care of everything.  It turns out I can write papers (with the help of an excellent editor...thanks dear!)  and God has provided everything I need in order to be successful at seminary.

Again, I say all this to say that God takes care of us.  I don't know exactly what you are going through right now.  I didn't know where I was headed when I was going through everything either.  Be encouraged that there is always a reason for the trials in our paths.  Pray hard, keep your head up and persevere.  God knows why you are in the circumstances that surround you and He always has a plan which is bigger than what you can see right in front of you.

James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.