A Reason to Pray...my students

I just stumbled across this from March 17th. I remember writing this to blog when I didn't have access to the internet. Thankful the Lord reminded me of this tonight as I was getting ready to blog.

My students point me to the Lord to pray. Funny thing most would say, but it is true. Though most of my students do not know the Lord, they still point me to him. "Why," you ask? For it is in the moment that I look around and see all the lostness I am surrounded by that I realize I am so weak and cannot save all these students, my kids, that are perishing. The weight of seeing my students experience the hurt, loneliness, suffering, etc. of sin is almost unbearable at times. I come home and tell Michael that I'm not sure how much more I can bear. I want them to know the liberty that is found in Christ. I want to share freely with my students so that at least I know they have hear the Gospel once. My heart breaks for them. I understand why Paul shockingly says he would give up his salvation so that all his people may be saved. If I knew giving up my salvation would save all the students, people, etc. that I come into contact with, wouldn't that be the least I could do? I mean, all those people to know and have intimate fellowship with the Father through the Son - the one through whom all things are made, the one through whom all things are sustained, and the whom to whom all things were made. If they knew this God - the one true God - wouldn't they believe? Wouldn't they taste and truly see that the Lord is good? This is the One who holds the answers. This is the One from whom we have hope. This is the One from whom we find rest and peace. This is the One who offers true, living water that will nourish the soul eternally. Oh, that they may know.

Oh yes, Lord, that they may know and be saved. 

Humble Gratefulness

Fresh in our hearts is to "give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). We are humbled and grateful for the kindness that has been extended to us through donations and prayers as we prepare to go to India in less than two months. That support has come from those that we are extremely close to, friends and family, and brothers and sisters in Christ that we may or may not know. We are so very aware that all good things come from the Lord and it is through Him that donations are coming in and prayers are being answered. We know that it is because of Christ that people so freely give out of their pockets to support us as we go to equip pastors and students there.    So as I write today, the words are hard to find to express how humbled we are by people's generosity to us.

I must say that this has at time been trying for us. Michael and I have both been discourage at various times as we seek to raise the funds we need to go to India. Earlier in the week I was contemplating how we could possibly raise enough money and in my car the Lord silenced me. It felt so clear to me in my spirit that the Lord was questioning who I was putting my dependence on for these funds. It suddenly shone his sanctifying light on my sinfulness and lack of faithfulness to seek him for all things - especially money to get to India. I realized (via the Holy Spirit) I had to be fervent in prayer about this and I had to, in faith, trust that if he sent us he would provide.

The next day I had a man come to me at school and call me out of class. He opened his wallet and gave me a sizable donation. I was completely humbled. The first thing I thought of was not - "wow, I just got some money!" Nor was my initial thought to praise this man for kindly donating to our mission. Rather, I was silenced out of sheer amazement and reverence of God being faithful once again to one of his children. I immediately felt the Spirit so strong give me assurance and a peace that he was sent by the Lord. This man may never know what all his donation stood for, but that was the beginning of donations coming in and the Lord never ceasing to supply.

We are half way there to our goal to raise for India and now I sit a week later confident that the Lord will surely provide.

"You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 118:28-29)