And Now...

“Wounds caused by our own people aren’t the same as the wounds of an enemy.  We can’t chalk them up to random acts of unkindness.  They’re personal.  They are inflicted by people who know us, by people we believed loved us or at least thought kindly of us.  When it is not just our people but God’s people, the wound can gape wide open into a maelstrom of confusion. 

Alienation. 

Isolation. 

Shame. 

In the words of James, “These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters”(James 3:10b).  But unfortunately they are.  And they are probably to be expected in this unfinished world among unfinished peopled like you and me.

Praise God, we are not without remedy.  Nor are we without fellowship.  The Bible records a great cloud of witnesses who have been injured within their own community and put outside the camp in one way or another.  As New Testament believers, we will find that enduring this brand of pain is a profoundly impactful way we fellowship in the suffering of Christ.  For Him to have been tried and tempted and torn in all ways such as we have- yet without sin –His betrayer, Judas, had to come from His own close circle.  Betrayal betrays a certain camaraderie.  A relationship had existed that was then found dispensable.” (Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries) 

While we know that God is in full control and works all things for our good (Romans 8:28), it was with heavy hearts that we squeezed necks and kissed faces and whispered “I love you’s” before leaving Camp Coq yesterday.

Today we enjoyed some family time at the beach and we are celebrating our sweet, spunky, full-of-life, incredibly-huge-hearted, oh-so-big 4 old year! 

No doubt God knew we'd need some extra joy when He created this little gift years ago and she has definitely provided that over and over and over again!!!  

Some friends have offered to let us stay with them for a few days near Port-au-Prince so we will go there later this week.  As always, we appreciate your prayers so much during this fragile time.  Please pray for our safety as we travel, for our health and for our hearts as we wait anxiously for some more answers. 

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen."  

Ephesians 3:20-21