today's the day. in less than 7 hours i will be leaving northwest arkansas, not to return for almost five months. i think the reality of all of this is slowly beginning to seep in. i'm no less excited or glad that i'm going, but there's alot of other emotions that are being added to the list.
i feel kind of like i'm standing on the edge of a very big bluff, and the beautiful, deep river is below me, and i've gone out to the edge to jump. any of you who have ever seem me bluff jump or been around me on a high dive know that that is not the most comfortable place for me. it always takes me a while to get up the nerve to push myself off the edge, and then i love it, but that time spent at the top... man, it's pretty nerve racking. well, i'm standing up there right now, and it's even more difficult, b/c i can't see the water below me. i know with complete certainty that it's there, but i can't see it and i don't know all that it holds. but i'll jump this afternoon, and we'll see whether i scream the whole way down or cry or just take in the scenery.
in other news.... a huge blessing came to me in the form of a cd a dear friend made me which included a sermon by a guy whose name i don't know (i'll try and find it out though, b/c everyone should listen to it). here's three excerpts that have really hit home and encouraged me:
"the most wonderufl thing that you will ever do with your life is to trust it to the nature of God; to put it into the hands of a God who totally loves you, an dhe's deeply committed to you, and delights in helping you."
"He is the great God who sends us out as lambs amongst wolves. why? b/c the lion is padding by our side."
"He is the great God who sends us out as lambs amongst wolves. why? b/c the lion is padding by our side."
and i really like this last one.
"you cannot find security in what God is doing b/c God commits you to the impossible, He asks you to see the invisible, He calls you to do the outrageous. there is no security in that place. there is no security in what God is doing. there is only security in who God is!"
so i'm standing up on my cliff, nervous, but confident that this is where the Lord has placed me, and while i don't know what's at the bottom, He does. so i'm going to jump and i can wait to find out what's at the bottom. and i'll be sure to share it with you all!
4 comments:
Rachel!! Thanks for the e-mail, I'll be checking in here from time to time. You are in my prayers. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to work together for a little while. And remember...donde esta el bano?
sweet rachel, i'm so glad i got to spend even just a little time with you before you left. it's great to look back and see how far God has brought you and what he has molded you into even in just the 1.5 years i've known you. you have such a beautiful heart, and i rejoice in the anticipation of what God will reveal to you and produce in you while you're in Chile. i love you, and i will miss you, friend.
I'm excited to hear more about your journey. Glad you enjoyed the cd.
Hopefully your plunge into the river of foreign countries doesn't give you giardia, like it has so many of us. Be Jesus to your team and the people you meet. (I realize those statements sound kind of weird next to each other).
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