Trusting His Wisdom & Love

A friend shared this today and I was greatly encouraged. 

". . . We all desire immediate and direct answers to our prayers, and are tempted to become discouraged when the answer is delayed or comes in an unlooked-for form. But God is too wise and good to answer our prayers always at just the time and in just the manner we desire. He will do more and better for us than to accomplish all our wishes. And because we can trust His wisdom and love, we should not ask Him to concede to our will, but should seek to enter into and accomplish His purpose. -MH 229,230

 Powerful thoughts. No matter how bleak things appear or how confused we are, we can Keep trusting! His purpose is best. It goes beyond what we think, feel, or ignorantly ask for.  

Waiting.

I strongly dislike waiting. I really do. It's probably one of the best things for me, and yet it always feels like the worst.

Waiting to know test grades. Waiting to know God's plans for my summer. Waiting to understand God's will for my future. Something about my impatient human nature detests not having instant answers.

Nevertheless, I need to remember. Abraham waited. Joseph waited. Noah waited. Moses waited. Jesus waited. So many of the men and women of God's word waited. Abraham waited for years God to fulfill His promise of an heir. Joseph waited in an Egyptian prison not knowing how it would fit into God's great plan. Noah worked and waited for the rain to come for what could have seemed like endless years. Moses spent years herding sheep, learning the lessons that only being a shepherd could teach him. My own Saviour spent over thirty years on this earth revealing God's love in His daily interactions with men before He paid the ultimate price for our sins. If you find yourself waiting, you can rest assured that you're in good company.

They waited for decades. They waited in dark prisons. They waited in the wilderness. They waited without knowing, and yet they trusted God. And now it's my turn. It's time for me to remember how God has led me in the past.

There have been countless times when He has waited to reveal His will to me. Sometimes, He waited until I was surrendered and ready to unconditionally accept His plan. Sometimes He's waited in order to teach me to trust Him more. Sometimes, to teach me patience. Looking back, I've always been thankful. It was by waiting and seeking His will that I came to Southern, that I choose to spend a year among the Karen in Thailand, and that I chose to take nursing. Those three decisions have been three of the most rewarding decisions of my life. They weren't my initial gut choices. I really wanted to attend Andrews. I wanted to go be an SM through AFM. And I thought I was meant to pursue elementary education. All these were good things & great places. They weren't bad decisions.  But they weren't where God was calling me. My time at Southern, my year among the Karen, and my near two years in the nursing program have brought more joy & learning experiences than I ever could have dared to dream up and hope for. God has been so good to me.

So I keep waiting. Actively waiting. And like God spoke to his waiting servant, Abraham, He reminds me, "Fear not. . . I am thy sheild, and thy exceeding great reward." (Gen 15:1) My reward. I am not rewarded by the events that happen, the answers I recieve, or the learning experiences I have. God Himself is my reward--my exceeding great reward every step of the journey. He is enough. My All-in-All. It's not just the reward at the journey's end. It's the reward of who He is & the daily joys that come from walking with Him. Oh Lord, keep teaching me. Teach me to wait.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31

A Beautiful Rebuke & Great Encouragement

I read the following blog post of a friend today. I don't normally re-blog other's posts, but I felt this was well-worth the exception. I encourage you to read it. It sent me to my knees in prayer,  both humbled by the rebuke & yet greatly encouraged by God's great love & the vision of unity He has for us, His church. 

It's so true. "The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love one another as Christ has loved them." 

Blog entry: Where is the Love?

One Gleam of Hope

"Never should we cease to labor for a soul while there is one gleam of hope. Precious souls cost our self-sacrificing Redeemer too dear a price to be lightly given up to the tempter's power." -Ministry of Healing p.168

Don't lightly give one up. Ever. He hasn't given up on you. 

When Champions are Few

"When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, 

when His law is most despised, 

then should our zeal be the warmest

 and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. 

To stand in defense of truth and righteousness

when the majority forsake us, 

to fight the battles of the Lord

 when champions are few

--this will be our test. 

At this time we must gather 

warmth from the coldness of others, 

courage from their cowardice, 

and loyalty from their treason."

--5T 136 (1882).

Lord, teach us how to let every trial, person, and situation draw us only closer to You. 

All Along

A Grateful Heart

With another semester of nursing school behind me and with it exams and finals, countless clinicals, and uncountable hours of study, I am welcoming Christmas break with open arms. Sometimes, I have to stop to rest before I realize how exhausted I really am and how badly I need a break!

I was reflecting today on this past semester and its many adventures, and as I did, endless God-given blessings started coming to mind. God has been so good to me. I'll share just a few of the many people & opportunities I'm thankful for tonight.

Michelle: Michelle (far right in the picture above) was my first nursing classmate to greet me and introduce herself. After being gone as an SM for a year and returning Fall of 2011, I was slightly overwhelmed by a new class of 70+ future nurses I'd never met, especially when all my old classmates were a year ahead of me. Michelle was so quick to befriend me that we sat together not only the first day, but nearly every day of nursing classes since then.  She's such an amazing friend, so full of sunshine, life, and most importantly, a deep passion for Jesus. The challenges of nursing school has definitely strengthened our friendship as we've overcome a lot together. We've had too many adventures to list here, but it's definitely safe to say that nursing school never would have been the same without her.

Maria: A prayer, a last-minute trip to Chiang Mai, (when I lived in Thailand) and a week living together in a hospital with a very sick little boy brought Maria and me together as close friends. I thank God that neither time nor distance has pulled us apart. When I returned to Southern after my SM year,  leaving a big part of my heart in Asia, God alone knew how much I'd need a cross-cultural friend. Maria's been that friend, the one who could understand things from an American view and then swap over and completely re-evaluate things with me from a Karen villager's perspective. I've treasured every minute of our sometimes record-long phone calls this semester. She's just the trustworthy kind of friend who makes it so easy to be completely genuine and real. She helps to keep my passion for missions alive as well as my love for the medical work.

So many other dear names are pouring into my thoughts as well. I wish I could write about them all. Friends to go running with and to cheer you on at half marathons. Friends who are eager to practice IV starts on you (and are happy to let you practice on them too & even are willing to re-offer their arm even if your first IV didn't go so well.) Friends who send frequent updates from Thailand. It has been said that "If you have one true friend you have more than your share" but if that's true than I have been richly blessed.

Future opportunities:

Nicaragua Trip 2013: In an answer to prayer, after being on the waiting list for weeks, I got accepted for the School of Nursing mission trip to Nicaragua over spring break! I'm so excited for the chance to use my meager nursing skills for God's work internationally. And an extra-special bonus--my brother, Ellis is also going on the trip as part of the auto-mechanic team!

ER Clinicals: God worked a miracle, and it looks like I'm going to be able to do my nursing management clinicals in the ER! I'm stoked. There's something about ER: the assessments, the fast-pace, the you never-knowing-what-is-coming-through-the-doors-next feeling, and the steep learning curve that makes me love it. But I think the reason I love it most is because it reminds me of the work a village nurse does, constantly assesssing patients and never knowing what he or she will treat next. Some of the best village nurses I've met got their training in the ER.

But that's the future. And as excited as I am about the future, I know I am not always promised it. I do have this moment. So in the moment I do have, I want to thank God so much everything this semester: the friends, the challenges, the teamwork, struggles, the joy, and now the victories. Praising Him for another semester now complete.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities:
Who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction:
Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalm 103: 1-5