It is so much like God to give to us what we need when we need it most and to do the unexpected.

To say that this journey has been difficult for me would be to understate what I am experiencing. The difficulty is not so much a physical struggle, but the mental and emotional, which has affected the physical. If it’s true that “the school of suffering graduates exceptional scholars” there must be hope for me. So there are multiple things that are contributing to my present state. At this moment my wife is at home dealing with the news that her mom has only a short time left to live. Just being without her on this trip alone has been more difficult than I expected because we are seldom apart. Not being with her when she needs me most has compounded the situation. While working with the team we are all pouring ourselves into teaching and loving on the kids. This alone is exhausting, but also full of joy.

The experience is full in every way imaginable. Because of living in both ends of time, both here and at home, my mind has no time to shutdown. As a result, I am existing on an average of four hours of sleep per night at best. This never entered the expectations that I had before the trip. My point is that God does the unexpected. My takeaway is if we are truly aware, we will look and see. If we listen with spiritual ears we will hear and our minds will be renewed and we will be transformed into His image.

This morning I was mentally spent but as I read the following excerpt from my devotional I was encouraged – “If you have surrendered yourself to Christ, your present circumstances that seem to be pressing so hard against you are the perfect tool in the Father’s hand to chisel you into shape for eternity. So trust Him and never push away the instrument He is using or you will miss the result of His work in your life.” I believe that these circumstances were in His plans and I am thankful that I have a great God who loves me, is faithful, and I can trust that He gives us just what we need.

Jeff