Worry is a cruel treadmill. And I’m fairly eager to jump on it.
Jeff’s time away has been full of strange “normals” for us, too much for me to put here. I’m sure I would bore you with the details but we’ve just had a rough go of things here. This morning I remembered new mercies, every morning, from the book of Lamentations. Those special verses are placed smack in the middle of the book. The prophet Jeremiah is wrapping words around the destruction of Jerusalem and he communicates in the rhythm and style of ancient Jewish funeral songs. Now, it hasn’t been exactly funeral environment around here without Dad, but things have been rather dreary. I’ve had to do things alone that I usually do with Jeff or do tasks that Jeff takes care of completely. The needs of the girls seem overwhelming. I am stretched beyond my family in other ways. A knee-jerk sin pattern in my life is worry. I pray I grow out of this someday.
Yesterday the rain pounded and I held my feverish toddler. The temperature dropped throughout the day until the nighttime brought a below-freezing chill. The nighttime also brought ibuprofen and decongestant dosing, sips of water and lots of hugs. But this morning, the sun was out in full force. The small woods next to our house probably contains thousands of branches. This morning they held maybe millions of tiny icicles. The sun beaconed through each icicle and the woods sparkled like diamonds this morning. A new private grace. Lavished on Sophia and me before she headed off to school. We looked out the window at just the right time. It took our breath away.
The Ethiopian team is experiencing the understanding that they are there at just the right time, too. Jeff’s recent texts have been unable to capture everything they’ve seen and done…I’ve seen a lot of “this was an amazing day” and ”I can’t even begin to tell you what we’ve seen.” Dad will be doing a lot of talking over the next few weeks to try to convey all that this trip has accomplished. God is orchestrating something big in Ethiopia. Giving Himself lots of glory. And our team was included in that by being there at just the right time. Recently, Jeff told me: we all went to the training this morning, then came back and met with the leader of the student fellowship on the university campus. Two thousand students meeting weekly in a local church! Then we all went our separate ways – Erika went to the fistula clinic. Gary, Mark and Kelly went back to the training while I went with Rick (Eismann from E3 partners) and two leaders of the EFCE to the minister of the health office to talk about wheelchairs, eyeglasses, and other humanitarian aid stuff. Then we’ll head to dinner for a final meeting with leadership to establish partnership details…Thanks for praying for us!!
Continue praying for the team as they pack and begin the first leg of their trip home – flying to Addis Ababa today. We’re looking forward to them being home and being able to tell you in their own words about what God is doing in a different hemisphere. And at just the right time. Isn’t that just like God?
Thanks for the report Angi. So sorry you’ve experienced illness with the children. Never easy. But, as you say, “joy comes in the morning”. Thank you for keeping the home fires burning. Makes me think of the similarities to our military men whose wives keep it going at home. And, there are those who’re fighting on another dimension…the kingdom of God and His righteousness in far away lands. AMEN!! We love you and know God’s hand is on you. You were His right choice to serve alongside Jeff. So proud of you!