“Are We There Yet?”

If you’ve noticed that we have not posted anything since March (?!), you may be among many who think we MUST be in Thailand by now!  We would never have imagined that we would still be in the US, much less in our home in Oregon!!

There is so much to say that I don’t even know where to begin.

I remember packing our summer and winter clothes last spring.  I did NOT want to spend the summer in Oregon, I wanted to be headed to Thailand!  And dear Jesus knows everything.  In June, we took what we had packed to my in-law’s home in Los Angeles, our point of departure, and returned home to finish our packing.  So naturally, I didn’t have either summer or winter clothing here in Oregon, BUT…I just happened to have enough left in Oregon to make it through the rest of the summer and now an unusually early and cold winter.

You see, a week has not gone by without us asking God for His direction in what we do and, with much gratitude, we have been guided beautifully.  I can’t say it always looked beautiful on the path. Perhaps 50%.  It is in hindsight that the beauty of His guidance is best seen.

I don’t find it surprising that Psalm 23 begins with “green pastures and still waters” and then we find ourselves in “the shadow of the valley of death.”  Did the Shepherd get distracted from His sheep?  Then it speaks of the comfort and assurance that the Shepherd’s presence brings, to the point of “spreading a feast for me in presence of my enemies”.  He’s definitely not distracted.  

Psalm 23 has been our experience this year!!!  Hallelujah!  Even the part of the enemies!  As I write we are clueless as to when we will leave Oregon, much less the US!  And I can laugh!  Why?  Because the best is yet to come!  We have felt the edge of exasperation and don’t feel that far from it!  But there is a saying that goes, “It is darkest before dawn.”  You see, the story of my life has been, “It didn’t turn out as I had hoped…it turned out better!”

Yes, we are there.  We are not at the “hoped” (Thailand), we are at the “BETTER” (“the house of the Lord” Psalm 23:6) where “my cup overflows”.  What that means to us is that the presence of Jesus is where we belong.  That’s where nothing else matters.  Not that we don’t care, but His presence is where we find “the peace that passes understanding”, “the hope for the hopeless”, the storm stilled, the “burden that is light”.  It requires faith.  This theme requires its own posting.

This is the hope that the psalmist shared of his future: “guaranteed goodness and mercy will follow me the rest of my life”!

Where are you?  Are you there yet?

Many stories to share.  Thank you for your prayers.  You have ours.

Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  (John 10:27)

May you hear, be known, and follow.