My husband asked me last night was I going to blog about my day, I quickly told him no. I was quick to respond in this way because of this post just being very emotional for me.
This week for delta and I have been very challenging.. but I am so thankful to the LORD in how He is drawing us closer in our fellowship and friendship with one another. I love that GIRL!! Today as we were in the car together, D made the comment
" oh.. how do we survive everyday"?
I am so sure she will agree with me that its God's amazing, sufficient, faithful, perfect GRACE. I mean, I have awaken some mornings and thought.. "ok LORD, dont know how I am are going to do this again today... BUT I WILL."
Grace.....hmmmm.. yes, it's grace that would keep us from fear when we hear random gun fire from time to time.. It's Grace that would lead us to tears of compassion and mercy and not anger when we nurture the little girls around us. Who's parents, when they don't want to be bothered by them, leave them with us for hours and hours out of the day. To feed, to bathe, to train and correct. It's grace, that provokes you to want to persevere after witnessing a drug addict beat, kick, and drag his drug addict girlfriend down the street in front of many children and adults...
Please know this is not a complaint or me confessing fear of living here..It's gets rough, it gets tiring, but as I have said in so many other posts, we truly do love where we are.. for me, it's because I truly do believe that the LORD is here... "He said GO" and after that he replied.."Lo, I am with you always." good enough for us...
I am so thankful to the LORD for keeping us through all that we see and all that He uses us to do. Kevin and I have made the commitment to be here for the next 15 years.. Committing to be here for the long haul gives us HOPE of one day seeing the LORD's power at work in the lives of our neighbors. May I praise the LORD in saying by grace, He has already begun to show us miraculous fruit to the labors he has called our families to.
I just want to say THANK YOU to all of those that support and pray for us. It encourages us to hear we are prayed for and thought of. I believe your prayer support is one of the many reason why we can continue on...
Please take the time to listen to this conference audio that the LORD has used greatly to encourage us in ministry. It was recorded at the CCDA conference in 2006. FYI: #1- This audio is pretty lengthy. #2- this audio is for those who have lived in an underserved community for any length of time, Those who may have experienced both great joy and extreme challenges as they have worked to be a good neighbor to those around them . In this Panel Discussion with Noel and Marianne Castellanos, Joe and Stacy Atkins, and Wayne and Anne Gordon, they will have an honest dialogue about their experience with living in the community.
Father, thank you giving our family peace in our calling. This peace, that surpasses all understanding , encourages me to stick this thing through. Would you please reveal yourself to all those around us. Would you please save many around us from out of the pits of darkness.