Well, our apartment is now vacant, a car is sold, our
stuff if packed away, and we are in Virginia about to start training. Looking back over "The Rush" from
the past 2 weeks makes me see the power and importance of prayer to my Father.
Multiple times in the past few weeks I've felt overwhelmed,
stressed, and frustrated by the long list of tasks from our move. Leah and I both have struggled to give God
full reign in our circumstances. Worry
and stress are not of God, so why did I experience them? I was replacing God's role in my life with my
own power and obviously I was not equipped to be god. I'm awful at being god. Leah and I both knew in those times that we
needed to submit the craziness we were juggling to the one true, almighty
God. We would pray and say we were
giving Him control and would ask for His peace.
Sometimes I'm not yet submissive by the way I feel but I
know that I want and need to be. It's in
those times that I've learned to tell God that I am submitting to Him and have
faith that He will bring me to submission and trust in Him. I don't mean to lie to the Father, I mean to express
my problem and tell God where I want to be.
(First step to recovery, right? "I have a problem")
Several years ago a phrase was really popular among
Christians, "Let go and let God!"
I've heard pastors preach for this idea and against it, I've been
confused about it since then. I'm coming
to realize that it is a good idea if I submit and entrust things to God. I don't let go of the problem or
responsibility, but I let go of the worry and stress. It's the difference in these two prayers: (throw hands in the air) "I'm done
with this!" vs. (on my knees)
"Abba, I submit and entrust this to you."
Recently I put 3 items I really wanted to sell up on
Craigslist, our couch, washer and dryer, and car. I knew that cars can take months to sell and
I knew that I didn't have months to sell it.
I worried that we would not sell our things and started to scramble for
a backup plan. I was worrying about the "what
if's" and forgot about who "God is." I submitted the selling of our stuff to
God. I remembered that God gave us all
of this stuff in the beginning and had faith that He will give us buyers to
sell it to.
After four days of our things being on Craigslist I got a
phone call at 9am, they wanted the washer and dryer. At 12:30 I met someone to test drive my car, by
2:30 they bought it. When we got home
from selling the car a lady was waiting for us at our house and bought our
couch. Did I mention that we were paid
more for each item than I even hoped to receive?
I believe that it is in our submissive and obedient
moments that we truly understand what it is to be a child of God. Whether it be in a time of blessing or a time
of trail, when we are submissive and obedient we will see just how much our God
loves and cares for His children!
The life verse for our marriage is Proverbs 3:5-6,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
We believe there is power in prayer. Our journey to Madagascar began with Leah and
I on our knees in a hotel room at Ridgecrest Conference Center, continued at
church altars, and I look forward to the day that I get my knees dirty on the
soil of Madagascar!
In His Love,
-Andrew
