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My dear, precious,
wonderful, beloved brothers and sisters, God bless you in the
name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Do you know
how faithful God is to take care of us? No disaster you have
is too big for the Creator of all things, and no problem is
too small for the One who sees every sparrow fall. I want to
tell you some stories that show God's faithfulness in action
all day and every day.
Once
upon a New Year's Day, a young woman arrived in France. And
that was the end of the fairy tale. In real life, planes are
late and not everybody speaks the same language. But even though
my plane was two hours late, Wendy was right there waiting for
me in the terminal. That was the first blessing. I stayed with
her in Paris two days before she put me on a train for Grenoble,
where I would live for the next five months.
God can show a young woman a lot in five months. |
| God tells us in
His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deut. I
will not 31:6). That means that we are never alone, and He will
always take care of us. Sometimes he does it miraculously and
directly, and other times He takes care of us through the people
we meet. God clearly showed me He was there for me one afternoon.
It was my second day in Grenoble, and I still didn't know my
way forsake you. around. I walked a while after class, looking
for the tram stop. Eventually I became absolutely lost. It had
to be somewhere within a 2-mile radius, but I felt so helpless.
I couldn't even speak the language. |
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| By then I had wandered way outside
the University area, and found a bus stop. An older lady standing
there caught my eye. I asked as best I could, "This-bus-goes-train-station?"
Sure enough, she proceeded to say something I didn't understand.
Then she stopped, smiled, and said something I did understand.
"Come with me." We took the city bus back to campus, where -
voila! - the tram stop had been hiding. Then she continued with
me on the tram, and didn't leave me until right before my stop.
I was taken care of. |
| When
you are least able to take care of yourself, you can't help
but let God take care of you. My French family and home are
a tremendous example of how God does "exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20). Let me explain.
I thought that I would be a guest in a lovely Christian home.
I didn't think I'd become a part of the family. I had no idea
they would be such loving. generous, gracious and fun hosts!
I have gotten to live in a room that feels like home, with bright
colors and soft blankets, a toothbrush holder already by my
sink, and a bowl of holiday truffles on my desk. I help the
girls with their homework sometimes, and teach them English.
My door is covered with things they have made for me. While
Muriel made sure I was fed all day long, Philippe took it upon
himself to set me up with Internet access and insurance to drive
the "extra car." since he had just upgraded his own. High-speed
Internet in my room? A car? Exceedingly abundantly above what
I could ask or even think. |
There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for e are all one in Christ
Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) The body of Christ is HUGE. One day, I
was in line to renew my tram pass. Two young women behind
me were speaking English, so I turned and joined their conversation.
The first thing I noticed was the lady's face. Her eyes were
sparkling, her voice energetic, her smile radiant. She was
visiting her friend, a Mormon missionary from Canada. Her
friend's face was peaceful and sweet. She said she had seen
families change from being angry and hurtful to loving each
other and working together, all because of what the Lord had
done in their lives. My whole being just wanted to praise
God! His children are working all over the world! I got to
meet another sister in Christ this month. Her name is Wurud,
and she's from Palestine. Melania and her family are Christians
from Armenia. The body of Christ knows no borders, and like
it says in II Timothy 2:9, The Word of God is not bound. I
want you to be encouraged, wherever you are and whatever you're
doing, to think the thoughts of God. Be comforted and strengthened
by the One who cares for you. He is so faithful. Let your
light shine all over the world ambassadors! Grace peace to
you all,
Hannah |
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