Scripture of the Week Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my
hands; thy walls are continually before me.
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. 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,
