Matt and I made it church with the twins last week. The first time for the twins and only the 2nd time for me since August. It happened to be missions festival Sunday. Matt and I obviously aren't going to pack up our family and move overseas for missions any time soon. We aren't even going to leave the triangle until Graham is grown or miraculously healed. We don't have time to lead Bible study or be involved in any church programs. So what is our place in missions right now and for the foreseeable future? How can our family with so little time and energy make much of Christ? We don't know exactly but we are asking God that and praying for him to show us and for us to be willing participants and not just be totally absorbed in our own lives. Although it is very difficult to think of anything besides the needs of our family right now we know others around us need Jesus. Will you pray with us that the Lord would use us and that we would take opportunities that he gives us?
Here is one cool story that happened recently as I've been trying to keep my head up enough to see opportunities to meet and encourage people in the hospital. I was eating lunch in the cafeteria and I was ignoring Gods prompting to talk to an older lady at my table. Then I spilled my soup all over myself and on my way to get napkins I told God that I was definitely not in the mood for chatting now. When I returned to the table the lady started talking to me. When she heard my story she opened her purse and gave me $20, saying that instead of putting flowers on her husbands grave she gives that money to people who need it. God said I'll see your stubbornness and raise you a blessing. Boom.
I believe you and Matt are very much fulfilling Christ's mission of spreading the gospel right now! He doesn't call us all to go places or be a teacher to be in the mission field. I can see the mission the two of you are fulfilling right now. While you say you feel totally absorbed in your own lives, I see a family that is faithfully leaning on Christ for strength and preserverence. Everyone that sees your blog or posts on Facebook see it. Through the trials you are experiencing right now, you are spreading the gospel in magnificent ways that you don't necessarily see first hand. As I continue to pray for full healing for Graham, I will pray for you both to seize the opportunities He presents to you. I pray that you will also be encouraged by seeing the impact you and Matt are having on so many people in this world!
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