Today, I am Jacob. I am Jacob in the moment where I realize that I stand in the presence of God, having been unaware of it before (Genesis 28:16). Each day is filled with seemingly small ways that God pours out His love to us, cathedral moments that we are all too often unaware of, moments where you can't help but overflow with thankfulness. The honest joy in a friend's smile, the warm splash of sunshine on your face, laughter bubbling over, the rush of the wind through the grass, the welcoming smell of coffee in the morning, the spark of understanding that comes into a child's eyes when they realize what Jesus has done for them. You can't help but overflow with thankfulness! These moments of sanctuary, reminders of God's love and promises fulfilled, are what enable to to be all here, wherever we are. To live to the fullest with our eyes set on the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
Tick tock, tick tock...the clock sounds the beat of time. Constantly flowing, always moving forward, each second a gift and an opportunity for thanksgiving, even in moments of pain that lack understanding. It's not always easy to be thankful, to see through the mud and muck of worry that sometimes seems to surround us, instead focusing on the ever present hope we have in Christ. The never stopping, never giving up, always and forever, saving love He freely gives us. We are alive and God is at work! What a blessing life is.
One week from today, we will be in Uganda. It's hard to believe, surreal. I'm so excited to see how God will continue to work in us and through us in this new place, how He will continue to reveal Himself to us in the cathedral moments of thanksgiving in our every day lives.
One of the things I have been most thankful for during this time of preparation is prayer.
Would you pray for us?
Some of the ways you can lift us up include:
Final preparations - We are in the final processes of wrapping things up in the states and finishing packing. Please pray that this would go smoothly and that we would continue to rest secure on our Heavenly Father, finding our peace and joy in Him.
Open hearts - Pray that God would open hearts to the Gospel and continue to prepare us for whatever He would have us do.
Language learning - Please pray also that we might quickly understand and learn the language in Uganda, that we might communicate clearly.
Thank you so much for joining together with us in this way! It is such a blessing to see the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the body of Christ in action.
Katonda Yeba Zibwe! Lord be praised!
- Lydia and Ruth
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter every day epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."
- Sarah Ban Breathnach
"How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
- Jacob, Genesis 28:17b
