Being a grateful recipient

And He said to them, "Truly I say to you there is no one who has left house or wife of brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life." Luke 18:29-30

When I came across this verse in my word study this morning (I've made it to brother, which was a surprisingly long and rich list of verses), I thought about the real truth here. As one who has left home for the sake of the kingdom of God, I can honestly say that I have received much more than I can even think about giving up. In the quiet of this hour--9 a.m. and I'm the only one awake--I have spent some time praising God and thanking Him for what I have gained by following Him.
--salvation and eternal life
--a family focused on His will
--friends like I have not often known in my life
--a chance to know my children in a way I would not have in the States
--a chance to be more than I thought I was
--an opportunity to live in the largest country on earth
--a chance to explore the beauty and history of Russia
--less stress and pressure than in my previous life (on most days)
--time to really know Him
--time to praise Him in ways that do not involve a microphone and a congregation
--a chance to attend a different kind of corporate worship
--a time to discover that corporate worship has very little to do with walls and pews
--struggles and difficulty that I would not have allowed myself in the States

That last one may be a shock to you, but like Paul, I am learning to choose to give thanks to God for everything--even the struggles that can rock me to my core. I have been transparent about the struggles of our children to adjust to life here, especially Hannah. And while that has been one of the most difficult things I am having to endure here, I am learning to daily turn over to God my children, their happiness, their joy and contentment, their friendships. They are, after all, only mine on loan--they really belong to Him. I am thankful for a time in our lives in which I could not solve their problems for them, I could not make them happy, I could not make everything better--and they could see that God is, above all, trustworthy and faithful. My friend Cathy offered me great wisdom when we came here--she told me that whatever it was I was struggling with the most, that's what God was stripping me of at that moment. And I can honestly say that watching my children struggle to adjust to life here has stripped me of a great deal, and that I am thankful to God for His faithfulness in replacing those parts of me that are stripped bare with a little more of Him.

Does that mean I have turned into Mother Teresa here in Moscow? Nope. I often stink it up in the motherhood department, losing my temper over silly things or feeling hopeless and despairing of my children ever being happy and content again. But I am holding on to this more and more--He who began a good work in me is faithful, and He's going to see that work through to its end. I know Whom I have believed, and I believe He is capable of keeping everything for me...even my children.

On a lighter note, we had guests last night--Tim and Cathy and their children Hudson and Caroline--and we had a wonderful time. We ate Marc's chili, laughed and talked, and played Phase Ten (our favorite card game). We had such fun. It is good to laugh with people who completely and totally understand where you were, where you are, and how far you have to go. They even can appreciate our language stories. We also received two boxes from the States, which contained too many wonderful things to count. Oh, the joys of maple flavoring (so I can make my own syrup), of ranch mix, oreos, nutter butters, and cheez-its. And books!!!! Oh, the glory and joy of seeing some of our beloved books in our home here. If you are not a bibliophile (like I am), I'm sure that seems silly to you, but just to see some of our treasures, to know that in our home here we now have things that are "ours," to see beloved books that have notes written in them from Bible study or lectures...my heart is full. But the big hits of the night were the toe socks for the girls, the articles on all things Tebow for Sarah Beth (okay, and me), and Hannah's precious, beloved doll Millie. Many, many thanks for and to our friends who sent these things, who understood the joy the reunion with Millie would bring to our girl who has so struggled to find life here. When they were in bed last night finally--it was well after midnight--I looked up to see Hannah snuggled with Millie closely attached to her side. Too much in my heart for words, but if you are a mom, I think you can figure out how that made me feel.

Well, I am enjoying a second cup of my delicious Starbucks coffee, and I am going to go spend a few minutes just reading a book for fun...until, of course, I hear the pitter patter of little (and not so little) feet. The photo, by the way, is for no other reason than that I think it's funny. Isn't my Sarah Beth beautiful? I know I'm her Mama, but I just think she's so pretty. Even better--she's far more gorgeous on the inside. Blessings abound! I hope wherever you are in the world, you are enjoying God's blessings, too...and maybe a second cup of Starbucks in a quiet house. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

p.s. If you are in Middleburg reading this, you have to ask my Mom where she got the cute Christmas decorations made out of Jiffy Pop popcorn. I'm not even kidding. How cool is that? We all enjoyed those, and the cute paint can lifesaver container. So cute. I have a feeling they were made by a precious friend of mine. You need to ask my Mom.