When God works...He seriously works

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

I only have a minute or two to get this posted, because it's a "go to school" day, and I have to get the kids moving. However, I have to tell you this story. I almost burned my muffins in my eagerness to tell you this. (and that's not a euphemism...I actually have muffins in the oven.)

So, the last two weeks have been really awful. Discouraging in a thousand ways, bad language lessons, bad homeschool days, bad church days...just bad everything days. When I sent out our prayer letter to partner churches on Sunday, I have to admit that even as I was writing it, I felt so down I just couldn't breathe. Why on earth had God brought us to this place? To be unhappy? To suffer? For our children to suffer? That was my frame of mind. I immediately received an email from my sister's Sunday School teacher (don't get me started about how in love with this Sunday School class we are...they just love us even though they've never met us), saying this fit perfectly in the class he was teaching today. The scripture, he pointed out, was Hebrews 12:1-3. Now, there's a whole wall at the International Learning Center devoted to Hebrews 12:1-3 and the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us onto the field. So, I didn't even have to look it up. I felt a little encouraged.

The next morning, I checked my email. The missions pastor at another partner church had responded with a very encouraging note. In it, he said that our situation just reminded him of...you guessed it...Hebrews 12:1-3. I felt a little more encouraged (and I started to grin, anticipating what was coming next).

After I checked my email, it was time for my quiet time. I opened up to the passage I was to read that day, and what did I find? You know before I tell you...Hebrews 12:1-3!!! Don't you love it when God does that? I do...it just makes my day.

And you know what? It's been a better week. A better frame of mind, better behavior from our kids, more fun at home, a little bit better week of language lessons...just better. Did our circumstances change? Not really. But our attitudes changed, because the LORD, who has "made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city" (Psalm 31:21) is still at work here. He's definitely at work in us. Maybe we just needed a little reminder.

How about you? Do you ever need a reminder that in your every day circumstances the God of Everything is at work, working to mold you and shape you into who He knows you to be? I pray that this will serve as a reminder to you of His love and His faithfulness today. And I pray that when you become discouraged, you will listen to the voices of our great cloud of witnesses, and be encouraged to run with endurance your race lovingly planned by your Father. Blessings to you and yours!!
His,
Kellye