Faith

Faith is placing all that you are, all that you can be, and all that you do in the hands of God.
Jim Burns

God has a funny way of using unexpected things in my life.  This morning I opened up my email and found that two of them were perfectly placed a midst all of the Christmas sale reminders.  The first was from Jim Burns (a youth ministry guru) and it was about faith.  I have heard these verses hundreds of times, I have even taught on them, but today I needed this reminder:

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:1, 6

Right now I can't see much with Brinkley expect a lot of cords, tubes, and equipment that we thought would be gone by now.  He is progressing so slowly that sometimes it feels like it will never change.  If feels like he is going to struggle forever and I will never be able to hold him and comfort him.  (I haven't been able to hold him since before surgery on Friday and we are looking at a couple of more days.)  I have to keep reminding myself that there is a plan and it is all going to come together in the proper time.  It may not be my time, but it is the perfect time. I have to have faith and hold on.  

The next email that I opened was this:

"The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
  for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them.
Instead, they grumbled in their tents
  and refused to obey the LORD."

Psalm 106:24–25

view in context

encouragement for today

The "pleasant land" was waiting for God's people to enter and conquer—and the people refused to budge. Yes, the Israelites would have had to step out from their comfort zone. They would have had to trust that it really was a good land and that God would take care of them. They didn't trust; they grumbled. How many blessings might you be refusing because of unbelief? To what might God be inviting you, if only you'd be willing to stretch beyond your comfort zone and trust that he is leading you to a very good place?

—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

It is hard to think about it this way, but right now this is our "pleasant" or as other translations phrase it "promised" land.  Though MUSC may not look like the land flowing with milk and honey, it is where our promise is going to be fulfilled.  God has fixed Brinkley's broken heart and He is going to continue to take care of us.  Unlike the Israelites, we jumped (or more literally flew) out of our comfort zones.  We are trusting that he is going to care for us and our sweet Brinkley just as He promised.  

It is my prayer that we would be able to avoid the grumbling and stay out of our tents.  Our better than new baby will be blessing enough, but I can't wait to see what else He has in store for us.  We are placing it all in His hands.  They are so much better than ours anyway!