The Carillon
I love my new job. It started at a time when my world was already tipped upside down, and sometimes I wish I could go back to the security and “known” environment of the lab- just to have a day where I’m not in learning mode- but I love it here and I know that it is this path God has led me to, and down.
I have two favorite parts: Thinking through how to streamline our processes so that we can invite more interns in future summers, and the interns themselves.
I’ve always loved college-age groups and individuals. It’s an age of so much possibility and growth. I love hearing from interns about life and how they are processing this call from God on them to spend the summer away from home.
Today I replied to an intern named Kayla who plans to spend her summer in Ukraine. She sent me this email: “I’m praying daily that God will make a way for me to go this summer and serve in Ukraine. Currently, I am low in funds and I know that God can do a mighty work. If for some reason I don’t have enough funds by May 1st, what happens from there?”
I’ve seen so many of the college age students in my own mission teams over the years wrestle with those scary “what ifs” (man, I’ve wrestled with them myself!). My heart just went out to Kayla and I stopped right then and prayed for her to see God’s provision for her summer in a mighty way. In my own life, my faith dug deep roots during all my scary waiting times and I prayed God would dig her roots of faith in Him deep through this time.
I sent her an email encouraging her to trust him- because when God calls, he ALWAYS provides.
I hit send and then just sat there thinking about how much I needed to be reminded of that too. I stopped to have a heart-to-heart with God. There’s so much change in my life right now that if I think about it very long I just panic. Are we ok? Are we still on the right path? Are you still in front of me?
In the quiet of Rough Rock, His presence was so big, and there, and calming. In the never-ending bustle of Indiana, I’m trying to stop and listen and follow, but it’s harder here. I miss the calm.
As God and I talked, Casper jumped on my lap and stared directly into my eyes, which is Casper-speak for I have got to go outside!!! I distractedly put his leash on and wandered into the backyard with him- still working through what it looks like to find the calm peace of God in the middle of busy.
There is a church nearby that has a carillon and they play bell music sometimes- which I love. Today, as I waited for Casper, they played an old hymn:
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.
I sat on one of my patio chairs and whispered along with the words. I’m not sure how I am unable to remember my zip code but I can remember this entire song… that is a great mystery. Sometimes I think my long term memory filled up at a young age and now all I’ve got is short term. Very short term.
As my heart was reminded of these words I felt that calm I knew on the Navajo Nation return.
God’s got this.
When He calls, He provides.
Nearly every day brings a new change in life I wasn’t prepared for- but he goes before me and he saw those changes long before they showed up in my path.
“Content whatever lot I see, since ’tis my God that leadeth me.”
Or in the words of King David in Psalm 16:
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
With him at my right hand I will not be shaken!
Amen.
I just got a little thrown off, because I don’t have a photo to go along with this post…? So here’s a dessert photo with a prayer request. This is a picture of a “Bajadera Torte” that I made this week for my blog at easybaked.net.
It is a dessert recipe from Croatia, and I have deliberately been looking for a yummy dessert recipe to use in introducing my (thousands!) of Easybaked readers to Josiah Venture. This week I will be writing this recipe post and I’d love for you to pray that God will use it. You don’t have to know God very long to see Him move in the craziest ways to connect people and change entire lives and communities for His glory. I don’t often delve into personal things on Easybaked- I just stick with recipes and maybe short stories here and there, but this week I will tell about Josiah Venture. Pray that God opens doors and sends just the right people along to read about what He is doing in the young people of Eastern and Central Europe. Who knows what God will do, or who He might call to join us in sharing the love of God with these precious young people. Immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine…. so we imagine BIG and pray.
Thank you for your prayers, dear friends! I’m more thankful for you all than I can ever express….!
Hugs!
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